The pandemic-induced boom in content creation has saturated social video platforms at a time when creators are battling a downturn in digital advertising revenues. These dual pressures of less exposure and dwindling financial returns have put pressure on mid-tier creators; the community that derives all their creator income from advertising, subscriptions, and donations, but have subscale audience to superstar creators. Mid-tier creators can fight back by forging groups that enable them to stand out above the waves, and to bolster their commercial clout and negotiation power. While platforms could perceive this as a potential threat, those that choose to empower mid-tier creators can gain a first-mover advantage over rivals when it comes to keeping creators happy.   

Companies and brands mentioned in this report: Awesamdude, BadBoyHalo, Callahaniscool, Discord, Dream, DropsByPonk, Facebook Gaming, GeorgeNotFound, itsAlyssa, jschlatt, Ludwig Ahgren, Minecraft, Sapnap, Tarik Celik, Technoblade, The Dream SNP, TikTok, TommyInnit, Twitch, and YouTube

Definitions: 

Early-stage creator: A creator who is making no income from creating or has made a small amount from the platform’s entry-level creator programs

Mid-tier creator: A part-time or full-time creator who derives all their creator income from advertising, subscriptions, and donations. They have no meaningful affiliate sponsorship, or platform deals. They have a substantial viewership but remain sub-scale to the biggest creators

Top-tier creator: A full-time creator who has an exclusive deal with a platform, or significant sponsorship deals, that supplement a large subscription, advertising, and donations income