Guide
UGC contract template
UGC work isn't influencer work with a different name. You're selling files, not reach, and the money is in the licence — how long the brand can run your content, on which channels, and whether they can put ad spend behind it. Get that clause right and the rest of the contract is admin.
This page is not legal advice and is not a substitute for a lawyer. Have an attorney in your jurisdiction review any contract, licence, or rights grant before you sign.
UGC vs. influencer deals
| UGC | Influencer post | |
|---|---|---|
| What's sold | Content files, for the brand to use | A post to your audience |
| Where it runs | The brand's channels and paid ads | Your channels |
| Audience matters? | No — craft and conversion do | Yes, it's the whole product |
| Main risk | Rights creep: perpetual, all-media use | Scope creep on deliverables |
| Priced on | Output volume and licence length | Reach and engagement |
Clauses to include
Deliverables, spelled out in assets
"1 × 30s vertical video, 3 × 9s cutdowns, 4 × stills, delivered as ProRes and MP4 via link within 10 days of product receipt." Count hooks separately — brands routinely expect 3 hook variants for the price of one video.
Licence term and media
The default should be a fixed window: 6 or 12 months, named channels, one territory. Perpetual worldwide all-media is a buyout and should cost 3–5× the base rate.
Paid amplification / whitelisting
Running the asset as a paid ad is a separate right. If it runs from the brand's handle, price the licence. If it runs from your handle (whitelisting / Spark Ads / Partnership Ads), price it higher and cap the duration.
Exclusivity
State the competing-category list and duration explicitly. For UGC, 30–60 days in a narrow category is reasonable; anything broader is a retainer, not a project.
Revisions
Two rounds on the edit, one round on the hook. Reshoots are new work at a stated day rate, not a revision.
Raw footage
Not included by default. If the brand wants the raws — so their editor can recut forever — it's a separate fee, because it effectively removes your licence limits.
Product and shipping
Product is not payment. Say who ships, by when, whether you keep it, and that the delivery clock only starts when it arrives.
Payment
50% on signature, 50% on delivery of final files. Files release on cleared payment — the strongest leverage a UGC creator has, and only if you write it down.
Cancel / kill
If the brand cancels after work starts, 50% of the creation fee (not 50% of the PO total with licence lines). Usage and whitelisting are separate products — kill math stays on the content line.
Disclosure and usage of your likeness
If your face appears, the licence covers your likeness too — so it must expire when the licence expires. No use in packaging, out-of-home, or endorsement claims without a separate agreement.
Pricing the licence
Start from a base rate for production, then add for every right the brand wants on top. These are common market uplifts, not fixed prices — anchor to your own base.
| Right | Typical uplift | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Base rate | 1 video, no paid usage | Your day rate ÷ outputs |
| Organic use, brand channels | +0% | Usually included |
| Paid ads, 3 months | +25–50% | Per asset |
| Paid ads, 12 months | +75–100% | Per asset |
| Whitelisting from your handle | +50–100% | Cap the run dates |
| Raw files | +50% | Or decline |
| Perpetual buyout | +200–400% | Rarely worth it |
Worked quote on a $700 creation fee: paid social 90 days at 40% = $280 → invoice $980 before raws. Whitelist from your handle is a separate cell (often +50%+), not a free upgrade because “they already have the file.” See how much to charge for UGC for creation bands.
| Line | Contract note | $ |
|---|---|---|
| Creation | 2×30s, 1 revision, watermarked preview | $1,400 |
| Paid licence | Meta+TikTok brand accounts, US, 90 days | $560 (40%) |
| Raws | Not included until paid as add-on | $0 until bought |
| Total on PO | Two lines — release masters after the hold releases | $1,960 |
Hooks, raws, and “perpetual included” — refuse lines
Brands often collapse three expensive extras into one PO line. Keep them separate on the contract and in the DM.
| Ask | Default on the contract | Extra $ |
|---|---|---|
| 3 hook variants | 1 hero cut + 1 hook round included | Each extra hook = stated fee |
| Raw project files | Not included; watermarked preview only | +50% or decline |
| Perpetual / buyout | Fixed licence window only | 3–5× base — separate cell |
| Silent approval | 3 business days → deemed approved | Stops free revision limbo |
Copy-paste when they want everything in one price:
Happy to quote line items — I don’t sell a single “all-in UGC” fee that buries rights. Creation (deliverables listed): $___ Paid licence (platforms + days + territory): +___% Whitelist / ads as me (if needed): +___% separate Raws / perpetual: separate cells or decline Silent 3-business-day approval on watermarked preview is in the contract. Masters release after payment clears (or the platform payment hold releases).
Deliver on payment, not on trust
UGC has one structural advantage over influencer posts: nothing is public until you hand over the files. Send watermarked previews for approval, release the clean masters when the balance clears, and the late-payment problem mostly disappears. Write that sequence into the contract so it isn't a surprise.
UGC contract questions
+What if the brand is silent during the approval window?
Write a deemed-approval rule: e.g. “If written feedback is not received within 3 business days of the watermarked preview, the cut is deemed approved and the final invoice is due.” Without that line, silence becomes free unlimited revision time.
+How is a UGC contract different from an influencer contract?
In a UGC deal you are not posting to your own audience - you deliver raw files for the brand to use. So the agreement centres on file specifications, delivery format, licence scope and duration, rather than on posting dates and audience reach.
+Do I keep the copyright to UGC I create?
Unless you sign a full buyout, yes: you own the copyright and grant the brand a licence to use it. Keep the licence limited by platform, territory and time, and price a buyout as a separate, much higher fee.
+How should I price a UGC licence?
Charge a base creation fee for the files, then add licence fees per platform and per month of paid usage. A typical structure adds 25-50% of the creation fee for three months of paid social use, and considerably more for whitelisting or paid ads at scale.
+When should I hand over the raw files?
After payment clears, not before. Send a watermarked preview for approval and release the unwatermarked files on payment — or use a platform payment hold so funds are secured on the platform before you deliver (not licensed third-party escrow).
+Can a brand run my UGC as a paid ad?
Only if your licence says so. Organic use and paid amplification are separate permissions, and paid ads should always carry their own fee and end date.
+What does a simple UGC quote look like in dollars?
Example: 2×30s creation $1,400 + paid Meta/TikTok 90 days at +40% ($560) = $1,960. Raws and whitelist stay off the PO until they buy those lines.
Sell UGC packages like products
BlueRateCard lets brands pick the package and the usage rights at checkout — the price recalculates as they add paid usage or extend the licence — and funds a platform payment hold before you shoot. Free for creators.
Related guides
Contracts & delivery