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The creator economy magazineAnalyses of the European creator economy from primary sources. Pick a topic and read.
Instagram lets brands swap music in published posts, reducing legal risk
Instagram now lets users swap the music on a published post without losing its reach. A licensing error in a creator’s paid content can be fixed after the fact, without deleting the post.
Patreon lays off a fifth of its staff in its largest cut to date
Patreon has laid off 93 people, a fifth of its staff. It is the largest cut in its history and the second in four years. It shows that even the infrastructure of the membership economy is not insulated from the pressure on creators.
Hollywood launches VertTV for vertical micro-dramas, but cheap Chinese apps lead the market
Producers from Netflix and Hallmark have launched VertTV, a subscription service for minute-long vertical series with stars from classic TV. Cheap Chinese apps built the market, and Deloitte expects $7.8 billion in revenue this year.
Yope grows without an algorithm or ads and plans to earn from subscriptions
London social network Yope has grown to nearly 15 million registered users without an algorithm, ads or public creators. Northzone led its $12.3 million seed round. Brands and influencers have no way in yet.
Promo codes miss most of creator value as brands rethink
80% of a creator's value never passes through a promo code, according to Grace Andrews. Analytic Partners attributes 30% of paid search to brand, and Kantar finds that only 6% of content delivers both strong engagement and impact. Measurement is moving from the last click to mix modelling.
Substack lets readers check whether a newsletter was written by AI
Substack has added a Pangram scanner to every post that estimates the AI share of texts over 100 words. Using AI stays allowed, but readers can now see it. Article 50 of the EU AI Act makes AI labelling mandatory from 2 August 2026.
CDs outgrow vinyl for the first time in a decade as they become merch
US CD sales rose 16% in the first half, far faster than vinyl. K-pop, led by BTS, tops the chart, and half of young buyers do not own a CD player. The CD has become a cheap collectible, and that is a lesson for creators too.
Netflix signs top YouTube creators as YouTube weighs a response
Netflix signed Alan Chikin Chow, Nick DiGiovanni and Mythical within a single week. It pays several million dollars a year for co-exclusive rights, and the creators stay on YouTube. Ms. Rachel is already in Netflix’s top 10.
Only 6% of creator content both engages and builds the brand. Reach is no longer enough
A brand consultant called reach and engagement vanity metrics, and Kantar’s data supports her. Only 6% of 15,000 creator pieces both engage audiences and build the brand, while 87% of brands expect influencer budgets to grow. The EU AI Act tightens origin rules from 2 August.
Creator economy sees 52 acquisitions, up 73% on last year
The creator economy saw 52 mergers and acquisitions in the first half of 2025, 73% more than a year earlier, according to Quartermast Advisors. Capital is buying up channels and streaming services are licensing shows. Who ends up keeping ownership remains open.
Netflix turns its hits into minigolf and plays for screen time
Netflix is turning its own hits into a TV game that runs inside the app, is controlled by a phone and lets up to four people play. Downloads of Netflix games rose 17% to 74.8 million, though co-CEO Greg Peters gave the games programme a B minus. It launches on 28 July.
YouTube clarifies its AI slop rules. What the creator adds decides payment
On 16 July YouTube spelled out what counts as inauthentic content. Templated videos, emotionally manipulative formats and AI personas posing as experts will lose Partner Programme earnings. The EU AI Act adds mandatory labelling from 2 August 2026.