Platform

A digital infrastructure — typically a website, application, or service — that hosts, distributes, and monetizes creator content while providing tools for audience building and creator-audience interaction. Platforms in the creator economy include video platforms (YouTube, TikTok), live streaming platforms (Twitch, Kick), audio platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcasts), newsletter platforms (Substack, Beehiiv), community platforms (Skool, Circle), and e-commerce platforms (Shopify, Gumroad). The platform relationship is central to the creator economy's structural dynamics — creators depend on platforms for distribution and discovery, while platforms depend on creators for content and audience engagement.