There’s a new wave of full-time creators

Nearly half of the creators in our survey started building their audience in the last two years, and this new wave of creators is entering an established industry. 39% of creators work on their business full-time, and in the past year alone, 15% of creators left ”traditional“ 9-to-5 roles to pursue their creator business professionally.

Most of these creators balance multiple roles from day one of their creator journeys. Half of part-time and hobbyist creators also have a full-time job, while 20% of that group juggle creating alongside a part-time position.

Income growth is the top priority for creators this year

Growing an audience and an income are essential parts of a thriving creator business, but one is a bit more top of mind this year—money.

Last year, 28% of creators said their top priority was audience growth, followed by 22% whose top priority was income growth. This year, the tables have turned, and 33% of creators will prioritize income, followed by 25% who are all in on audience growth.

Setting priorities is the first step to success—creators who used total revenue to track success tended to make more last year than those who focused on follower count.

Creator collaborations

are on the rise as a way to generate income and network

Being a creator is often a solitary pursuit, with nearly half of the creator economy running businesses without employees or contractors. Creators aren’t alone, though.

Creator collaborations, like joint webinars or promoting one another to their audiences, are an ideal way to network, build community, and increase income. Creators earning over $100K were most likely to say that collaboration and partnerships were their preferred way to network and build community.

Overall, 60% of creators ranked collaborations as one of their top ways to engage with other creators, and 22% said creator collaborations were one of their best income-generating streams last year.

Other creators are catching on to the benefits of community over competition, with 10% of creators indicating that collaborations and partnerships are the income stream they’re most interested in adding this year, which is on par with advertising as a preferred income stream.

Are Creators Using AI?

It’s too soon to tell if AI will transform the creator economy, but there’s cautious curiosity so far. Around 1 in 3 creators used AI tools last year, and 51% want to try it this year. AI can fit into the creator workflow in many places, but editing was the most common.

Despite the interest, there’s still uncertainty. 30% of creators said they lack familiarity with AI tools, and 22% feel they’re too expensive. 11% of creators are concerned about keeping content original in the AI age.