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The cultural and creative industries refer to those parts of the modern economy where culture is produced and distributed through industrial means, applying the creativity of individuals and groups to the generation of original cultural product, which may have commercial value either through direct sale to consumers or as intellectual property.

The cultural and creative industries typically bring together the arts, media, and design sectors, with a focus upon convergent digital technologies and the challenges and opportunities of globalization. While discussion of the cultural and creative industries can be traced back to the 1940s, it was in the 1990s and 2000s that they came to prominence as both an academic and a policy issue.

Policy strategies to develop the cultural and creative industries are typically associated with expanding markets for cultural goods and services. They seek to develop these industries by promoting innovation and creativity, leading to the development of original forms of intellectual property and supporting industries based around culture and entertainment. In some instances, such as culture-led urban regeneration strategies, cultural and creative industries are positioned as an alternative to traditional manufacturing industries.

As an academic field, interest in the cultural and creative industries has ranged across communication, media and cultural studies, economic and cultural geography, the creative and performing arts, and applied cultural economics. Some authors have seen critical analysis of these industries as an important way of bringing academic work together with cultural producers, particularly in new industries in the digital economy. Others have been concerned about the negative consequences of these industries, including the commodification of culture and the growing precarity of creative labor.

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