Only a few years ago, creators were talked about as enthusiasts who earned some extra money on social networks. According to the Future of the Creator Economy Report 2025 from Epidemic Sound, the reality is now different. 61% of creators make their living from content full time. That is six percentage points more than last year, and it confirms the trend that content creation is now a proper profession.
Creativity is no longer just a passion. It is a profession. Today’s creators are completely changing our understanding of business, from the platforms they use to the technologies they adopt, says Oscar Höglund, co-founder of Epidemic Sound, about the report.
Creation is becoming business
Full-time creators increasingly think about their work as a business. 19% of them plan to set up their own company within the next 12 months, and part-time creators are not far behind, with 22% sharing the same plan. In total, almost a quarter of all creators want to make the step from freelancing to business.
This also reflects a shift in goals. 98% of all creators say they have clear creative or business priorities for next year. These include expanding to new platforms (28%), creating longer content (26%), collaborating with other creators (26%) or launching their own merchandise and products (24%).
Gone are the days when creators lived off company budgets
One of the main routes to income for creators used to be collaboration with companies. However, the report shows that this model is losing its strength. 95% of creators now use direct relationships with fans, whether through subscription platforms such as Patreon or Substack, selling merchandise or building closed communities.
As Jordan Schwarzenberger, a manager and creator economy expert, puts it: Direct-to-fan models open a lot of doors. The key is to build an audience first, then give them something they really want. If you have their trust, they will follow you not only to new platforms but also into new formats.
For creators, this means more control and stability. Brands are becoming more of an add-on, while fans, and their willingness to invest, now sit at the core of business success.
It is also interesting that the very idea of “success” is shifting. For 25% of creators, success means balance, a combination of stable income and the chance to do what they enjoy. 22% define success as creative freedom, and 20% as a loyal community and audience. This points to professionalisation, but also to the human side of creation. Creators do not just want high viewership. They want a sustainable career that lets them keep creating over the long term.
AI as a partner, not a threat
Alongside fan-driven models, technology is playing an increasingly important role. 91% of creators already use AI, and among full-time creators the figure is as high as 96%. AI helps them edit, transcribe, organise or generate visuals faster.
AI helps me remove the routine so I can focus on what really matters, which is creativity itself, says designer and creator Chris Do. In this way, AI is not a competitor but a way to meet growing demands for the volume and quality of content.
The creator economy is coming of age. As the number of full-time creators rises, standards and pressure for quality rise too. A direct relationship with fans shifts power from brands to the communities themselves. And AI speeds up routine tasks so that creators can focus on what makes their work unique: authenticity and creativity.
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