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LAST UPDATED: August 24th, 2021

In 2010, Chase Jarvis and Craig Swanson founded CreativeLive to rein in the expertise of creative experts worldwide and provide online streaming of instructional courses, for free, to individuals hungry to learn, engage and expose their upmost potential. Although anyone can watch live-streamed workshops, users also have the option of purchasing a full instructor-led course. Priced on a per-course basis, students receive a variety of class videos, 24/7 on-demand video access and exclusive bonus materials.

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The Good

CreativeLive literally offers courses for anyone interested in expanding their creativity and unleashing their full potential as artists, photographers, entrepreneurs, business professionals, musicians or craftsmen. Moreover, individuals who aren't prepared to commit financially to a course can watch live, free workshops from professionals all over the globe. With nearly five years in the rapidly expanding online training industry, over 600 classes broadcasted and over 2 million students, CreativeLive surely knows what they are doing. After all, with renowned instructors like Art Wolfe and Anne Geddes, it is clear that CreativeLive is only gaining a global following.
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The Bad

CreativeLive charges students per class, rather than per month. While this may benefit those who are looking to target a specific topic, this may be ideal; however, with classes starting at more than $20, taking multiple classes can get pretty pricy. Because CreativeLive charges by the class, rather than a monthly subscription, they offer no refunds on paid classes. Contacting the CreativeLive headquarters can also be a pain if students need immediate assistance. Procrastinators or individuals who need a strictly structured course should save time and money and continue shopping. In short, CreativeLive could improve in three major ways:
  1. Offer some type of subscription service for customers to gain greater access for less money
  2. Provide some type of refund for that service should customers not find courses satisfactory
  3. Create more accessible customer support channels for customers facing issues with the service
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The Bottom Line

In the world of online training and online learning, CreativeLive is surely one of the leaders. Students have expansive access to some of the most creative, inspirational minds in the world and are able to communicate with them directly during live streaming workshops and videos. Furthermore, users are encouraged to take the skills they learn and utilize them in their everyday lives. With an array of creative-based categories, students can pick and choose the topics they want to study and then given the option of purchasing the class for future and on-demand use or if they prefer to watch the free workshops. While CreativeLive may have a bit of a heftier price tag, users get what they pay for with quality videos and professional instructors.
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9 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

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4 grade

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3 grade

0%

2 grade

11%

1 grade

89%

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Quality

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Yasmine Silver Spring, MD

Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have signed up because they don't offer refunds after the first month, and after that you are stuck with the year-long subscription and there's no way to get out of it until the year is up... I contacted cx support and they were pretty rude and terse about it when I asked to cancel my subscription, as if it was masterclass quality or something... lol Their learning content is just pre-recorded lectures with 50% of it actual useful learning content, and the 50% is just the speaker being conversational with the audience or rambling on about their personal life... I didn't come here to listen to you talking about your daughter and her college life, or to constantly hear the same audience member provide commentary on every other thing.. The content is decent and the website is easy to use, but I don't think it's worth the money.. If you do subscribe for only a few topics, you'll probably regret it, because there's only so much on there to be paying almost $20 a month to be stuck for an entire year.. I should have just subscribed to masterclass tbh.. It might be theoretical, but at least it's worth it with who they have on there

3 years ago

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Chris Warzenski Easthampton, MA

After buying a few seminars I can't give CreativeLIVE more than 2 stars. The first seminar was on lighting and posing for beauty shots. The intro showed some great shots by the photographer. Unfortunately once you got into the seminar the photographer explained that ALL the photos used in the promo were natural light, not flash. The photos she took during the seminar looked like they were taken by someone just learning how to use flash/strobes, not someone teaching how to use them.

5 years ago

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Aleister

I had a very bad experience with the customer service of this company. The senior member didn't read properly my questions just providing me standard answers and showing a lack of knowledge of their system. 4 days to have the solution to my problem and in the meantime the deal I was trying to purchase expired so I couldn't take the course at a discounted prices. He also ignored my requests of escalation and to speak with a manager to complaint about how the ticket was being dealt with. I certainly won't purchase a course that costs hundreds or thousands of dollars if that's the level of help I will have in case of issues. Never felt this way with other companies.

6 years ago

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AR NK Smyrna, GA

Smarmy hipster production, too cool for some cool people. Signed up for some classes & I kid you not, was electronically harassed via email without any provocation. This was of an extremely personal nature & shocking. Truth is, the videos are awkward, slow, and aggressively mediocre. Insulting PAYING clients might be the in thing now but don’t expect that to last.

2 years ago

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Sonia Oglesby Westerville, OH

I have purchased a large library from CreativeLive, and I feel as if the instructors just talk over your head. I have spent hours trying to comprehend lessons, and not make heads out of tails. I have currently started using Lynda.com and so much happier with the instruction. I feel as CreativeLive provides creative advertising to draw you in, but once your in you lose ! I am trying to learn, and I refuse to be a loser.

6 years ago

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Dr Steven Gottlieb Austin, TX

This is a hard review for me, as their classes tend to be very good. Their customer service --in a word--STINKS. Let me provide an example: There was an issue that they chose to satisfy by providing a credit (by way of a credit code) rather than a refund. Then when i attempted to use the credit code it did not work. When i contacted them they said their system could not give a refund and they would issue yet another credit code. You know where this goes from here.

6 years ago

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Socorro M Evanston, IL

I purchased several classes with the understanding the classes would be available indefinitely. i haven't used the classes for some time and when I attempted to sign in, my account was not found. My password didn't work. No classes were listed. I called the help number but referred to email for support. no response yet.

7 years ago

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mel byrd

Sucks, class went on sale one hour after purchasing, ask for adjustment was denied., Bought many classes over the years.,

6 years ago

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p. dalton Columbus, OH

False advertising. Presented as a free course and only the intro is free.

6 years ago