The creator economy has come a long way since 2007, when YouTube first enabled users to earn revenue from ads on their videos. Today, more than 50 million people consider themselves part of the creator economy, a $250 billion market poised for rapid growth. 

The rise of this professional class — spanning a wide range of creative workers, from influencers, entertainers, and podcasters to writers, entrepreneurs, and marketers—has led to the formation of creator-led businesses and an advertising ecosystem that extends beyond traditional media channels. About 12% of Americans earn some form of income through digital content creation, brand partnership deals, ad revenue, or subscriptions — a figure set to rise as Gen Z increasingly pursues careers in influencing and content creation.

This booming creator economy means more opportunities, but also more challenges and competition for creators to navigate. Given that anyone with a smartphone has the potential to be a creator, how can creators court meaningful online engagement? And what content creation tools do they need to ensure they stand out, so they can grow and monetize their content?

The Future of the ‘Do-It-All’ Creator

It could take years for a creator to scale their channel or newsletter to reach a large audience. Increasingly, experts believe a “creator middle class” will emerge from this crowded content economy. These creators own specific interests or regional niches, but might lack the resources to heavily invest in production or marketing. 

Speech technology tools help enhance the workflow of these creators, writers, podcasters, and entrepreneurs, providing accurate transcripts of existing content or conversations that can then be shared with readers, listeners, or subscribers. Because most creators upload content across multiple platforms, it’s necessary to adopt a streamlined approach to repurposing and publishing creative work. 

For example, a podcaster may promote an episode on TikTok, publish their transcript on Substack, and upload their show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Such a “middle-class” creator is tasked with being their own sound editor, social media manager, and content strategist. Here, speech tech can function as an automated assistant, recording, transcribing, summarizing, and even translating important brainstorms or client conversations that can be reworked into future content.

Speech tech does a lot more than just enhance productivity. For creators, tools from Rev also encourage creativity and connection by seamlessly integrating into their editing workflow, giving them more time and freedom to focus on their craft: developing original content and meaningfully engaging with their audiences.

How Creators Reach Global Audiences

Speech tech helps creators and creator-led businesses in their endeavor to reach a diverse, global audience. Viral posts and memes often transcend borders, culture, and language; so do popular creators and celebrities. In this globalized media environment, creators must make an effort to bridge the language gap, ensuring that their content is both accessible and understandable to viewers.

For video creators on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, or Twitch, in-video captions are a simple means to engage viewers who might not be fluent in one’s native language or have a disability. But beyond serving as a comprehension or accessibility aid, captions are proven to be useful for increasing viewer retention overall. In fact, surveys have found that younger viewers simply prefer watching content — including TV and movies — with subtitles or captions turned on, even when it’s in a language they know. According to a study by Meta, viewers preferred watching mobile videos with sound off, and captions increased video view time by 12%.

Why Captions Aren’t Just Words Onscreen

Along with improving engagement, captions also serve as a creative or aesthetic trademark, as exemplified by creators like Thuy Dao, a YouTuber based in Germany, who uploads idyllic, domestic vlogs with soothing background music. Through captions, Dao can share her thoughts without needing to speak directly to viewers. The text supplements the viewing experience and provides more context to Dao’s on-screen life.

Similar to Dao, Gibi ASMR, an American YouTuber who films herself in a whispery register, occasionally employs captions as a language learning tool. As a polyglot, Gibi makes ASMR videos of herself speaking in multiple languages, and provides closed captioning for her English audience to learn and follow along. 

By harnessing the power of speech tech, creators unlock new opportunities to not just save time and work more efficiently, but also express their unique visions and artistry on a truly global scale. After all, that’s what makes the creator economy so appealing to so many: With just a smartphone and an internet connection, a creator can build a career on their own terms.

‍