The UK’s YouTubers, TikTok creators, and Instagram influencers have been surveyed en masse for the first time ever and are calling for formal recognition from the government.
The creator economy in the UK is estimated to employ around 45,000 people and contribute over £2bn to the country in a single year, according to new research by YouTube and Public First.
Despite this significant value, individuals in this industry feel undervalued by authorities.
«If you look at the viewership, our channel is not too different from a big media company,» said Max Klymenko, a content creator with over 10 million subscribers and half a billion monthly views on average.
«If you look at the relevancy, especially among young audiences, I will say that we are more relevant. That said, we don’t really get the same treatment,» he told Sky News.
Fifty-six percent of the over 10,000 creators surveyed believe UK creators do not have a «voice in shaping government policies» that affect them.
Only 7% think they receive enough support to access finance, while just 17% believe there is sufficient training and skills development in the UK.
Nearly half believe their value is not acknowledged by the broader creative industry.
The creative industries minister, Sir Chris Bryant, stated that the government «firmly recognizes the integral role that creators play» in the UK’s creative industries and their contribution to the economy and job market.
«We understand more can be done to help creators reach their full potential, which is why we are backing them through our new Creative Industries Sector Plan,» he said.
Ben Woods said the government needs to «broaden its lens» to include creators
«The UK has a fantastic history of supporting the creative industries,» said Ben Woods, a creator economy analyst at Midia Research. «But perhaps the government needs to broaden that lens a little bit to look at just what’s going on within the creator economy as well, because it is highly valuable, it’s where younger audiences are spending a lot of their time, and the UK excels in this area.»
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YouTube suggests that formal recognition would involve creators being included in official economic impact data reporting, represented on government creative bodies, and provided with creator-specific guidance from HMRC on taxes and finances.
For many, financial guidance and clarity would be invaluable; the ‘creator’ job title seems to cause issues when applying for mortgages or bank loans.
Podcaster David Brown owns a recording studio for creators
«It’s really difficult as a freelancer to get things like mortgages, bank accounts, credit, and those types of things,» said podcaster David Brown, who owns a recording studio for creators.
«Many people earn good money doing it,» he told Sky News. «They’re well-supported, have a steady cash flow, and are successful at their job. It’s just the way society, banking, and everything else is set up.»
«It makes it really difficult.»
The UK’s YouTubers, TikTok creators, and Instagram influencers have been surveyed on mass for the first time ever, and are demanding formal recognition from the government.
The creator economy in the UK is thought to employ around 45,000 people and contribute over £2bn to the country in one year alone, according to the new research by YouTube and Public First.
But, despite all that value, its workers say they feel underappreciated by the authorities.
Max Klyemenko, famous for his Career Ladder videos, wants the government to take creators like himself more seriously. Pic: Youtube
«If you look at the viewership, our channel is not too different from a big media company,» said Max Klymenko, a content creator with more than 10 million subscribers and half a billion monthly views on average.
«If you look at the relevancy, especially among young audiences, I will say that we are more relevant. That said, we don’t really get the same treatment,» he told Sky News.
Fifty-six per cent of the more than 10,000 creators surveyed said they do not think UK creators have a «voice in shaping government policies» that affect them.
Only 7% think they get enough support to access finance, while just 17% think there is enough training and skills development here in the UK.
Nearly half think their value is not recognized by the broader creative industry.
The creative industries minister, Sir Chris Bryant, said the government «firmly recognizes the integral role that creators play» in the UK’s creative industries and the fact that they help «to drive billions into the economy» and support more than 45,000 jobs.
«We understand more can be done to help creators reach their full potential, which is why we are backing them through our new Creative Industries Sector Plan,» he said.
Ben Woods said the government needs to «broaden its lens» to include creators
«The UK has got a fantastic history of supporting the creative industries,» said Ben Woods, a creator economy analyst, Midia Research who was not involved in the report.
