The creator economy is maturing. While brand deals are still the No. 1 revenue stream for creators, more are going directly to consumers to monetize.
Creators are diversifying their revenue streams beyond influencer marketing. That’s a net positive for the creator economy, but it also puts some creators in direct competition with brands for consumer spending.
Key Question: How much are creators earning from their activities on social media, and how do their evolving monetization strategies affect marketers?
Key Stat: Creator revenues in 2024 from tipping ($160 million), subscriptions ($270 million), and merchandising ($450 million) on social media will each have at least tripled between 2021 and 2024.
Key Report Features:
- 2 Exportable files for easy reading, analysis and sharing.
- 8 Charts: Reliable data in simple displays for presentations and quick decision making.
Table of Contents
- Executive Summary
- Creators are diversifying their revenue streams
- Creators are going direct-to-consumer
- Affiliate marketing will be a $1 billion-plus business for creators this year
- Platform payouts are a headache, but can be lucrative
- What does this mean for marketers and the platforms?
- Sources
- Media Gallery
Charts in This Report
- Creators Make the Most Money From Brand Deals, but Their Earnings Breakdown Is Changing (billions in US social media creator revenues, by stream, 2021 & 2024)
- US Creator Revenues From Social Media Tipping and Gifting, 2021-2025 (billions and % change)
- How US Consumers Prefer to Support Their Favorite Creators, April 2023 (% of respondents)
- US Creator Revenues From Social Media Subscriptions, 2021-2025 (billions and % change)
- US Creator Revenues From Social Media Merchandising, 2021-2025 (billions and % change)
- US Creator Revenues From Social Media Affiliate Marketing, 2021-2025 (billions and % change)
- Topics That US Creators Who Participate in Affiliate Marketing Programs Post Most Commonly About, Oct 2023 (% of respondents)
- US Creator Revenues From Social Platform Payouts, 2021-2025 (billions and % change)
