Why Creators Are The Billion-Dollar Boost For YouTube, Netflix And Spotify
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MediaWhy Creators Are The Billion-Dollar Boost For YouTube, Netflix And SpotifyByJason Davis, Contributor. Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Nevertheless, Jason covers the intersection of the creator economy,...
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July 28, 2025
10:30 AM
Forbes
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MediaWhy Creators Are The Billion-Dollar Boost For YouTube, Netflix And SpotifyByJason Davis, Contributor
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights
Nevertheless, Jason covers the intersection of the creator economy, media and more
AuthorJul 28, 2025, 10:30am EDT ANKARA, TURKIYE - JULY 6: In this photo illustration, logos of Threads, Instagram, Facebook,
More WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, Spotify, Netflix and Twitter is displayed on a mobile phone screen in Ankara, Turkiye on July 6, 2023. (Photo by Hakan Nural/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube are each chasing ambitious revenue targets — and lofty market caps that reflect their potential as platform giants in the race for dominance in entertainment and media
Yet behind the sleek UIs, global content libraries, and licensing battles lies a common truth: The power of the creator economy is key to sustainably scale to the next $100 billion in value (fascinating analysis)
The ing wars are not just studios and labels anymore
This demonstrates that y're people — creators who command attention, trust and community at scale (an important development)
The creator economy is no longer a niche subculture of vloggers and influencers
Furthermore, It’s a $250 billion industry jected to surpass $480 billion by 2027, according to Goldman Sachs, and platforms that fail to integrate it will risk stagnation
YouTube: Already There, But Not All InNEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 21: YouTube executives Neal Mohan, Chris Dale, Mary Ellen Coe, and
More Scott Silver pose on stage at Made On YouTube at Pier 57 on September 21, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for YouTube)Getty Images for YouTube YouTube has arguably been the most creator-centric of the three, paying out over $70 billion to creators from 2021 to 2023 (an important development)
In 2023 alone, YouTube ad revenue hit $40. 7 billion, and creators powered the lion’s of this through major names Mr, given current economic conditions
Beast, Dhar Mann and Ms
Rachel (who has since gone on to license her show to Netflix) MORE FOR YOU Furthermore, YouTube has fast become the most watched vider on televisions in the United States underscoring its growth as arch rivals Netflix lag behind with only 7. 5% of television viewing time in the US compared to the Google owned platform’s 12. 5% The opportunity remains in YouTube Shorts, Its response to TikTok, is now generating 50 billion daily views — yet monetization remains limited, given the current landscape
If YouTube can crack short-form monetization and pair it with affiliate commerce, creator memberships, and IP licensing more effectively, it stands to add $10–15 billion annually in incremental revenue over the next three years
Indeed, the JMG Media Network or more commonly known as Joe, the UK based aggregator and male focused social media publisher recently put their podcast behind a Patreon Paywall citing issues with Youtube’s current subscription model as taking 30% Just 25% of Gen Z say they use YouTube as their primary engine
These aren’t passive viewers; they’re loyal fans, ready to spend — just not yet on YouTube
A Spotify: From Platform to PersonalityLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 13: Daniel Ek, Co-Founder, CEO, Spotify, speaks onstage during (noteworthy indeed), considering recent developments
More the "Now Playing" Creator Day hosted by Spotify at its Los Angeles Campus on November 13, 2024 in Los Angeles, California (an important development). (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Spotify)Getty Images for Spotify Spotify’s biggest challenge isn’t just competing with Apple Music — it’s building a defensible moat
With over 615 million active users and 239 million paying rs (Q1 2025), Spotify has already become the largest audio platform globally
Furthermore, But revenue per user remains low, and music licensing fees dominate cost structure
Spotify’s most compelling growth lever (quite telling)
Joe Rogan, Alex Cooper’s newly minted $125 Million Call Her Daddy, and Steven Bartlett’s The Diary of a CEO are brand empires in their own right
Yet Spotify still lacks a native creator monetization ecosystem
Additionally, A scenario where Spotify introduces tipping, audio experiences, and personalized merchandise — all integrated directly into the app offers a significant upside and engagement for consumers, in today's financial world
More radically, Spotify could become the Patreon for audio creators, charging 5–10% platform fees on memberships, exclusive content, and fan-first events
Additionally, With just 5% of their monthly users converting to $5/month direct support, Spotify could add over $1, in today's market environment. 8 billion in annual revenue, with high-margin upside
Early signs that Spotify’s attempt to compete in the content ing arms race with their new partner gram launched in January which offers creators 50% of the ad revenue have seen them pay out $100 million as of April
