A global stage for Australian creators, businesses and music
YouTube is a platform that amplifies diverse Australian voices and helps give them access to global audiences. Australian creators are using YouTube to build businesses and export their content around the world, from music artists being discovered to media companies taking Australian stories global to local businesses finding international success.
Download YouTube’s 2022 Impact Report. All data on this page has been taken from research by Oxford Economics, unless otherwise stated.
- YouTube's impact in Australia
- How does earning money on YouTube work?
- Growing Australia’s creator economy
- Helping Australian businesses grow
- Explore stories across Australia
- Australian music on a global stage
- A window for the world into Australian culture
- Learning for every Australian, from a whole world of teachers
- Australia’s big melting pot
YouTube’s impact in Australia
$890M+
YouTube's creative ecosystem contributed over $890M to Australia's GDP in 2022
15K+
YouTube’s creative ecosystem supported more than 15K full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs in Australia.
Being a YouTube creator as an artist lets you build out an alternative revenue stream.
- Mimi Purnell, Tasmania
How does earning money from YouTube work?
There are many ways that creators can earn an income directly from the YouTube platform, from a share of revenues earned from Ads and YouTube Premium subscriptions to Channel Memberships and even Shopping.
Hobart creator Mimi Purnell's YouTube revenue has helped her pursue illustration and content creation full time through her YouTube channel @mimimooillustrations. Alongside the revenue she receives from ads on her channel and YouTube Premium subscriptions, she also uses Shopping to sell illustrated merchandise, books and digital art brushes.
Ways creators can earn money on YouTube
Ads
YouTube Premium
Channel Memberships
Super Chat
Super Stickers
Super Thanks
Shopping
Ticket sales
Funds to support specific groups of creators
Through the revenue I earned on YouTube, I was able to expand my team beyond just myself.
- Andy Hearnden, @Andy Cooks, Sunshine Coast, QLD
Growing Australia’s creator economy
YouTube creators are the building blocks of the creator economy, an economy that’s contributing directly to Australia’s GDP and creating thousands of full-time equivalent jobs.
Creator business, @AndyCooks, supports four full-time staff mostly from the revenue earned directly through the YouTube platform. And because YouTube is free and accessible, anyone can turn their passion into a creator business like Andy did.
Through organic content on YouTube reaching a global audience, we can understand where customers are and where to focus on business expansion.
- Joel Twyman, @TheMarshmallowCo, Wyong, NSW
Helping Australian businesses grow
YouTube is a powerful marketing tool and growth driver for small, medium and large sized businesses enabling them to find new customers both locally and internationally.
By growing an audience, businesses can also turn their YouTube channel into an extra revenue stream that compliments their existing trade. NSW-Based business and creator, @TheMarshmallowCo have grown to fifteen staff. They’re not alone, businesses across Australia are growing through YouTube, which in turn helps add to the local economy.
Explore stories across Australia
Meet the creators, music artists and businesses who call YouTube home.
Being a part of the Black Voices Fund has been incredible. Being able to learn about the best ways to utilise every part of the YouTube platform has completely changed the way we think about releases and premieres.
- Tia Gostelow, Northern Territory
Australian music on a global stage
Australian music artists are getting discovered, connecting with fans and growing an engaged global audience on YouTube.
Mackay based artist, @TiaGostelow interacts with her fans whilst premiering her music videos. This gives them a personal connection with an artist they love and helps her build an engaged community of subscribers.
YouTube is also a proud supporter of the ARIA and APRA Awards, helping them to showcase Australian talent on the world stage.
A window for the world into Australian culture
Australian creators are sharing their unique stories, knowledge and humour on YouTube, and the world can’t get enough of it.
The @BlackAsAU YouTube channel features the adventures of three Yolngu men and their Scottish-born friend - sharing comedic glimpses of life in the Australian outback with their audience and the world.
It’s not only creators. Australian Broadcasters, news publishers and media companies are sharing news, current affairs and special reports
Learning for every Australian, from a whole world of teachers
Online learning on YouTube offers a flexible and accessible way to learn no matter where you are in the country. And every day, Australians are upskilling on YouTube, from a new language, to professional skills like coding, to cooking and everything in between.
For education professionals and parents, YouTube and YouTube Kids are a helpful addition to traditional learning. YouTube provides students with content from authoritative sources like Toby Hendy the creator behind @Tibees. An awarded scientist and YouTube creator, Toby makes science fun and easy to understand for her 1M+ subscribers.
Australia’s big melting pot
YouTube is a place that reflects Australia's diverse voices, unique communities and varied perspectives. By offering a platform that is open and accessible to all, YouTube breaks down traditional barriers to entry by giving creators from all different backgrounds the opportunity to share their culture, stories and the things that make living in Australia great.
Partnerships between creators are an increasingly popular way for creators to grow their fan base and connect with other communities. @SatbirAulakhMusic is a Darwin-based artist who works with a director in India and a Northern Territories production house. This collaboration gives Satbir’s Bollywood style videos a uniquely Aussie flavour.