Empowering Creativity: Building Businesses and Jobs In Europe’s Creator Economy

For centuries, Europe has been a cultural powerhouse, exporting its art, theatre, literature and music to all corners of the globe. From Renaissance masterpieces to the symphonies of Beethoven, Europe’s creators have formed the way millions of individuals we think of and experience the world.

Today, this legacy continues, but in a vastly different landscape. The digital age has transformed how content is produced and shared, democratising the tools of creation and breaking down old barriers to gain access to. Anyone with a mobile phone and a stimulate of imagination can now end up being a content manufacturer and reach a global audience.

Platforms like YouTube have become main to this new community. These platforms not only empower creators to share their stories, but also drive financial growth and neighborhood building in methods unimaginable just a few years ago. Today’s creators are not restricted to the salons of Paris or the performance halls of Vienna – they are reaching millions from home studios, going beyond borders with a single upload.

In 2022, YouTube’s creative environment alone added over EUR5.5 billion to the GDP of the EU27 – and supported more than 150,000 full-time equivalent jobs. According to Oxford Economics, 7 out of 10 European developers who generate income from YouTube agree that the platform helps them export their material to global audiences which they would not access otherwise.

We require to encourage the work that young developers are doing, and assistance platforms and developers alike

This altering landscape was the focus of a current discussion at the European Parliament in Brussels, where policymakers and YouTube developers came together to explore the profound impact of the developer economy. By examining how platforms like YouTube are improving the creative environment, the occasion highlighted the potential for European developers to not just entertain however to create jobs and reinforce Europe’s cultural footprint worldwide.

Zala Tomašic, an EPP MEP from Slovenia and a member of the CULT Committee, kicked off the conversation with a personal story, revealing that she had actually once harboured ambitions to be a “YouTube star”. As a child she created a channel, however her ambitions fell at the first obstacle when she understood quite how much competence is needed throughout editing, sound, lighting, recording, and marketing for content creation. “Companies utilize huge departments to do what a developer does by themselves, all by themselves,” she kept in mind.

Gaspard G – another of the guests – was more successful in his attempts at building a profession on YouTube. G started posting on YouTube at the age of 10, and soon began his own channel, covering a mix of politics and existing events. Since then, his channel has grown to more than 1.1 million customers. He is also the creator of an imaginative media company, representing developers on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

Earlier this year, he was appointed Secretary General of the Union of Influence Profession and Content Creators (Union des Métiers de l’Influence et des Créateurs de Contenus, or UMICC), the first professional federation committed to the influencer sector in France. In his speech about becoming of a successful developer, he highlighted the increasing power and responsibility of YouTube creators, a few of whom increasingly exceed standard media outlets in reach. This brings with it responsibility to professionalise, he stated. Alongside supporting and representing influencers, UMICC intends to produce recognition and ethical standards for online creators, to bring it into line with other acknowledged professions.

MEP Tomašic worried that, while policy-makers should address some challenges such as data security and the spread of mis- and dis-information, they must not lose sight of the “big favorable aspects” that platforms like YouTube bring. “They create an environment where people can access info, remove barriers to the spread of knowledge, and open up amazing chances for employment and innovation,” she stated, keeping in mind how numerous business owners and small organizations utilize these platforms to reach wider audiences and building their brand names while producing brand-new task chances. Additionally, she noted how social media continues to amplify advocacy and awareness on social problems, providing an effective tool to mobilize neighborhoods and drive modification.

To guarantee Europe realises its potential as an international center for imagination, she advised policy-makers to do more to support digital abilities advancement. “We require to increase the digital literacy skills. We need to buy the digital area. We require to encourage the work that young creators are doing, and we need to support platforms and creators alike,” she included.

Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová MEP, a previous reporter, echoed these ideas, referall.us however expressed her concerns about the role of social networks in spreading out false information. “Even though social media is a terrific tool for us to utilize, it’s simply a tool,” she said. “We need to deal with concerns like misinformation, disinformation, and algorithmic blind areas.”

David Wheeldon, Managing Director and Head of EMEA Government Affairs and Public Policy at YouTube, highlighted the platform’s unique position in the innovative economy. YouTube not only offers a space for creators to share their work but likewise drives financial and neighborhood advancement. Creators are not just building careers for themselves. As Gaspard G programs, they are also shaping the future of media by creating jobs and constructing whole media business and sectoral organisations. As Wheeldon highlighted, in Europe are reaching an international audience, with 65% of their watch time originating from outside the continent. This broad reach presents a chance for European creators to buy their culture and imagination, extending their impact worldwide.

Looking ahead, YouTube is exploring innovative methods to assist creators reach even bigger audiences. Wheeldon revealed the upcoming expansion of AI tools, such as YouTube Aloud, which uses AI to call developers’ voices into other languages. “We are going to introduce YouTube Aloud in increasingly more languages in Europe, where AI will take your voice and lip sync and you will be talking in another language,” he discussed. “We have actually got 5 languages up and running, and we’re going to develop that in time. This produces a massive chance for all creators in Europe to access audiences throughout the continent and beyond.”

The event highlighted the need for policymakers to acknowledge the potential of the creator economy and foster an environment that nurtures digital abilities. MEP Tomašic kept in mind that the innovative economy offers young individuals a special opportunity to turn their passions into occupations. “60% of Generation Z and millennials wish to turn their pastimes into an occupation,” she stated, highlighting the sector’s importance to future job markets.

By buying digital literacy and supporting platforms that empower developers, Europe can strengthen its position as a global center of creativity and innovation. As MEP Tomašic concluded, the creator economy isn’t almost individual success – it has to do with developing a dynamic, sustainable cultural and financial ecosystem that benefits all of Europe.