Creators' Earnings & Contracts Hub

Creators’ Earnings & Contracts Hub

Summary

This project conducts extensive, repeat surveys of creators in the UK to robustly capture the impact of digital changes on the labour market and working conditions within the creative sectors. Focusing on earnings and contracts, we are able to determine the income levels and legal interactions of creators in their respective industries. This data combined with detailed demographic profiles captured in these surveys, enables us to understand the specific challenges and issues faced by different sub-groups within each sector. Additionally, by using a standardised method to collect data, we can compare different populations across the creative sectors and assess their reactions to changes in their industries.

The surveys are part of a longitudinal series first conducted in 2006 (led by Kretschmer), repeated in 2014 (by Gibson, Johnson, and Dimita from Queen Mary, University of London), in 2018 (led by Kretschmer), and in 2022 (led by Thomas).

In 2023, with funding from the ESRC Impact Acceleration (IAA), we established the Creators’ Earnings and Contracts Hub. In 2024 we conducted multiple surveys ranging from freelance journalists to visual artists, and involving industry partners.

Creators’ Earnings Calculator – Beta Release

Funders

UK ALCS
AHRC PEC (2022)
ESRC IAA (2023)
ALLi
NUJ
BECS
DACS
Directors UK

Team Leads

Amy Thomas
Principal Investigator (2022–)

Martin Kretschmer
Principal Investigator (–2021)
Co-Investigator (2022–)

Michele Battisti
Co-Investigator (2022–)

Arthur Ehlinger
Co-Investigator (2023–)

Helena Saenz de Juano Ribes
Data Analyst (2022-)

Inception

2018

Reports

The 2025 reports were funded as independent research by Directors UK, a professional association for British directors working in the audiovisual sector.

Outputs

Ehlinger, A., Thomas, A., Kretschmer, M., Battisti, M., Saenz De Juano Ribes, H. (2025). UK Screen Directors: A survey of earnings and contracts. CREATe, University of Glasgow

Ehlinger, A., Thomas, A., Kretschmer, M., Battisti, M., Saenz De Juano Ribes, H. (2025). The Director’s Cut: Unpacking Earnings, Contracts and Working Practices. CREATe, University of Glasgow

The 2024 reports were funded as independent research by DACS, the Design and Artists Copyright Society. They build upon the 2011 work of Kretschmer et al..

Outputs

Ehlinger, A., Thomas, A., Kretschmer, M., Battisti, M., Saenz De Juano Ribes, H. (2024). UK Visual Artists: A survey of earnings and contracts. CREATe, University of Glasgow

Ehlinger, A., Thomas, A., Kretschmer, M., Battisti, M. (2024). The Artists Earning Survey 2024: Artistic uncertainty and the pressures facing UK Visual Artists. CREATe, University of Glasgow

.Kretschmer, M., Bently, L., Singh, S. and Cooper, E. (2011). Copyright Contracts and Earnings of Visual Creators: A Survey of 5,800 British Designers, Fine Artists, Illustrators and Photographers.

Citations / Impact

Our key findings were cited in the House of Commons general debate on Creative Industries by Polly Billington MP (27 January 2025).

The report was relied on in the joint meeting of the All-Party Groups for Intellectual Property, Music, Visual Arts, Writers, Media and Publishing on the Copyright and AI government consultation (22 January 2025).

The report was discussed in-depth at the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Visual Arts and Artists (21 January 2025).

photo by the Visual Arts APPG

Margaret Heffernan (13 December 2024) Earning half the minimum wage: new report reveals pressures on artists to sustain creative life. The Conversation

Gabrielle de la Puente (30 November 2024) How much money I made this year. the white pube

Serena Smith (29 November 2024) Women artists now earn 40 per cent less than men. Dazed

David Guido Pietroni (28 November 2024) New Report Shows Dismal Reality Of UK Artists Since 2010. The Art Insider

Abir Pothi (27 November 2024) Reports Suggest: Visual Artists are Among the Lowest Earners of all Workers in the Creative Industries in the UK. Abir Pothi

George Nelson (26 November 2024) A New Report Shows How Artists in the UK Are Earning 40% Less Compared to 2010 and Gender Pay Gap Disparity. ARTNews

Lanre Bakare (25 November 2024) Britain faces ‘talent drain’ of visual artists as earnings fall by 40% since 2010. The Guardian

Gareth Harris (25 November 2024) UK artists earning an average of just £12,500 per year, says new report. The Art Newspaper

Mark Westall (25 November 2024) New report into artists earnings reveals falling incomes and significant disparities. Fad Magazine

Arts Professional (25 November 2024)Visual artist earnings down 40% on 2010. Arts Professional

Sarah Cascone (25 November 2024) U.K. Artists’ Earnings Dropped 40 Percent Since 2010. Will They Stick Around?. artnet

These reports were funded as independent research by BECS, the British Equity Collecting Society.

