"In Hollywood, actors do not wait half a year to get paid. Under SAG-AFTRA contracts, residuals are distributed within 30 to 60 days of the union receiving payment from studios. That is the standard in one of the world's most complex entertainment ecosystems. Meanwhile, in the creator economy, worth $250 billion and growing, creators are still waiting 90, 120, sometimes even 180 days for money they have already earned."
"If actors can rely on 30 to 60 days, why can't creators? They are the directors, the producers, the talent of the digital age. Yet they are treated like unsecured creditors. It is not just unfair. It is destabilizing the entire ecosystem. That is why we need a clear industry standard. If we could get to net 60, or even net 45 over time, it would fundamentally change the trajectory of the creator economy."
Creators in the digital economy routinely wait 90 to 180 days to receive earned payments, contrasting with actors who get residuals within 30 to 60 days under SAG-AFTRA. The delay treats creators as unsecured creditors and destabilizes the ecosystem. Structural barriers such as sequential liability, long procurement cycles, and legacy payment systems prevent faster payouts. Agencies cannot sustainably front payments at industry scale, especially smaller firms without deep-pocketed parents. Progress options include regulatory audit regimes to prevent misuse of creator funds, accredited audits for transparency, and escrow mechanisms to hold client funds on behalf of creators. Industry-wide collaboration is required to achieve net-60 or net-45 standards over time.
Read at Fast Company
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