When you’re young, they say you have time and health, but no money. In middle age, they say you have money but no time. When you’re old, they say you have enough time but no health. But what about having all three?
What happens when someone bets on your future and gives you money when you’re young?
The idea isn’t entirely new. Artists, entrepreneurs, and businesses have always succeeded by using trends, capital, and time wisely. Today, YouTube is reaching places we couldn’t even imagine a decade ago, like buying the rights to its videos.
Yes! That’s how the creator economy is evolving, turning passion into business and creativity into an investable asset. One of the most popular trends? Licensing old videos.
Take Spotter, for example. Amazon recently invested in a startup that buys the rights to old content from YouTube creators. While creators get paid upfront, Spotter earns ad revenue from the licensed videos. It’s a win-win situation. Creators get a financial boost at the right time, and Spotter is banking on their continued success.
Spotter has invested nearly $940 million in creators like MrBeast and Dude Perfect since 2019. With Amazon on board, it’s not just about money, it’s about expanding reach and opportunities. Imagine YouTube creators expanding their content to Prime Video, Twitch, or Amazon Live, creating a seamless ecosystem.
Spotter even launched Spotter Studio, which provides AI tools to help creators make more hit videos. Today, Spotter’s content gets more than 88 billion monthly views (1.4 billion hours per month), with 71% of that viewing on connected TV platforms.
But there are some hiccups. Look, the creator economy is all about attention, and attention is fickle. So investing in creativity is like betting on trends, and what’s around today might not be around tomorrow. Licensing deals can also limit a creator’s freedom. What if they want to rebrand or take down content? Combining creativity with contracts can be complicated.
Still, the future looks bright. Turning creativity into a business is a bold move. Whether it’s a permanent model or a fad, it’s reshaping the way we think about content, investment, and creativity.
