YouTube content creators contribute £2.2bn to the UK economy and support 45,000 jobs, according to newly published research.
The data formed part of a report released by YouTube highlighting its impact in the UK last year. It also cited its own survey which found two thirds of small and medium businesses which used YouTube were able to increase their revenue.
The report was released to coincide with the launch of an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) focused on championing the creator economy. The group’s formation follows feedback from over 10,000 digital creators who took part in YouTube’s inaugural Creator Consultation earlier this summer.
The new APPG’s mission is to champion the significant social and economic contributions of UK creators while working with policymakers to deepen their understanding of the digital creator economy and advocate effectively for the sector. Two former Digital Ministers – Feryal Clark MP and Lord Ed Vaizey – will co-chair the cross-party group of parliamentarians taking part.
Feryal Clark MP, Co-Chair of the APPG, said: “Digital creators are the trailblazers of a new creative revolution – rewriting the rules of culture, building empires from their bedrooms, driving billions into our economy, and projecting Britain’s voice onto the global stage like never before.
“For too long, their genius has been undervalued in Westminster. This new cross-party forum will put that right: tearing down the barriers that stifle talent, championing creators as pioneers of our time, and making sure Britain leads the world as the ultimate home of creativity, innovation and ambition.”
The forum will tackle the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing the sector, including skills, training and funding opportunities, improvements to filming infrastructure, alongside the need for greater government and industry representation. The new group will be run by the Digital Creator Association and Influencer Marketing Trade Body, both of which represent the interests of digital creator, with support from YouTube as the next step following the Creator Consultation.
The APPG will bring creators, platforms and the wider creative industry representatives together for regular dialogue, channelling firsthand creator perspectives through government consultations and championing the community’s work through informative campaigns, driving key stakeholder engagement and advocacy.
Alison Lomax, Managing Director for YouTube UK & Ireland: ”Creators are a growth engine for the UK. They’re building businesses, attracting global audiences, and exporting UK culture around the world. Without targeted support for this critical creative sector, we risk undermining a key source of future growth and revenue for this country’s £115bn creative industries.
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“This landmark Parliamentary group solely dedicated to the interests of UK creators will provide a vital parliamentary focus to help turn the Creative Industries Industrial Strategy’s ambitions for our sector into reality.”
The APPG is the next phase in a nationwide effort to ensure creators are recognised and supported, fostering both their own success and the growth of the wider creative industries. Alongside the new APPG, YouTube is partnering with the prestigious National Film & TV School (NFTS) to launch the ‘Creator Incubator,’ a new programme to cultivate technical skills in the next generation of creators. This partnership will extend to a special NFTS webinar on September 29th which will explore how the platform is reshaping the UK’s creative economy.
Scott Guthrie, Director General of the Influencer Marketing Trade Body, said: “The Creator Consultation demonstrated the commercial maturity of the creator economy – these are sophisticated media businesses driving brand partnerships and audience engagement at unprecedented scale.
“What emerged clearly is that creators are no longer just content producers; they’re the bridge between brands and global audiences, exporting British culture and generating significant commercial value.
“The APPG must now focus on the regulatory and commercial frameworks that underpin this ecosystem: establishing clear industry standards, updating business classification systems, and creating the policy environment where brand-creator partnerships can flourish. As co-secretariat, we’ll ensure the working programme addresses the commercial infrastructure needed for sustainable growth in the digital creator economy.”