Outputs

Ehlinger, A., Thomas, A., Kretschmer, M., Battisti, M., Saenz De Juano Ribes, H. (2024). UK Audiovisual Performers: A survey of earnings and contracts. CREATe, University of Glasgow

Ehlinger, A., Thomas, A., Kretschmer, M., Battisti, M. (2024). Behind the Scenes: The Realities Facing UK Audiovisual Performers. CREATe, University of Glasgow

Citations / Impact

Amy Thomas and Arthur Ehlinger (5 December 2024) Christmas with no panto?! Shockingly low pay for actors, writers and artists poses existential threat. The Scotsman

This report informed critical discussions in government, including the House of Lords roundtable on ‘Solutions to Arts and Culture Funding Across the UK’ (November 2024).

photo by DACS

Matt Voigt (9 October 2024) Copyright News

Advanced Television (3 October 2024) Research: AV performers under threat from AI, low earnings. Advanced Television

This research was funded as independent research by ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. The research was released as part of the Big Indie Data Drop at The Self Publishing Show, one of the largest trade shows in the sector.

Outputs

Ehlinger, A., Luca, S. and Thomas, A. (2024). Re-defining Indie: Charting the course of independent authors in the digital age. CREATe, University of Glasgow.

Thomas, A., Battisti, M. and Saenz de Juano Ribes, H. (2023). Indie Authors’ Earnings 2023. CREATe, University of Glasgow.

Citations / Impact

Richard Godwin (21 March 2025) ‘More are published than could ever succeed’: are there too many books? The Guardian.

Australian Society of Authors (29 May 2024) Indie author survey results released.

Navkiran Dhaliwal (20 July 2023) Self-Published indie authors make more money than traditional authors. Good E-Reader.

International Authors Forum. Alliance of Independent Authors survey of 2000+ authors reveals that self-publishing authors earn more than writers with publishers.

Jim Milliot (17 April 2023) Survey Finds Self-Published Authors Making Gains. Publishers’ Weekly.

Lauren Brown (17 April 2023) Self-published authors earn more than traditionally published counterparts, according to ALLi report. The Bookseller.

ALLi (17 April 2023) Self-publishing Authors Earn More says ALLi Income Survey.

This research was funded as independent research by ALCS, the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society, in collaboration with NUJ, the National Union of Journalists. These findings were presented at the All-Party Writers Group Reception in 2024 at the House of Commons (and previewed in 2023) and were also included in submissions to the DCMS Committee on Creator Remuneration.

Outputs

Thomas, A., Battisti, M., Kretschmer, M. (2024). Freelance journalists: A survey of earnings, contracts and copyright. CREATe, University of Glasgow.

Citations / Impact

This research supported the development of SCOOP, a joint venture between the non-profit licensing agencies representing freelance journalists and photojournalists – ALCS, DACS and PICSEL and the National Union of Journalists(NUJ)

Amy Thomas (18 April 2024) Low pay and few contracts make freelance journalism a bleak prospect in 2024. The Conversation.

Gretel Kahn (12 April 2024) Is freelance journalism still viable? Not for most of the reporters we spoke with. These are their key problems. Reuters Institute.

National Union of Journalists (20 March 2024) New report details ‘Wild West’ of freelance journalism.

Charlotte Tobitt (19 March 2024) Low pay and ‘no rights’: Survey reveals ‘Wild West’ for UK freelance journalists. Press Gazette.

ALCS (19 March 2024) A fairer future for freelance journalists.

