Creator Economy Statistics 2026: Market Size, Video, Podcasts and Influencer Data

The creator economy is the business of people who earn money from content they publish themselves: videos, podcasts, newsletters, social posts, courses and digital products. In 2026 it is a mature advertising and commerce channel rather than a side trend. This page gathers the most useful creator economy statistics for business owners and marketers in Canada and the US, explains what each number means in practice, and lists the original publisher of every figure at the bottom so you can check the latest edition yourself.

Key creator economy statistics at a glance

How big is the creator economy?

Goldman Sachs Research estimated the creator economy at roughly US$250 billion in 2023 and projected it could approach US$480 billion by 2027. That projection rests on two forces: more people treating content creation as paid work, and more advertising and commerce budgets moving to creator channels. The same research put the number of creators worldwide at about 50 million, with growth of 10% to 20% a year.

The estimate covers brand deals, platform payouts, subscriptions, tips, merchandise and the sale of courses and digital products. It is a forecast, not an audited total, so treat it as a sense of scale rather than an exact figure.

What it means for a business

Creators now compete with traditional media for the same budgets and the same attention. For a local or B2B company, the practical question is not whether creators matter but which of three roles you take: hiring creators to reach their audiences, becoming a creator brand yourself through your own video and social channels, or both.

Platform payouts: where creator income comes from

YouTube said in September 2025 that it had paid more than US$100 billion to creators, artists and media companies over the previous four years. The total includes creators, artists and media companies worldwide; it does not show what a typical creator earned or how predictable that income was.

Most creators combine several income streams rather than relying on one platform:

• Platform revenue sharing: ad revenue on long videos and Shorts, plus creator funds on other platforms.
• Brand partnerships: sponsored videos, integrations, affiliate links and ambassador deals.
• Fan payments: memberships, subscriptions, tips and paid communities.
• Products: merchandise, courses, templates, presets and other digital products.
• Services: consulting, coaching, speaking and freelance production.

Creators who own a direct channel, such as an email list or a community platform, are less exposed to algorithm changes than those who rely on a single feed.

Influencer marketing statistics

Influencer Marketing Hub’s 2026 statistics overview reports an estimated global influencer marketing market of US$32.55 billion for 2025. Influencer marketing is the brand-paid slice of the creator economy: money companies spend to have creators feature their products or services.

Trends shaping influencer spend in 2026

• Smaller creators, tighter niches: brands increasingly use many small and mid-sized creators whose audiences match a specific customer group, rather than one celebrity post.
• Performance tracking: discount codes, affiliate links and landing pages are now standard so spend can be tied to sales and leads.
• Creator content in ads: brands license creator videos and run them as paid social media ads, which often outperform polished studio creative.
• Ongoing partnerships: repeat collaborations with the same creators build more trust than single posts.

Disclosure rules in Canada and the US

In Canada, the Competition Bureau expects any material connection between a brand and an influencer to be clearly disclosed, and Ad Standards publishes Influencer Marketing Disclosure Guidelines with practical wording such as #ad or #sponsored placed where viewers will see it. In the US, the Federal Trade Commission’s Endorsement Guides set the same principle. Free products, payments, discounts and family or business relationships all count as material connections.

Video marketing statistics

Wyzowl’s 2026 report surveyed 266 marketing professionals and online consumers in late 2025, routing questions to the relevant groups. Among the relevant respondents, 91% reported business use of video and 82% of marketers reported good video ROI. These are sample results, not a census of Canadian or US businesses. Short vertical video on YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and TikTok has become the default format for reach, while longer videos on YouTube and websites do the work of explaining services and building trust.

How businesses are using video in 2026

• Explainer and service videos on key website pages.
• Short clips cut from one longer recording to fill a month of social posts.
• Customer story videos, filmed with permission, for sales pages and ads.
• Founder or team videos that put a face to the brand.

If you are choosing tools to produce this content in house, our guide to the best video editing software compares the main options.

Podcast statistics

Edison Research’s Infinite Dial 2025 found that 55% of Americans aged 12 and over had listened to or watched a podcast in the past month; 48% had listened in that period. The January 2025 survey included 5,020 people and was weighted to the US population aged 12+. Separately, 70% had ever listened. Podcasts are also increasingly watched: 51% of Americans 12+ have watched a podcast, and video podcasts on YouTube and other platforms have become a major part of how people discover shows.

Advertising has followed the audience. The IAB/PwC Internet Advertising Revenue Report for full-year 2024 reported that US podcast ad revenue grew 26.4% in 2024 to US$2.4 billion, after 5.5% growth in 2023. Host-read ads, where the presenter delivers the message in their own voice, remain the format most associated with listener trust.

What it means for a business

For professional services and B2B companies, a podcast is often less about downloads and more about relationships: each guest interview is a conversation with a potential client, partner or referrer, and each episode can be cut into short videos, articles and newsletter content.

