A report prepared for YouTube claims that the platform's creative ecosystem supported the equivalent of 1,600 full-time jobs in Ireland last year, making a contribution to the economy valued at €30m.

Report authors Oxford Economics say it’s proof that YouTube offers Irish creators the opportunity to build a business on the platform and the space is likely to grow.

As well as measuring the economic impact, the report stresses that YouTube is a place to learn, is an amplifier of diverse voices and creative entrepreneurs, and has been a source of relevant information during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

It found that 91% of Irish users access the platform to gather information and knowledge.

“Users turn to YouTube to learn new hobbies and solve practical problems, with 68% regularly watching ‘how to’ and DIY videos, for example,” the report states. 

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One example of a business built from this comes from Irish design engineer Brian McManus, (pictured above), who left his job in 2016 to pursue a career as a YouTube creator.

Five years later his two channels, Real Engineering and Real Science, have 3.1 million and 518,000 subscribers respectively. He employs four people full-time and regularly hires freelancers who work as editors, animators, and writers in his production team.

According to McManus: "I could see that people watched a lot of educational content on YouTube, but I could not find anyone creating engineering videos that represented how important the career was to the world. I began to teach myself animation and video editing in my spare time, and when I felt I was ready, I quit my job to start the channel.

 “The channel grew rather quickly and within six months I had replaced my income. I’m now doing something I love and I’m also employing a vastly talented production team as well as hiring many more freelancers – and all based from the West of Ireland.”

Head of YouTube EMEA Pedro Pina (pictured) commented: “As the only open platform that allows people to both share their voice and the revenue  derived from their work, we’re bringing to an entire new generation of creative entrepreneurs — regardless who they are or where they come from — the chance to build thriving businesses on YouTube.” 

According to the report, Ireland’s creators have cultivated a diverse audience. More than 95% of the time watching content produced by channels in Ireland is spent by international users.

The number of Irish creator channels with more than a million subscribers has increased by 20% year on year, with at least 70 channels attracting those audience levels. There has also been growth in the number of channels that have 100,000+ subscribers to 450.

The full report is available here.