by
Yaniv Benhamou
2nd February 2026
Digital platforms increasingly cannibalise the value generated by human creativity, from sharing platforms (TikTok), to streaming services (Spotify) and AI models (ChatGPT). This extraction of value from artists and internet users to platforms threatens cultural diversity and the sustainability of creative work. A new framework is needed to ensure fairer value distribution across the creative economy.
The creative ecosystem also remains too narrowly focused on initial acts of creation rather than recognising creativity as a value chain that spans production, distribution and use involving multiple contributors (creators, intermediaries, click and digital workers). The value also has multiple dimensions: A creative work generates not only economic but also social, cultural, educational and emotional value, which current frameworks fail to capture. Creative industries such as music, gaming and visual arts act as societal catalysts, often anticipating wider shifts in work, community governance and technology.
In this policy briefing, Yaniv Benhamou, author of Creative Value Chains, warns that digital platforms drain value from the creative ecosystem and calls for reforms to ensure fairer rewards for all contributors.
Download the PDF here.
Creative Value Chains by Yaniv Benhamou is available on the Bristol University Press website. Order here for £85.00.
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Image: Grace T via Unsplash