«Whether you look at the film side, lots of blockbuster films are being shot here, or television, which is making waves on the global stage.
«But perhaps the government needs to broaden that lens a little bit to look at just what’s going on within the creator economy as well, because it is highly valuable, it’s where younger audiences are spending a lot of their time and [the UK is] really good at it.»
Read more from Sky News:
Trump says ‘very wealthy group’ has agreed to buy TikTok in US
Major porn sites to introduce ‘robust’ age verification in UK
According to YouTube, formal recognition would mean creators are factored into official economic impact data reporting, are represented on government creative bodies, and receive creator-specific guidance from HMRC on taxes and finances.
For some, financial guidance and clarity would be invaluable; the ‘creator’ job title seems to cause problems when applying for mortgages or bank loans.
Podcaster David Brown owns a recording studio for creators
«It’s really difficult as a freelancer to get things like mortgages and bank accounts and credit and those types of things,» said podcaster David Brown, who owns a recording studio for creators.
«A lot of people make very good money doing it,» he told Sky News.
«They’re very well supported. They have a lot of cash flow, and they are successful at doing that job. It’s just the way society and banking and everything is set up. The UK’s YouTubers, TikTok creators, and Instagram influencers have been surveyed on mass for the first time ever and are demanding formal recognition from the government. The creator economy in the UK is thought to employ around 45,000 people and contribute over £2bn to the country in one year alone, according to the new research by YouTube and Public First. However, despite all that value, its workers say they feel underappreciated by the authorities.
Max Klymenko, a content creator with more than 10 million subscribers and half a billion monthly views on average, highlighted the lack of recognition by stating, «If you look at the viewership, our channel is not too different from a big media company. If you look at the relevancy, especially among young audiences, I will say that we are more relevant. That said, we don’t really get the same treatment,» he told Sky News.
The survey revealed that 56% of the more than 10,000 creators do not think UK creators have a «voice in shaping government policies» that affect them. Only 7% feel they receive enough support to access finance, while just 17% believe there is adequate training and skills development in the UK. Nearly half of the creators think their value is not recognized by the broader creative industry.
The creative industries minister, Sir Chris Bryant, expressed the government’s recognition of the integral role creators play in the UK’s creative industries. He acknowledged that creators help to drive billions into the economy and support more than 45,000 jobs. Sir Chris Bryant emphasized the need to help creators reach their full potential, backing them through the new Creative Industries Sector Plan.
Ben Woods, a creator economy analyst at Midia Research, emphasized the importance of recognizing the creator economy, stating, «The UK has a fantastic history of supporting the creative industries, but perhaps the government needs to broaden its lens to include creators as well.» Woods highlighted the value and impact of the creator economy, particularly among younger audiences.
Formal recognition for creators, according to YouTube, would mean being factored into official economic impact data reporting, being represented on government creative bodies, and receiving creator-specific guidance from HMRC on taxes and finances. Financial guidance and clarity are crucial for creators, as the «creator» job title can cause obstacles when applying for mortgages or bank loans.
Podcaster David Brown, who owns a recording studio for creators, highlighted the challenges faced by freelancers in obtaining mortgages, bank accounts, and credit despite making good money. He emphasized the need for better support for creators in navigating financial matters.
In conclusion, the call for formal recognition from the government reflects the desire of UK creators to be acknowledged for their contributions to the economy and society. By addressing the challenges faced by creators and providing them with the necessary support, the government can help creators thrive and contribute even more to the creative industries in the UK. They are highly successful in generating a significant amount of cash flow in their line of work. The way society, banking, and other factors are structured makes it quite challenging.»
The Minister for Creative Industries has stated his dedication to appointing a champion for creative freelancers and increasing support from the British Business Bank to help creators thrive and drive further growth in the sector.
The government has already committed to enhancing the UK’s creative industries, aiming to establish the UK as the top destination for creative investment and providing an additional £14bn to the sector by 2035. These influencers are eager to ensure that they are recognized as part of this initiative.
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