The creator economy in Canada

Canadian creators work in the same global platforms as US creators, but a few local factors matter:

• Tax: creator income is generally business income for tax purposes. For most Canadian businesses making taxable supplies, GST/HST registration is required when worldwide taxable supplies, including those of associates, exceed $30,000 in a single calendar quarter or over four consecutive calendar quarters. The date charging begins differs between these tests; check the CRA rules for your situation.
• Currency: many platform payouts and brand deals are paid in US dollars, so exchange rates affect real income.
• Bilingual audiences: creators and brands serving Quebec and French-speaking Canadians can reach audiences that English-only content misses.
• Disclosure: Competition Bureau and Ad Standards guidance applies to Canadian brands and creators, as covered above.

How to use these statistics in your marketing plan

1. Decide your role: hire creators, become one, or both.
2. Pick one primary channel: the platform where your customers already spend time, rather than all of them at once.
3. Plan for repurposing: one long video or podcast episode should feed several short clips and posts.
4. Track results: use codes, links and landing pages so every creator partnership or video can be tied to enquiries.
5. Own the audience: move followers to your email list or community so you are not dependent on one algorithm.

If you want help turning this into a plan, our social media management and videography teams build creator-style content for businesses across Canada.

Common mistakes when reading creator statistics

• Mixing forecasts with results: market size figures are estimates; platform payouts and ad revenue studies are reported totals.
• Using global numbers for local decisions: check whether a figure covers the world, the US or Canada before applying it.
• Quoting old editions: most of these reports are annual. Check for the newest edition before citing a number.
• Assuming reach equals sales: large audiences do not turn into enquiries on their own, without clear offers and tracking.

Bottom line

The creator economy is measured in hundreds of billions of dollars, platform payouts alone have passed US$100 billion over four years, and video and podcast audiences are at record levels. For most businesses, the opportunity is to borrow the creator playbook: consistent, personal, useful content on one or two channels, backed by tracking and a direct line to your audience.

References

• Goldman Sachs Research, “The creator economy could approach half-a-trillion dollars by 2027” (2023): goldmansachs.com
• YouTube, original payout announcement, September 16, 2025; also reported by CNBC: cnbc.com
• Influencer Marketing Hub, 2026 statistics overview citing the 2025 market estimate; influencer marketing resources: influencermarketinghub.com
• IAB/PwC, Internet Advertising Revenue Report, full-year 2024 (April 2025); also reported by Barrett Media: barrettmedia.com
• Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 2025: edisonresearch.com
• Wyzowl, Video Marketing Statistics 2026: wyzowl.com
• Ad Standards, Influencer Marketing Disclosure Guidelines: adstandards.ca
• Canada Revenue Agency, GST/HST registration thresholds; agency home: canada.ca

Frequently asked questions

What is the creator economy, in plain terms?

The creator economy is the business of people who earn money from content they publish themselves, such as videos, podcasts, newsletters, social posts, courses and digital products. Its income includes brand deals, platform payouts, subscriptions, tips, merchandise and digital product sales. For a business owner, it matters because creators now compete with traditional media for the same ad budgets and the same attention.

How much is the creator economy worth, and where is it heading?

Goldman Sachs Research put the creator economy at roughly USD 250 billion in 2023 and projected it could approach USD 480 billion by 2027. That projection rests on more people treating content as paid work and more ad and commerce spending moving to creator channels. It is a forecast rather than an audited total, so read it as a sense of scale.

Is the creator economy still growing in 2026?

Yes, and by 2026 it behaves like a mature advertising and commerce channel rather than a passing trend. Goldman Sachs Research estimated about 50 million creators worldwide in 2023, with forecast growth of 10% to 20% a year over the following five years. Those are projections, so check the latest edition of the report before quoting them in a plan.

Do influencers and creators actually get paid, and how?

They do, though most combine several income streams instead of relying on one platform. Typical sources are ad revenue sharing on long videos and Shorts, sponsored posts and affiliate links, memberships and tips, merchandise or courses, and services such as coaching or freelance production. Creators who own an email list or community are less exposed to sudden algorithm changes.

What rules apply to the creator economy in Canada when a brand pays an influencer?

The Competition Bureau expects any material connection between a brand and an influencer to be disclosed clearly. Ad Standards publishes Influencer Marketing Disclosure Guidelines with practical labels such as #ad or #sponsored placed where viewers will see them. Free products, discounts, payments and family or business ties all count as material connections, so check the current guidance before a campaign launches.

What trends are shaping creator and influencer spending in 2026?

Brands increasingly spread budgets across many small and mid-sized creators whose audiences match a specific customer group. Discount codes, affiliate links and landing pages are now standard, so spending can be tied to sales and leads. Companies also license creator videos to run as paid social ads and favour repeat partnerships over single posts.

Does YouTube really pay creators large sums, and what does that tell a newcomer?

YouTube announced in September 2025 that it had paid more than USD 100 billion to creators, artists and media companies over the previous four years. That total spans media companies and artists worldwide, so it says little about what a typical channel earns or how steady the income is. Per-view pay varies, and the post treats payouts as one income category among several.

How can a small business take part in the content creator economy?

A local or B2B company can hire creators to reach their audiences, become a creator brand through its own video and social channels, or do both. Short vertical video on Shorts, Reels and TikTok tends to drive reach, while longer videos on YouTube and the website explain services and build trust. Cutting short clips from one longer recording is a common way to fill a month of posts.