Creative Business Wrap – March 2025

Let’s start in my hometown of Port Kembla, where there’s a grass-roots funding initiative for creative organisations worth shining a light on. Culture Bank is a community-driven initiative that supports local cultural projects in the Illawarra region. It operates by pooling contributions from members (small monthly gifts from members and larger amounts from local businesses) to fund a variety of creative endeavours, including art, poetry, music, film, and theatre. Culture Bank members vote on which projects to support, often focusing on “seedling” initiatives that can grow into larger ventures. Typically, grants range from $2,000 to $3,000, allowing resources to be spread across multiple projects.

What I like about Culture Bank is its simplicity and replicability. Any community, regardless of size or location, could adopt this model to foster creativity and cultural vitality. By focusing on “seedling” projects that have the potential to grow into larger ventures, Culture Bank is a really effective way to nurture grassroots creativity. This innovative funding mechanism not only provides financial support but also creates a sense of shared ownership and pride in local cultural initiatives, making it an attractive model for communities seeking to enhance their cultural offerings and support local artists.

Quick quiz question: what’s the number one Australian YouTube channel you probably haven’t heard of? The answer is Bounce Patrol, a powerhouse in children’s educational entertainment. Founded in 2013 by Shannon Jones, the Melbourne-based group features five performers: Rachel, Jackson, Jacinta, Alyssa, and Will. Their content, which includes original songs and classic nursery rhymes, is designed to encourage children to learn while having fun.

The channel boasts over 32.6 million subscribers and more than 25 billion video views. Bounce Patrol’s appeal extends globally, with substantial fan bases in the USA, Brazil, India, and Vietnam. Financially, the channel has built a robust business model. Estimates suggest their annual earnings could range from $7.8 million to $14.1 million from YouTube ad revenue alone. Unsurprisingly, the group has diversified its offerings beyond YouTube, releasing albums, developing an app for ad-free viewing, and selling merchandise.

Biting at Bounce Patrol’s heels, there’s fitness guru Chloe Ting, gamer LazerBeam, and a string of others. They make up a segment of Australia’s creative industries that doesn’t always get noticed, but is generating some serious coin.
 

While we’re on YouTube, there are signs that Spotify wants a slice of its market. Specifically, podcasters on video.

Do you find yourself increasingly watching rather than listening to your podcasts of choice? According to Prithi Dei in Mediaweek, over 64% of podcast consumers prefer video , compared to 43% just a few years back. In Australia, video podcast engagement has jumped by around 25% year-on-year. Basically, podcasts are really taking off as video content. Angela Yang from NBC details how instead of just listening through earbuds, heaps of people are tuning in on platforms like YouTube, and they’re watching them on their TVs just like they would a regular talk show.

YouTube has become a major destination for podcast fans, with fans clocking up over 400 million hours of viewing a month on their tellies in 2024. They’re even ahead of some big TV players in terms of viewership. Spotify – which we might still think of as a music streaming service but which has been steadily broadening its offering – are seeking to capitalise on this trend and compete with YouTube for eyeballs. They now offer video creators a cut of the premium subscription revenue from viewers and have a dedicated online platform for creating audio and video content. This might even tempt those YouTube users to chuck their video content on Spotify too, and share a bit of that advertising revenue around.

Should there be a levy on companies using AI to mine creative work in the course of business? That’s the question asked by Amanda Parker in this article from The Stage. The UK government is holding discussions around AI and copyright, which are acknowledging the challenges faced by the creative industries due to AI businesses mining creative works. Creative industries participants are, according to Parker, actively opposing proposals that put the onus on IP owners to opt out of AI mining, emphasising the damage already done to creatives’ earning potential.

While governments are typically hesitant about sector-specific levies, Parker argues that precedents exist, in the UK and Brazil (and in Australia’s film industry too), where businesses investing in culture receive tax benefits. This suggests a potential avenue for the corporate sector to invest in the cultural sector’s survival, acknowledging their reliance on creatives’ work.

Is this all a pipe dream, though? Proposals for new taxes on business rarely got any government elected. And exactly how would such a scheme be set up and policed? I think this particular horse has bolted. The problem of how to deal with what is basically global-scale copyright infringement of creative works will continue, but I suspect the answer won’t come through government regulation.

You’ve probably heard of Unicorn businesses. They’re those rare startups which enjoy sudden, stratospheric growth. But have you come across a Zebra business? Perhaps you run one!

In this Substack post, Auste Skrupskyte Cullbrand describes her own business, Studio Playground, a “creative brand and magazine publisher”, as a Zebra.” She says Zebras focus on sustainability, positive social impact, and community over rapid, unsustainable growth and the pursuit of excessive wealth. Cullbrand despairs at the “blood, tears, and unicorns” mentality prevalent in some creative industries, advocating for a balanced and ethical approach to business. Zebra startups, she says, like Studio Playground prioritise quality, transparency, and collaboration, challenging the status quo of aggressive expansion.

But look – even more animals in this menagerie! This site, the Business Angel Institute, adds Rhinos and Camels to the list. Rhinos, apparently, are “resilient icons, showcasing an adaptive ability that enables them to thrive in the unpredictable business landscape”. And Camels “showcase that slow and steady can indeed win the race”.

I say choose the business animal that best suits your needs. I think as long as it’s not a donkey, you’ll be OK!

A few screen industry resources and opportunities to take a look at:

• Australians In Film are running their Untapped program for screen creators, particularly targeting those who haven’t received government funding.
• Screen Australia have released the results of their 2025 industry survey. Lots to talk about in that! Perhaps next month.
• We Interrupt this Broadcast is a new podcast by Julie Eckersley and Kirsty Stark that offers a monthly summary of screen industry news and opinion.

And one from the broader arts sector:

• Creative Australia has released its Creative Workforce Scoping Study, offering loads of data about issues workers in performing arts, music, visual arts, craft and design, writing and publishing, games and screen are facing. Again, much to discuss in that one.