The flagship of the Creators’ Earnings Hub are our series of large-scale repeat surveys of the contracts and earnings of authors in the UK. These surveys were funded as independent research by ALCS, the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society, and match funded by the AHRC Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre in 2022. The findings from these reports have been covered in national and trade presses and informed the establishment of the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction. The research provided an important input to the Inquiry into Authors’ Earnings of the All-Party Parliamentary Writers Group in 2019, and was presented to the All-Party Parliamentary Writers Group at the 2022 Winter Reception in the House of Commons. Findings of the report well also submitted to the DCMS Select Committee on the Impact of Covid-19 on DCMS Sectors.

Outputs

Thomas, A., Battisti, M., Kretschmer, M. (2023). Authors’ Earnings in the UK: Policy briefing. AHRC Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre.

Thomas, A., Battisti, M., Kretschmer, M. (2022). UK Authors’ Earnings and Contracts 2022: A Survey of 60,000 Writers. CREATe, University of Glasgow. Also available in an accessible format.

Kretschmer, M., with A. A. Gavaldon, J. Miettinen, S. Singh (2019). UK Authors’ Earnings and Contracts: A survey of 50,000 writers. CREATe, University of Glasgow.

Citations / Impact

Interview with University of Glasgow College of Social Sciences (Graeme Roy) (10 March 2023) UK Author Earnings and Fiscal Sustainability.

Adam Sherwin (8 February 2023) Women non-fiction authors paid less and told to avoid big subjects, say backers of new prize. The i Paper.

2022

Porter Anderson (31 December 2022) Surveying the Profession(s): How Much Do UK Writers Earn? Publishing Perspectives

Nicola Solomon (16 December 2022) Authorial altruism. The Bookseller.

The Guardian (11 December 2022) The Guardian view on declining authors’ pay: an unequal burden. The Guardian – Editorial.

Interview with BBC Radio (Sadie Nine) (8 December 2022)

Emma Yeomans (8 December 2022) The writing’s on the wall as authors’ pay falls to £7,000 a year. The Times.

Joanne Harris (7 December 2022) Horribly low pay is pushing out my fellow authors – and yes, that really does matter. The Guardian – opinion.

Lucinda Cameron (7 December 2022) Earning living by pen is a write-off as a profession. The Times.

Lucinda Cameron (6 December 2022) Writing as a profession under threat in UK after drop in earnings – research. The Independent.

Sarah Shaffi (6 December 2022) Writers’ earnings have plummeted – with women, Black and mixed race authors worst hit. The Guardian.

Deborah Anderson (6 December 2022) Glasgow researchers: authors struggle to make a living from writing. The Herald.

Sian Bayley (6 December 2022) Median earnings for authors now just £7,000, according to new report from ALCS. The Bookseller.

Martin Reed (6 December 2022) A profession struggling to sustain itself. Society of Authors.

ALCS (6 December 2022) Why writers are at a loss for words.

2019

Emily Rhodes (7 June 2019) How do authors earn a living? It’s a Catch-22 situation. Financial Times.

Alison Flood (7 May 2019) Writing at risk of becoming an ‘elitist’ profession, report warns. The Guardian.

Heloise Wood (11 June 2019) APWG calls for immediate action to reverse ‘steep decline’ in writers’ incomes. The Bookseller.

Books + Publishing Australia/New Zealand (8 May 2019) UK author earnings survey shows lack of diversity, drop in income.

Neill Denny (8 May 2019) UK Writing Scene Is ‘Overwhelmingly White’, Study Finds. Publishers Weekly.

Society of Authors (7 May 2019) Report on authors’ earnings has worrying implications for diversity.

ALCS (2 May 2019) Authors’ Earnings Research: Full report published.

Data

UK Screen Directors 2025: https://zenodo.org/records/15300141
UK Audiovisual Performers 2024: https://zenodo.org/records/15300160
UK Visual Artists 2024: https://zenodo.org/records/15046372
Freelance Journalists 2024: https://zenodo.org/records/15300180
Indie Authors’ Earnings 2023: https://zenodo.org/records/15300171
UK Authors 2022: https://zenodo.org/records/15300195
UK Authors 2006: https://zenodo.org/records/15300225

Other Publications

Ehlinger, Arthur, Kretschmer, Martin and Thomas, Amy (2026) Equal rights, unequal rewards? An empirical analysis of diversity in copyright markets. In: Diverse Voices in Intellectual Property Law. Bristol University Press. (In Press)

Project: Dealing with creators