YouTube calls for greater recognition and support for creator economy, backed by nearly 10,000 creators
Jul 01, 2025 – [[read-time]] minute read
Although it’s worth over £2 billion to the UK economy and supports more than 45,000 jobs, over half (56%) of UK creators don't feel they have a voice in shaping government policies that impact their work.
Meanwhile, nearly half (43%) of UK creators think their value is not recognised by the broader creative industry.
That’s a problem — one addressed by YouTube’s nationwide Creator Consultation, published today.
Just 17% of creators feel adequately supported in essential areas like skills and training, while only 7% feel supported when it comes to securing capital and business loans.
This report — compiled through feedback from almost 10,000 UK creators — reveals how a lack of recognition from both the government and the wider creative sector is significantly hampering UK creator growth.
For example, large gaps in support have been identified across upskilling and access to capital. Just 17% of creators feel adequately supported in essential areas like skills and training, while only 7% feel supported when it comes to securing capital and business loans.
These insights are why YouTube is urging the Government and creative industry to recognize content creators as a profession, given their profound economic and cultural contributions to the UK's creative industries.
From insights to policy proposals
Our collaborative findings with Public First have been translated into concrete policy proposals for the government, creative industries, and YouTube, designed to deliver lasting change and complement the Creative Industries Sector Plan.
The series of recommendations include:
- Government recognition: Formally appoint a Minister for Creators, by acknowledging the creator ecosystem under a Minister’s roles and responsibilities, particularly given the export opportunity for creators.
- Industry representation: Ensure creators are represented on the Creative Industries Taskforce/ Council alongside the UK’s other leading creative sectors.
- Skills & training: Build on the skills announcement in the sector plan to develop a new accreditation system for modular training, whereby creators can access short courses that develop business, creative and technical skills using “microcredits” eligible for the Growth and Skills Levy.
- Access to finance: Update HMRC’s SIC codes to better cater to the creative industries, with a clear category for “creators” ‒ and update the Business Income Manual to provide more tailored guidance for creative workers.
- Filming and infrastructure: Publish national guidance regarding filming in public, with small business exemptions that allow creators a right to film without a permit where they are using small crews and basic equipment.
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Launching the Creator Incubator
Alongside the Consultation, YouTube is partnering with the prestigious National Film & TV School to launch a ´Creator Incubator´, a new programme designed to cultivate technical skills among the next generation of creators.
This is the first course of its kind in the UK, built specifically for creators, by creators — helping participants learn to scope, plan, and build their publication schedule to improve audience engagement and the production quality.
The challenge is to empower platforms, policymakers, and industry leaders to better support creators and fully realize this dynamic sector's potential. And with the right professional infrastructure and support, we can drive even more growth for the creative industries.