The 10 Most Popular Cities for Freelancers Outside of the USA

International freelance work has never been so plentiful, with opportunities covering the globe. Spanning across three continents, these ten cities (outside of the United States) are the hottest spots for freelancers on the Storyhunter platform. In some places, media and entertainment are one of the largest sources of income for the city; in others, incredible local stories attract journalists.

1. Mexico City

Mexico City and the surrounding areas are filled with colorful art and culture best captured on video. You can see the beauty of the country in this video filmed by Mexico-based freelancer Xavier Cunilleras in Pachuca, a town an hour northeast of Mexico City. His short doc for Great Big Story is about the community, which came together to promote peace by painting a mural on over 200 houses. Since it was painted, the crime rate in the city dropped.

2. São Paulo

São Paulo is Brazil’s largest city. With such a large audience, brands and media companies can continually pump out video content. According to Statista, the media and entertainment market amounted to 32 billion U.S. dollars in 2022.

Volt Films is a production company specializing in branded content, social advertisement, and digital marketing. They filmed an interview in Sao Paulo for Crossover Global, a company matching professionals with high-paying remote jobs. The video features Matheus Henrique de Oliveira, a software architect who thought his dreams "were only possible for rich people" until he found an opportunity at Crossover.

3. London

London is one of the largest media industries in the whole of Europe. Though the market is competitive, all of the UK’s major media organizations are based there, giving freelancers in the area more opportunities for gigs.

Irene Baque, a video editor in London, crafted a piece called "Gender behind the binary." In the video, "five non-binary people discuss their experience of life liberated from restrictive gender norms and definitions."

4. Berlin

Germany has the fourth largest economy in the world and freelancers can find an incredible amount of commercial and documentary work in the capital. For example, Germany-based freelancer Katja Doehne worked on this Great Big Story video featuring an incredibly talented German unicycler.

5. Paris

Paris is the most important center of economic activity in France, accounting for about 30% of the French GDP. Agence France-Presse, the third largest news agency in the world, established its headquarters in Paris, with many competitors following suit. There are countless opportunities for journalists and video professionals alike, with a nice balance between artistic and informative work.

Hugo Louiset, a visual effects artist based in France, animated a YouTube series for Red Bull Media House. In this episode of "For Real," skateboarder Zion Wright shares "the craziest stories from the days of living in sketchy shared houses in LA as he tried to kickstart his skating career into the big time."

6. Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is the sixth most populous city in the Americas and is home to Globo, one of the largest media companies in the world. Freelancer Kadeh Ferreira, based in Rio de Janeiro, worked on this AJ+ video which features the migration of Venezuelans fleeing the economic crisis, looking for a fresh start.

7. Barcelona

Barcelona is one of the world’s leading tourist, economic, trade fair, and cultural centers, and its influence in commerce, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world’s major global cities. Freelancers can find a number of varying jobs here, both as commercial shooters for brands and journalists for news.

JUT Media, a production company producing short and feature documentaries, and TV packages, filmed a vertical video on Spain's "most disruptive bartender."

8. Nairobi

Nairobi is the largest city in Kenya, acting as a media hub for the region. Home to thousands of Kenyan businesses and over 100 major international companies, Nairobi is a center for business and culture. Freelancer Alex Pritz, who was based in Nairobi, worked on the thought-provoking short film The Power of Home.

9. Madrid

Headquartered in Madrid are a plethora of organizations like the World Tourism Organization, the Organization of Ibero-American States, and the Public Interest Oversight Board. The city is a hotspot for freelancers looking to work in news and journalism. Industries based on advanced technology are acquiring much more importance there than in the rest of Spain, and video production monitoring this progress goes hand in hand.

10. Istanbul

Istanbul, Turkey's vibrant cultural and economic center, offers endless opportunities for freelancers. With a population of over 15 million, the city is a hub for innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship. Freelancers can tap into the city's unique blend of East-meets-West culture and history. Turkey-based filmmaker Mahmoud G. helped with this documentary by Adorama on a Turkish landscape photographer.

11. Mumbai

The freelance industry in Mumbai, India is riding high on the waves of creativity and innovation. The city is home to a vibrant community of freelancers in web development, graphic design, content writing, and more. Mumbai's bustling start-up scene has also fueled the growth of the freelance industry, with entrepreneurs looking to hire top-notch talent to help bring their ideas to life.

Mumbai-based freelancer Hardik Contractor directed a corporate social responsibility documentary for fashion powerhouse Gucci. The brand wanted to create a five-minute short documentary in Mumbai showcasing their commitment to sustainability to uplifting the lives of underprivileged women. Go behind the creative process of Gucci's campaign here.

Now for the best part: learn from our top freelancers how to film in the most popular locations around the globe. You will save time learning about these tips and tricks while focusing on creating your best work yet. Read on How Do You Make Videos in the World’s Top Video Production Locations?

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By Lena Drake, Storyhunter Writer