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IMDb is opening its doors to the creator economy. The Amazon-owned entertainment database has introduced “Digital Creator” as a new professional category on both IMDb and IMDbPro, giving influencers, streamers, vloggers and other online personalities a formal place within one of the entertainment industry’s best-known databases.

The move represents a significant expansion for a platform that has traditionally been associated with movies, television shows and the people who make them. For nearly 36 years, IMDb has served as a searchable record of entertainment careers. Now, the company is acknowledging that many modern entertainment careers begin on YouTube, TikTok, Twitch and other digital platforms rather than in Hollywood studios.

The new category covers a broad range of online talent. IMDb is offering sub-professions including Streamer, Vlogger, Video Essayist, Video Creator, Gaming Creator and Influencer, allowing creators to describe their work more precisely instead of being forced into traditional entertainment classifications.

Creators also do not have to choose between their online identity and traditional entertainment work. IMDb allows multiple professional categories to appear on the same profile, meaning someone who works as an actor and influencer, for example, can represent both sides of their career in one place.

That could be particularly useful as the distinction between Hollywood talent and internet creators continues to disappear. Online personalities are increasingly producing television shows, appearing in movies, signing major brand deals and building production companies of their own. Forbes reported that its 50 top creators generated a combined $1.02 billion in earnings in 2026, illustrating the growing economic power of the creator industry.

IMDb is positioning the new category as more than a badge of recognition. The company says digital creators and their representatives need the same professional infrastructure available to traditional entertainment talent, while producers, casting directors, studio executives and brands need reliable ways to discover them.

Nikki Santoro, CEO of IMDb, said the company's goal is to help creators become more discoverable while giving industry professionals a better way to identify talent. The company believes the new profiles can bridge the gap between creators who built their careers online and the established entertainment business.

The change also removes an important barrier: creators do not need existing film or television credits to establish themselves under the Digital Creator category. That means an influencer or streamer can build a professional IMDb presence based on digital work alone rather than waiting for a traditional Hollywood credit.

IMDb is marking the launch at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the company will host an invite-only industry cocktail event on September 14. The event will showcase the new category while highlighting IMDb's broader relationship with Canada's entertainment community. TIFF itself is drawing significant attention this year as it targets younger audiences and features nearly 300 films.

For IMDb, the decision reflects a broader reality: the definition of an entertainment professional is changing. A person can now build an audience, produce shows, influence consumer behavior and land Hollywood roles without following the traditional path through studios and casting agencies. By officially recognizing digital creators, IMDb is effectively acknowledging that the creator economy is no longer adjacent to entertainment—it is becoming a central part of it.