More and more people today are earning a living by creating engaging content. As we and other technology companies embrace this shift toward a more open landscape of entertainment and education, it’s important for us to more deeply understand the scope of the creator economy, its broader economic impact and what’s driving individual creators.
Today we’re sharing a new report we’ve commissioned titled The Rise of the Creator Economy, written independently by Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class and founder of the Creative Class Group. The report offers a comprehensive view of the world of individual creators, which Florida defines as those “who use digital technology to make and publish unique creative content audiences can access and respond to.” Some highlights include:
- The creator economy is forecasted by some exploratory studies to reach more than $100 billion¹: According to data and studies reviewed by the report, creators number between 30 and 85 million Americans, and an estimated 300 million people globally², with as many as 17 million creators earning money by selling their digital content as of 2017³.
- Up to 60 million Americans⁴ now make up the “Creative Class,” according to estimates: Representative of more than 40 percent of the national workforce⁴ and up from 15 percent in 1980, these are scientists, techies, artists, designers, entertainers and professional knowledge workers in fields like management, healthcare and law.
- Most creators are motivated by intrinsic rewards: Many creators are passionate hobbyists, and a growing number are social and political activists, principally motivated by the desire to make an impact and serve causes bigger than themselves rather than money, fame or follower accounts.
- There is an immense opportunity to forge a “Creator Middle Class,” which supports the idea that more creators who choose to can make a decent living, and if championed and protected well, can create a stronger, more sustainable creator economy to thrive in the decades to come.
Read the full report. In future phases of this research, Florida and his team plan to develop new data and further scope the global creator economy.
In order for creators to successfully forge this new path and continue to grow, they need support. That’s why building tools to help them find an audience, grow and earn a living. Read more about our efforts to support creators in our Meta for Creators blog.