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 work of arts to the symphonies of Beethoven, Europe’s developers have formed the way countless individuals we imagine and experience the world.

Today, this legacy continues, however in a greatly different landscape. The digital age has changed how content is produced and shared, democratising the tools of production and breaking down old barriers to gain access to. Anyone with a smartphone and a spark of imagination can now become a content manufacturer and reach a global audience.

Platforms like YouTube have become central to this brand-new ecosystem. These platforms not only empower developers to share their stories, but also drive economic growth and neighborhood building in methods inconceivable just a few decades back. Today’s creators are not confined to the salons of Paris or the auditorium of Vienna – they are reaching millions from home studios, transcending borders with a single upload.

In 2022, YouTube’s innovative environment alone added over EUR5.5 billion to the GDP of the EU27 – and supported more than 150,000 full-time equivalent tasks. According to Oxford Economics, 7 out of 10 European creators who earn money from YouTube concur that the platform assists them export their material to global audiences which they would not access otherwise.

We need to encourage the work that young creators are doing, and support platforms and developers alike

This changing landscape was the focus of a current discussion at the European Parliament in Brussels, where policymakers and job YouTube creators came together to explore the profound impact of the developer economy. By analyzing how platforms like YouTube are reshaping the imaginative environment, the occasion highlighted the capacity for European developers to not only captivate but to produce tasks and strengthen Europe’s cultural footprint worldwide.

Zala Tomašic, an EPP MEP from Slovenia and a member of the CULT Committee, began the discussion with a personal story, exposing that she had as soon as harboured aspirations to be a «YouTube star». As a child she produced a channel, but her aspirations fell at the very first obstacle when she realised rather how much expertise is needed across modifying, noise, lighting, recording, and marketing for content production. «Companies employ big departments to do what a creator does on their own, all by themselves,» she noted.

Gaspard G – another of the guests – was more effective in his efforts at constructing a profession on YouTube. G started publishing on YouTube at the age of 10, and soon began his own channel, covering a mix of politics and existing occasions. Ever since, his channel has actually grown to more than 1.1 million subscribers. He is likewise the creator of an imaginative media agency, representing creators on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

Earlier this year, he was selected 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 very first expert federation dedicated to the influencer sector in France. In his speech about ending up being of an effective developer, he highlighted the increasing power and obligation of YouTube developers, some of whom significantly surpass conventional media outlets in reach. This brings with it obligation to professionalise, he said. Alongside supporting and representing influencers, UMICC aims to create recognition and ethical requirements for online creators, to bring it into line with other identified professions.

MEP Tomašic stressed that, while policy-makers should deal with some difficulties such as information security and the spread of mis- and dis-information, they must not lose sight of the «big positive elements» that platforms like YouTube bring. «They produce an environment where people can access info, get rid of barriers to the spread of knowledge, and open up amazing opportunities for employment and innovation,» she said, noting how numerous entrepreneurs and small organizations use these platforms to reach wider audiences and developing their brand names while producing new task chances. Additionally, she kept in mind how social media continues to amplify advocacy and awareness on social issues, offering a powerful tool to set in motion communities and drive change.

To make sure Europe realises its possible as a worldwide center for creativity, she prompted policy-makers to do more to support digital skills development. «We require to increase the digital literacy abilities. We need to invest in the digital area. We need to encourage the work that young developers are doing, and we need to support platforms and creators alike,» she added.

Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová MEP, a former journalist, echoed these ideas, but revealed her concerns about the role of social networks in spreading misinformation. «Despite the fact that social networks is a wonderful tool for us to utilize, it’s simply a tool,» she stated. «We require to take on concerns like misinformation, disinformation, and algorithmic blind areas.»

David Wheeldon, Managing Director and Head of EMEA Government Affairs and Public Law at YouTube, highlighted the platform’s special position in the innovative economy. YouTube not just supplies a space for creators to share their work however also drives economic and neighborhood development. Creators are not just building professions for themselves. As Gaspard G programs, they are also forming the future of media by producing jobs and developing whole media companies and sectoral organisations. As Wheeldon highlighted, YouTube developers in Europe are reaching a worldwide audience, with 65% of their watch time originating from outside the continent. This broad reach presents a chance for European creators to purchase their culture and imagination, extending their influence worldwide.

Looking ahead, YouTube is exploring innovative ways to assist creators reach even bigger audiences. Wheeldon announced the upcoming expansion of AI tools, such as YouTube Aloud, which utilizes AI to call developers’ voices into other languages. «We are going to release YouTube Aloud in more and more languages in Europe, where AI will take your voice and lip sync and you will be talking in another language,» he described. «We have actually got 5 languages up and running, and we’re going to construct that gradually. This produces an enormous chance for all creators in Europe to access audiences across the continent and beyond.»

The occasion underscored the requirement for policymakers to recognize the potential of the developer economy and promote an environment that supports digital skills. MEP Tomašic kept in mind that the innovative economy offers young individuals an unique opportunity to turn their enthusiasms into professions. «60% of Generation Z and millennials wish to turn their pastimes into an occupation,» she said, highlighting the sector’s value to future job markets.

By investing in digital literacy and supporting platforms that empower developers, Europe can strengthen its as a global center of imagination and development. As MEP Tomašic concluded, the creator economy isn’t almost specific success – it’s about constructing a vibrant, sustainable cultural and financial environment that benefits all of Europe.