On the other hand, Furthermore, Spotify’s aggressive push into has also seen an uptick in recruitment of big name celebrities to join their native creators with the s of Dua Lipa signing up to the service to start a book
This analysis suggests that merging of native platform creators with celebrities illustrating the importance in the ing talent arms war to drive engagement It remains, however, that of the over $1 Billion paid to podcast creators in the last three years — less than 3% of that came from fan payments
At the same time, Netflix: From Big Budget To Bigger AudiencePOLAND - 2023/07/26: In this photo illustration a Netflix logo seen displayed on a smartphone (an important development)
Furthermore, More (Photo Illustration by Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Netflix increased revenue 16% and reduced operating margins as well to cap a buoyant Q2 of 2025 however, ad revenue still only accounts for less than 10% of total earnings, and customer acquisition costs are rising as r numbers in North America are expected to have reached scale
Nevertheless, Additionally, Meanwhile, its of most watched shows dropped from 80% in 2021 to 50% in 2025 as competition in the ing landscape grew to meet consumer demand and the Los Gatos based company stuck a deal to Wrestling for $5 Billion and had huge viewership with the Jake Paul and Mike Tyson fight as well as having talks with Spotify to partner on Music awards or concerts as part of its diversification Another pathway to maintain margin and user growth, Netflix needs a scalable, low-cost content layer — and that's where creators come in
While Netflix dabbled in creator partnerships (see: Rhythm + Flow, Hype House) and are testing the water in other regions with shows House of s licensed in the UK and Ireland where creators fight for a Bitcoin, however, it has yet to build a systemic creator ecosystem, in today's market environment
In contrast, TikTok, with less than half of Netflix’s annual revenue, is already driving more cultural moments and new IP, given current economic conditions
On the other hand, Because TikTok doesn't duce, it amplifies
Consider a Netflix Creator Fund for emerging storytellers, docuseries creators, or international influencers, in light of current trends
With the right infrastructure, Netflix could build a pipeline of creator-led content that costs 80% less to duce than traditional originals — but performs 10 times better on engagement taking the formats from YouTube and adding more fessionalization of duction and editing values
Even a pilot of 10 creator-led shows could potentially yield breakout hits at fractional cost, ing the content flywheel, reducing churn and most importantly adding engagement from the coveted 16-30 demographic
Moreover, As it stands, 44% of Gen Z and Millennials say they would “ly” watch shows created by their favorite YouTubers or TikTokers — if they were available on Netflix
Additionally, Nevertheless, The financial analysis backs this up with Wells Fargo’s Steven Cahall suggesting “that a lot of YouTube creators monetize (i, considering recent developments
Moreover, Cost) at a lower cost per hour vs some of the biggest Netflix originals (something worth watching)
Meanwhile, Their content is high-value and coveted by their audiences
And, this content is much, much cheaper than most sports, in today's financial world
However, ” The precedent already exists for the conglomerate, Netflix have successfully tested comedy by bringing in smaller acts Ali Wong and Hannah Gadsby (who as a result became major stars and indeed went on to create more gramming for the er) before entering larger scale with globally recognized names Dave Chapelle, Kevin Hart and others paying huge upfront sums to draw new rs and take over a space traditionally owned by legacy cable networks HBO and Comedy Central, given the current landscape
The evidence shows Creator Economy Isn’t Just a Channel — It’s the Future The creator economy is not just an opportunity for distribution, it’s a model for duction, monetization, and fandom at scale
Moreover, Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube already own infrastructure, audience, and data
But the next wave of growth — the additional $30 billion in topline, the extra $100 billion in market cap — will only come by activating their most underleveraged asset: creators, in light of current trends
Furthermore, CAA Digital Media executive Brent Weinstein explains that at the world’s biggest talent agency who represent the s of Dhar Mann, Ms, amid market uncertainty
Furthermore, Rachel, Rhett and Link “creators who have built the biggest audience and IP have had the opportunity to expand their reach into other verticals” adding that “audio and podcast is a big part of the flywheel as the overall appetite for content consumption has grown. ” These companies don’t need to become TikTok
They need to become enablers of creator ecosystems — offering tools, monetization, and scalable collaboration models, given current economic conditions
The creators are ready, in today's financial world
The audiences are waiting
Nevertheless, The platforms just need to unlock the gate
In the end, platforms may own the rails — but creators own the trains that keep them moving
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