Articles
The creator economy magazineAnalyses of the European creator economy from primary sources. Pick a topic and read.
YouTube removes a ghost creator network of paid actors reading AI scripts
YouTube removed 20 channels where paid actors read AI-written scripts on camera. Real faces got past AI content detectors, so the platform acted only against spam. The EU AI Act labelling rule would not catch this hybrid format.
GigaStar sells YouTuber income shares to investors
Foreign platforms sell fans a share of creators’ future income. GigaStar issues it as a registered security under SEC supervision, so investors get information and protection that meme coin buyers lack.
Creators adopt AI for speed but keep creative control
Adobe’s survey of more than 16,000 creators finds that 75% see generative AI as core to their workflow, mainly for speed. Most still make the final creative decisions, and 90% want copyright protection for AI-assisted work.
Agentio raises $40 million for creator ad marketplace
US startup Agentio has raised $40 million for a marketplace where brands buy creator ads as automatically as Google ads. It says less than 2% of digital ad spending reached creators as of November 2025.
Substack gives Titlbach his subscriber list, LinkedIn only lends it
Filip Titlbach and Miloš Čermák send their texts straight to readers' inboxes. On Substack the author takes the subscriber list with them, while on LinkedIn they see only names and job titles. Ownership of audience, data and rights separates a company from a channel.
Brands are making their own series and taking their cue from creators
Gap, Cuisinart and Life360 are stopping buying ads and starting to make their own series. In doing so they copy the creator model, in which content is the start of the business.
Creator Sports Network sells live sports rights to creators
Sports broadcast rights are sold on one principle: whoever pays holds the exclusive stream. US firm Creator Sports Network adds a second layer beside traditional TV, where creators stream the same live game on their own channels.
Creator ad spend grows four times faster than the market, but platforms keep the reach
Ad spend on creators is growing four times faster than the rest of the market. Most of the money goes to a narrow top tier of names, and the key to reach is still held by the platform or investor, not the creator.
MrBeast trims old videos while YouTube changes how it counts views
Marketer Oscar Owen described how MrBeast's trimming of old videos raised daily views by 34%. In the same week YouTube changed how public views are counted. Only the engaged view will show what the cut really achieved.
TikTok adds voice comments, polls and Live Photos to comments
TikTok is turning the comments section from a place for feedback into a space where people stay together. It is adding voice comments, polls and Live Photos, borrowing from messaging apps. Audio in comments opens a new surface it must moderate under the Digital Services Act.
OnlyFans pays creators 80% of revenue with 46 employees
OnlyFans earns more per employee than any media company and passes most of its revenue to creators. Financial infrastructure is forming around the direct link between creators and fans, and the model is spreading into music and capital markets.
X is exploring stablecoin payouts for creators. Meta already pays that way
Elon Musk is considering paying creators in stablecoins. Meta has paid creators in USDC since spring, via Stripe on Solana and Polygon, and is targeting 160 markets. Europe is still waiting for details and dealing with MiCA.