Dear Creative,

When we first began writing this newsletter, we had a strong hunch that 2025 would be a truly transformative year for the creator economy. Six months in, that hunch is confirmed. With digital stars drawing audiences and ad dollars, the industry is surging, driven by massive financial growth, technological transformation, and a fundamental professionalization of the business.

Here is your mid-year guide to the key trends, deals, and shifts shaping the creator economy.

The creator economy, predicted by Goldman Sachs to hit $480 billion by 2027, has seen a significant return to growth fundamentals.

Through the first half of 2025, funding for U.S.-based creator economy companies reached $1.6 billion. This growth stands in marked contrast to Hollywood, which currently feels sluggish. Investors have moved past the "irrational exuberance" of 2021 and 2022 and are now focused on revenue growth, leaner business models, and driving toward profit.

The economic impact is undeniable:

• The digital economy, of which creators are the fastest-growing job segment, is valued at $4.9 trillion and is the leading driver of U.S. GDP growth.

• Creator job opportunities grew 7.5 times in four years, increasing from 200,000 in 2020 to 1.5 million in 2024. Creators now constitute one out of every ten full-time, internet-dependent jobs.

• The YouTube creative ecosystem alone contributed over $55 billion to the U.S. GDP in 2024, supporting more than 490,000 full-time equivalent jobs.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer optional; it is central to the future success of content creation.

The use of AI among creators has seen a massive surge, jumping from 33 percent in 2023 to 80 percent in 2025. Specifically, 44% of professional creators now use AI tools weekly for content and monetization efforts, more than doubling the 19% recorded earlier this year.

The core value of AI lies in efficiency and global reach:

• Global from Day One: AI agents allow creators to be truly flexible and more efficient. AI dubbing services, for example, enable creators like MrBeast (who only speaks English) to cultivate huge audiences in regions like Spain and India.

• Business Automation: AI helps creators free up time spent on necessary tasks like administration, finances, brand partnerships, and marketing.

• Monetization Leap: AI-assisted Marketplace activity saw a 290% rise compared to July’s Prime Day, fueled by creators automating affiliate links and performance tracking, which translates product discovery and recommendations into measurable results.

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Content creators like MrBeast, Ms. Rachel, Alex Cooper, Alan Chikin Chow, and Benito Skinner are central to a sudden shift in dealmaking. This momentum signals that the creator economy is siphoning millions in ad dollars from legacy media as agencies "buy the future".

• MIPCOM Dominance: The creator economy dominated the traditional TV market at MIPCOM Cannes 2025. Major entertainment giants, including Fremantle, BBC, and Banijay, were actively dealing and partnering with YouTube creators.

• Modern Studios: YouTubers are redefining the "modern studio" model. Creators are building massive, cost-efficient production companies outside of traditional media hubs. MrBeast has a headquarters and studio in Greenville, N.C., and the sports comedy group Dude Perfect built a massive studio in Frisco, Texas.

• New Formats: Microdramas—short, snackable, and addictive vertical content—have exploded in popularity. This format is expected to reach $11 billion in global revenues by 2025, which is double the size of FAST channels.

The industry is rapidly shifting from a landscape of side hustles to one of scalable small businesses.

The professional evolution is marked by the emergence of the "Commerce OmniFluencer". These professionals operate across multiple platforms, diversify their income through affiliate and brand partnerships, and use advanced analytics to convert engagement into revenue.

Brands are prioritizing creators to solve marketing challenges like brand awareness (reported by 58% of surveyed brands). The majority of brands surveyed (93%) plan to increase either their creator budgets or the role of creators in their overall strategy. Furthermore, brands are expanding how they use creator content, planning to leverage it in content marketing (56%), sponsorships (44%), and even connective TV (43%).

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Even legacy tool providers are adjusting to this creator-first era. Adobe, in its shift toward "next-gen creative access", is prioritizing web and mobile-first tools, focusing heavily on convenience and efficiency. Updates across Creative Cloud include transcript-based caption generation and multilingual voiceovers via Firefly Video in Premiere Pro, as well as improved generative fill and expand in Photoshop. Adobe leaders affirm their commitment to building an ecosystem that supports all users, from students just starting out to seasoned professional art directors.

On the policy front, Congress is recognizing the weight of the industry. Representatives recently launched the bipartisan Congressional Creators Caucus to help lawmakers better understand the digital creator economy and explore potential regulation.

Meanwhile, academia is catching up: Syracuse University established the first academic Center for the Creator Economy, designed to prepare students to thrive at the intersection of creativity, commerce, and digital innovation. The center plans to offer undergraduate and graduate classes in digital strategy, audience engagement, and creative content.

Watch the TL'DR of the rapidly expanding creator economy in 2025, emphasizing its transformation into a professionalized, high-value industry that is heavily impacting traditional media.