SPI Publish Skills Assessment of the UK’s Digital Content Creator Sector
Olsberg•SPI (SPI) has published a skills study for the Digital Content Creator (DCC) sector across the UK’s Nations and Regions. The study, Creator Skills: Progression, Provision & Priorities, was commissioned by ScreenSkills and the BBC.
Key findings include:
There is not a single type of DCC; while many operate as solo entrepreneurs, a growing number have scaled into multi-person businesses or digital-first production companies
For many DCCs, success means maintaining autonomy and scaling a digital-first business; for others, crossing into film and television work – mainly on screen or in more collaborative creative roles – can either be a key goal, or one part of a broader entrepreneurial pathway, including building a personal brand, establishing brand partnerships or developing IP across digital and traditional content platforms
DCCs require a range of creative, business, technical and transversal skills to succeed. While technical production skills such as video recording and editing are fundamental, platform literacy, storytelling, two-way communication with audiences and resilience are critical skills setting successful DCCs apart
The strongest skills crossover with film and television is in ideation, storytelling, presenting, directing, production planning, filming and editing, but DCC work also requires distinct platform literacy, audience analytics, community engagement, as well as more fast-paced and experimental workflows
Legal, IP, financial and employment-management capabilities become more important as DCCs scale, particularly when they enter commercial partnerships, hire teams, protect their original formats or move between digital-first and legacy media environments
Many DCCs develop through self-directed practice, peer learning and mentoring rather than formal routes, reflecting the fast-paced nature of the sector, where practical iteration and real-time audience feedback are central to skills development. Low or no incomes for early career DCCs and lack of access to skills funding also drives a preference for informal over formal training.
Digital platforms lower geographical barriers to starting a DCC career across the UK’s Nations and Regions, but access to networks, events and film and television entry pathways can still be skewed towards London and other major cities such as Manchester, requiring DCCs based elsewhere to travel for opportunities, which can be time- or cost-prohibitive
Online safety, harassment, isolation and wellbeing pressures are major challenges in sustaining DCC careers, especially when audience growth occurs rapidly without appropriate support structures.
The study provides key recommendations to address the challenges and realise current and new opportunities. These recommendations are:
Support DCCs to scale and create sustainable business models: DCCs require entrepreneurial skills, especially to scale. Providing access to leadership and management training and resources would enable DCCs to build sustainable businesses, whether they are solo entrepreneurs or part of wider teams
Build stronger DCC networks & cross-sector integration between DCC and film and television: DCCs upskill through peer-learning and mentoring. In addition, both the DCC and film and television sector have valuable learnings to offer each other. Dedicated forums and (paid) opportunities can facilitate UK-wide DCC and cross-sector skills exchange
Prioritise safeguarding and wellbeing training: DCCs face major risks around online safety and wellbeing. Creating topical toolkits for DCCs and widening access to enabling tools, support and specialist advice would enable them to mitigate these risks
Improve navigation of DCC learning provision by curating trusted resources: Many DCC learning resources already exist. Creating a navigable repository of kitemarked resources, aligned to the taxonomy and DCC categories and informed by sector feedback, would help DCCs to use these most effectively
Develop the DCC skills base through accredited, modular micro-credentials: Formal training provision is seen as often too slow-moving and generic. Relevant skills and training bodies can support DCCs in developing a wide range of skills through a practical, agile and sector relevant micro-credentials framework, developed in consultation with DCCs and sector representatives.
Download the full report here
Download the Press Release here
Read news coverage on the BBC and Broadcast.
For more information on this study, please contact SPI Research Analyst, Kiera Obi, on kiera@o-spi.com.
Further information on SPI’s Sector Research and Analysis work can be found here.
