Articles
The creator economy magazineAnalyses of the European creator economy from primary sources. Pick a topic and read.
A direct relationship with your audience is worth more than followers
Not long ago, growing faster than the algorithm was enough. Creators who want stable income are now moving away from social networks, focusing on control, relationships and assets that no one can take away overnight.
121 episodes in six weeks. AI podcast tops the charts
A podcast on the Jeffrey Epstein cases came close to two million downloads in its first month and reached No. 1 in the UK charts. Behind it is no large newsroom or experienced journalist, but AI and vibe coding.
Social media lures many, but not everyone succeeds
The creator economy draws millions of people who want to break through. The reality is harsh. Most creators struggle with low visibility, and almost half earn less than $10,000 a year. Holding attention is now harder than making content.
AI helps creators make money from their audience
The creator economy long ran on a simple principle: win attention and the money follows. Attention alone is no longer enough. Data, performance and pricing strategy matter more, and this is where AI starts to help creators.
YouTube vs TikTok: the battle for creators escalates
YouTube pays creators up to 28 times more than the TikTok Creator Fund did two years ago. TikTok is launching a podcast network with iHeartMedia, and Instagram tests locked content for loyal followers. The bigger the offer, the higher the price: exclusivity.
Comic-Con shows the power of live communities
Fandom starts online, but its real value appears when the community meets in person. Fan conventions are a fast-growing part of entertainment, worth over $6 billion globally. Comic-Con Prague shows a model that part of today’s creator economy rests on.
FlightStory saves millions of dollars with AI
Steven Bartlett built Diary of a CEO into the second-largest podcast on Spotify, behind Joe Rogan. His company, FlightStory, now earns about $47 million a year and is rebuilding its processes with AI, switching it off where it does not work.
LUTN launches a new series. What holds the show together
Pokorný and Pohlreich took a break to see whether it was worth carrying on. The answer is yes, and LUTN launches a new series. The real question is what holds a people-led podcast together, and that is a relationship that cannot be bought.
From August, creators in the EU must label AI-generated content
On 2 August 2026, the EU AI Act’s transparency rules take effect. Creators in Europe who publish content substantially generated by AI will have to label it, unless a human takes editorial responsibility for the content.
The creator economy is worth $32.8 billion. Women earn less from it
Europe’s creator economy reached $32.8 billion in 2025 and is expected to pass $157 billion by 2032. Behind the figures is a structural problem: women carry much of the work, yet their share of the profits is smaller.
The EU wants to regulate influencers. A new law is on the way
EU rules for the digital environment keep tightening, from data protection and large platforms to manipulative app design, ad transparency and influencer marketing. Clearer rules for influencers may come with the upcoming Digital Fairness Act.
AI is changing the job market. The creator economy is creating new roles
The US economy lost 92,000 jobs in February 2026, and Anthropic found that AI is actually covering 75% of programmers’ tasks. Meanwhile the creator economy grows about 10% a year and creates roles that did not exist five years ago.