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11/01/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 11/01/2024 10:14

Amplifying creator voices to unlock potential for the UK

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Amplifying creator voices to unlock potential for the UK

By Alison Lomax, Managing Director, YouTube UK & Ireland

Nov 01, 2024- [[read-time]] minute read

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The UK's creative legacy is undeniable, from the sleek James Bond films to the beloved songs of the Beatles. Now, YouTube creators like Amelia Dimoldenberg, Brandon B and many more are making global names for themselves and joining the litany of British A-listers. As the creative industries are increasingly being seen as key growth sectors for the UK economy, we want to make sure the voices of creators are being recognized.

At our annual YouTube Festival in the UK, we teamed up with independent consultancy Public First to open a first-of-its-kind creator consultation, inviting creators to share their priorities for government and industry action to help them accelerate their businesses over the next decade.

British creators are driving growth

According to Oxford Economics, more than 15,000 creators and partners in the UK employ other people to work on their YouTube channel. They are modern day media houses, with production studios, dedicated teams and sophisticated storytelling skills. Their content is delivering international impact, with 85% of UK creator watchtime coming from overseas.1

Despite the impact that creators in the UK are having, we hear from them that they still face barriers to growing their businesses, including:

  • Industry education: As creators expand their teams, the lack of formal training programs means many have to invest time and resources training their own staff or tapping overseas talent
  • Studio space: A lack of available studio space is a particular challenge for Creators based outside of London.
  • Film permits: The rules around public filming are complex and inconsistently applied; simplifying these rules would enable Creators to generate more content and drive growth.
  • Access to finance: Financial institutions are failing to recognise creators as a distinct professional category, meaning they face unnecessary frictions when accessing crucial financial products like loans and insurance.
  • Opening up the creative industry: Creators are often shut out of the ´traditional' creative and media landscape, including key industry events and awards that are also heavily concentrated in the capital.

Our consultation has been designed to uncover new insights on these challenges, so that we can advocate for solutions.

Working together to enact change

The consultation will run for several weeks, culminating in a full findings report that will be shared next year. Our aim is for these findings to ultimately inform a series of recommendations that we will share with the Government, industry and advertisers to advocate for creators across the country and enact real, long-lasting change.

Commenting on the consultation, Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said: "Creators are using YouTube to develop and showcase their talent in ever more impressive and innovative ways. If the UK is to reap the rewards of this creator boom in the form of investment into the country and global soft power being exported out, then Government needs to understand what conditions will best support this germination of talent. That's why this YouTube creator consultation is so timely, and as Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee I look forward to seeing its findings."

Share your views

We want to hear from as many UK creators as possible, so that we can represent the diverse perspectives of different creators, drawn from the length and breadth of the country.

Want to have your say? Simply take the 10-15 minute survey below. Together, let's shape the future of the industry - and ensure creators are firmly in the driver's seat.

TAKE THE SURVEY

  1. Source: Oxford Economics Impact Report 2022

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