Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is the practice of raising money for a project, business, or cause by collecting small contributions from a large number of people, typically via an online platform. In the creator economy, crowdfunding is used to fund creative projects (films, albums, books), launch new products, and build community-supported businesses. The major crowdfunding models include reward-based (Kickstarter, Indiegogo), subscription-based (Patreon), equity-based (Republic, Wefunder), and donation-based (GoFundMe). Crowdfunding democratizes access to capital by allowing creators to bypass traditional gatekeepers like publishers, labels, and investors, instead going directly to their audience for funding.