The interactive media industry is part of the creative industries, which is represented by Creative Skillset. This includes: advertising; animation; computer games; corporate and commercial production; fashion and textiles; film; interactive media; photo imaging; publishing; radio; and television.
Interactive media is a rapidly evolving industry and defining it can be difficult. It broadly refers to digital media with which the user actively interacts in order to change or affect their experience, and which can only be experienced through interaction. Interactive media products include web sites, multimedia catalogues, Digital Advertiser Locations and other red-button interactive television destinations, and computer games. These products are distributed to devices either via a network or on physical media (such as mobile phones, televisions, kiosks). The industry is divided into: web and internet; offline multimedia; companies specialising in mobile content; and interactive TV.
Key facts:
- The industry employs around 40,000 people, representing 8% of the total creative industries workforce.
- 29,500 people are in web development, 10,000 in interactive content and an unknown number in support services.
- It is heavily reliant on freelancers and contractors.
- The workforce is highly qualified, with a combination of specialist and more general skills.
- 80% of the workforce has a degree; 36% of which are media related.
- There are over 8,000 businesses in the industry: around 7,500 web and internet companies; 500 offline multimedia companies; and 40 companies specialising in mobile content and a growing number of interactive TV companies.
- 46% of companies employ 1-5 people, 23% employ 6-10, 15% employ 11-20 and 13% employ 21-50 people.
- Only 3% of companies have more than 50 people working for them.
Jobs in the industry include: Designer, Developer, Producer, Studio Manager, Account Manager, Content Strategist, Information Architect, Web Writer, SEO Specialist, Programmer, Usability Specialist.
National and regional data
The largest interactive media workforce is located in:
- London
- South East
- Yorkshire and the Humber
After publishing and photo imaging, interactive media is the largest creative industries in the East Midlands. Nottingham has a number of successful and expanding interactive companies. Elektonika, Cuttlefish, Jupiter Design Ltd and Emnet are successful digital media communications companies in the region. IPTV (internet protocol TV) companies are starting to cluster in Lincolnshire as the University of Lincoln has satellite uplink facilities and a broadcast media graduate population to service the sector. There are 2,100 people working in the industry in the region.
In the East Midlands, there are 1,100 people working in the industry in the region.
In London, 13,200 people work for specialist companies in the key platforms of interactive television, web and internet, and offline multimedia.
There are 2,700 people working in the industry in the North East and 1,800 in the North West.
The interactive media and computer games industries make up 11% of all creative industries employment in the South East. There are over 6,000 people working in specialist companies in the key platforms of web and internet, interactive television and offline multimedia. A significant cluster of interactive businesses exists in Brighton and Hove, comprising largely web design companies, together with IT software and services, corporate media and e-learning producers. World renowned companies, such as LindenLab and Club Penguin, have set up their British HQ in Brighton.
In the South West, there are many creative, cutting edge interactive media companies in Bristol, Bath, Plymouth and parts of Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, including the E3 Group, Hyperlaunch, Team Rubber and Nameless. There are over 1,800 people working in the industry in the region.
There are a large number of interactive media businesses operating in the West Midlands, with a workforce of 800. The largest concentrations of businesses are in Birmingham, Rugby, Coventry and Leamington Spa.
In Yorkshire and Humberside, there are 5,600 people working in the industry in the region.
Only 100 people work in the industry in Northern Ireland.
3,000 people work for specialist companies in the key platforms of web and internet, interactive television, offline multimedia in Scotland. This amounts to 7% of the interactive media workforce as a whole.
In Wales, the industry is rapidly growing with around 100 companies employing around 1,700 people. Freelancers account for around 26% of the workforce in Wales.
