- The limits of smartphones lead creators towards dedicated microphones, lenses, gimbals and cameras
- Spending on accessories increases as creators invest hundreds and thousands of dollars in equipment upgrades
- AI-driven production growth exposes capture weaknesses and drives hardware demand around the world
Smartphones still dominate video creation, but growing evidence suggests their physical limits are driving a new wave of spending on dedicated equipment among millions of creators, experts said.
A new report from Futuresource Consulting estimates that the global population of online video creators will reach 246 million in 2025 and could grow to 267 million in 2030. That growth is only part of the story, however, as spending patterns and equipment upgrades appear to be the real business driver behind the next phase.
The research is based on responses from more than 16,000 people in the US, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Brazil, China and India, and combines survey data with creator population size, forecasts and analysis of device preferences and purchasing behavior.
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Smartphones have physical limitations
“Smartphones remain the primary video acquisition device for the vast majority of creators,” said Helen Matthews, senior market analyst at Future source. “But the number of users moving towards dedicated hardware is growing at a significant pace. The closest dedicated alternative, vlogging cameras, lags far behind smartphones in our survey, underscoring how wide the gap remains and how much wiggle room there is for manufacturers to capture the spend.”
He said the progression becomes harder to ignore as creators increase their output.
“And while smartphones present almost no barriers to entry for creating online content, they do have physical limitations. As creators grow in ambition and production volume, the penalty for weak capture becomes more visible. That’s where the opportunity lies for dedicated camera products.”
The growth in accessory ownership suggests the movement is already happening: the number of creators using more than just a smartphone increases 17% year-on-year.
Nearly half of creators with additional accessories reported spending more than $1,000 on gear, while 70% said they spent more than $500.
Among the most commonly planned purchases are microphones, smartphone lenses, gimbals, and compact action cameras similar to GoPro-style devices. These add-ons offer incremental updates without requiring creators to abandon smartphones entirely.
Three groups of creators appear in the data (hobbyists, aspiring creators, and professionals), each with different priorities when it comes to spending on equipment. Aspirational and professional creators together represent around 35% of creators today and are expected to approach 38% by 2030.
Today, four out of five creators extensively use artificial intelligence, greatly speeding up editing, idea generation, and visual effects. Faster production cycles increase production volume, which in turn puts pressure on catch quality early in the process.
“As post-production becomes faster and more automated, the volume of content produced increases,” Matthews said. “As a result, the penalty for poor capture quality becomes more visible. We expect this dynamic to drive sustained demand for higher-spec cameras, audio equipment and accessories as regularly producing creators look to differentiate their output.”
Regional differences affect how that spending plays out: India represents 28% of the global creator base and shows strong momentum in dedicated hardware adoption.
The United States continues to lead in spending on equipment and upgrade paths, while European markets show uneven growth tied to cultural attitudes around monetization and creator income.
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