Articles
The creator economy magazineAnalyses of the European creator economy from primary sources. Pick a topic and read.
Moonbug wants to open a route to worldwide distribution for children's creators
Moonbug, the company that owns CoComelon, has launched the music company Big Feelings Music for children's creators. Snoop Dogg's Doggyland series is part of the launch line-up.
British creators band together to win a seat at the creative industries' table
The British collective UK Creator Voices was formed with YouTube's support. Its members want the creative industries to recognise creators as equal professionals.
OpenAI hires Patreon co-founder to lead a creator division
Patreon co-founder Sam Yam is leaving for OpenAI to lead a new division, Creator Product. He is taking head of product Drew Rowny and head of engineering Shannon Ma with him. Patreon laid off 93 people, a fifth of the company, in July 2026. The specific tools are due at DevDay on 29 September.
Made on YouTube unveils AI editor for creators and expands shopping to 35 countries
At Made on YouTube, the platform showed an AI editor in Studio, Ask Studio on iOS and Android, and help with brand briefs. Creators have run more than 40 million A/B tests, and the shopping affiliate programme expands to 35 countries by year end.
VidCon leaves Anaheim and moves under the organiser of Cannes Lions
Informa is bringing VidCon into the LIONS group, which runs Cannes Lions. The event leaves Anaheim and joins the Nashville festival from autumn 2027, with a presence at Cannes Lions in June 2027.
YouTube is the most-watched TV distributor in the US, and broadcasters now make shows for it
Nielsen data shows YouTube took a record 14.2% of US TV viewing time in July 2026, more than any other distributor. Netflix had 7.8%. BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the UK’s BBC, now makes shows directly for YouTube.
CreatorFi raises $45 million for advances that creators repay from their income
CreatorFi has raised $45 million from investors and lenders. It pays creators advances that are repaid from their Roblox, Spotify or YouTube income, and creators keep their company and catalogue.
Meta’s new Creator Marketing Hub turns a creator’s post into an ad in one click
Meta has launched Creator Marketing Hub globally. Brands can find a creator, edit the creator’s post and turn it into an ad draft in one click. Live-stream ads come to Instagram from 29 September.
AI makes 93% of Pocket FM’s catalogue as revenue run rate hits $500 million
Pocket FM doubled its annual revenue run rate to $500 million and is reportedly raising $100 million to $120 million at a valuation of $1.5 billion to $2 billion. The company says AI now makes 93% of its catalogue at about 80 times lower cost.
Noise pays creators per view and raises $5.5 million
Noise has raised $5.5 million in an initial funding round. It pays everyday smartphone owners for brand videos according to views, regardless of audience size. The company reports 1.5 million creators, and their videos can now also run as paid ads.
The clean girl era is ending
The clean girl was a perfect aesthetic for the algorithm: easy to recognise, repeat and sell. Fashion forecasts, TikTok and Pinterest describe a move away from one shared style. Pinterest finds 42% join only the trends that suit them.
Air Bank tops new Czech Instagram efficiency benchmark
The agency Hustle ranks Czech brands on Instagram by how efficiently they work with their audience. Air Bank leads with 77.2 points, and the best sector is mobile operators, with a median of 58.8 points.