Top YouTubers like Amelia Dimoldenberg, Brandon B and Max Klymenko have put their names to a first-of-its-kind report from YouTube calling for government help and for digital creators to be more formally recognized as a profession.
More than 10,000 UK digital creatives took part in The Creator Consultation and YouTube has today unveiled recommendations including that creators be given government recognition, industry representation, better access to finance and improved access to filming infrastructure.
In 2023, YouTube research found that its creator ecosystem contributed more than £2B ($2.8B) to the UK economy and supported more than 45,000 jobs, and yet the Google-owned giant says creators like Dimoldenberg’s full-time professions are still not taken seriously enough. We understand the report will be discussed with YouTube bosses in the States later this month.
“Creators form such an important part of our economy yet we could still do more to give clear pathways for young creators to develop the skills and resources needed to reach their full potential,” said Dimoldenberg, who created Chicken Shop Date and has worked the Oscars red carpet. “We should support and nourish young, aspiring creators at the start of their journey.”
The report’s throughline is that digital creators across all platforms should be treated similarly to those in the more traditional world of TV and film production.
More than half (56%) of the circa-10,000 respondents said they don’t feel they have a voice in shaping government policies that impact their work, while nearly half (43%) think their value is not recognized by the broader creative industry.
Ahead of the long-awaited creative industries sector plan that the government published last week, YouTube executives including UK and Ireland boss Alison Lomax and UK policy chief Alex Rawle met with the likes of culture minister Chris Bryant to lay the groundwork, and they are confident some of their demands will be enacted. They were emboldened by the creative industries sector plan saying the government “wants to harness the potential of the growing creator economy,” while flagging that nearly 90% of watch time to UK YouTube channels comes from outside the UK. This, we are told, is a higher figure than many other nations.
Demands from today’s YouTube report include that the government formally acknowledges the creator ecosystem under a minister’s responsibilities. Creators should also be represented on industry bodies and councils, the report adds, while being given better access to finance such as mortgages and loans.
On the latter, many of those who contributed to the consultation said they work full time earning high salaries yet struggle when it comes to things like being accepted for mortgages.
The report also focuses on pushing for creators to have better filming infrastructure. Only 13% of respondents said they have support with access to studio spaces and just 9% felt they had enough support in securing filming locations and acquiring permits, according to the consultation.
“Drawing on the consultation’s findings, we are advocating for concrete policies—such as enhanced skills and training initiatives and improved access to finance—that will drive meaningful change for this crucial, often underserved industry,” said Lomax. “These advancements will ensure the influence, innovation, and talent of the UK creator economy can play a valuable role in the future growth of our overall creative industries and as a powerful export around the world.”
