Charge for usage rights as a separate line, priced by how long the brand can use your content and how. A common starting point in 2026 is 20% to 30% of your content fee for each month of paid ads, and more for whitelisting. One agency CEO prices perpetual rights that are limited in scope at 3 to 5 times the fee, on top.
None of these numbers is a law. Rate guides disagree, and the right price depends on your audience, your niche and how hard the brand will work your video. What follows is a way to build a quote that holds up: what usage rights cover, what each kind costs, a worked example, and four replies you can send today.
What are usage rights?
Usage rights are the brand's permission to use the content you made for them, beyond the post on your own account. Your fee pays for making the video and posting it. Usage pays for everything the brand does with it afterwards.
Every usage request answers five questions. Write each answer into the contract.
| Question | What to pin down |
|---|---|
| Where? | Which platforms and channels: TikTok, Instagram, their website, email, TV |
| How? | Organic posts on the brand's account, or paid ads with money behind them |
| How long? | A number of days or months, with a start date and an end date |
| Where in the world? | One country, a region, or worldwide |
| Edits? | Whether they can cut it down, add captions or mix it with other footage |
A vague answer to any of them works in the brand's favour. "All media, worldwide, in perpetuity" answers all five in one line, which is why it's the first thing to push back on.
How much should you charge for usage rights?
Price each kind of usage on its own line, as a share of your base fee. These figures come from a published 2026 guide and one agency CEO's pricing, and they're anchors to start from, not rules.
| Kind of usage | A starting price |
|---|---|
| Organic repost on the brand's account | Often included for a short window |
| Paid ads using your video | 20% to 30% of your fee per month |
| Whitelisting or Spark Ads | About double the paid usage price |
| 12 months of usage | About 1.5 times your fee, on top |
| Perpetual, limited in scope | 3 to 5 times your fee, on top |
The monthly paid range comes from Socialync's 2026 roundup. The other three come from Dan Albert, CEO of 456 Growth, who shared one pricing ladder in a Net Influencer roundtable on perpetual usage: about 1.5 times the base fee on top for 12 months, 3 to 5 times on top for perpetual rights that are limited in scope, and whitelisting doubling the price. Other contributors priced it differently, so treat it as one data point.
Know what the other side is reading, too. Modash, which writes for brands, tells them to expect 25% to 100% of the base fee and says a monthly ask of 40% or more rarely makes sense for the brand (Modash). So a quote around 25% a month is one a brand can say yes to without a fight.
Three things move you up the range:
- Ads with real money behind them. Your face selling a product to strangers is worth more than a repost to the brand's followers.
- A long window. A video that runs as an ad for six months is doing six months of work.
- A wide scope. Every platform, every country and the right to edit are each worth something.
What's the difference between usage, whitelisting and exclusivity?
They're three different things, and each gets its own price.
- Usage rights are what the brand can do with your content: where, how and for how long.
- Whitelisting (Spark Ads on TikTok, partnership ads on Instagram) lets the brand run ads from your account, under your name. It costs more because the ad borrows your identity, not just your video.
- Exclusivity is what you can't do: work with the brand's competitors for a set time. Our guide to exclusivity clauses covers how to narrow and price it.
When a brand bundles all three into one fee, it's getting two of them for free. Separate lines let you trade one against another in the open.
A worked quote
Say Fernhollow Skincare offers $1,000 for one TikTok video. Then they ask to run it as an ad for 90 days, use your account for Spark Ads for the first 30 days, and keep you out of skincare for a month.
| Line | How it's priced | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| One TikTok video, posted on your account | Your base fee | $1,000 |
| Paid usage, 90 days, TikTok and Instagram, US | 25% a month for 3 months | $750 |
| Whitelisting (Spark Ads), first 30 days | 30% for 1 month | $300 |
| Category exclusivity, skincare, 30 days | 25% for 1 month | $250 |
| Total | $2,300 |
Laid out like this, the brand can see what each ask costs. If the budget is $1,800, they can drop the whitelisting and shorten the usage to 60 days, and you haven't cut your rate to get there.
When does the usage clock start?
It should start on a date you can write down. "90 days from the first ad" moves every time the brand delays its campaign. "90 days from delivery" ends on a date you both know.
If the brand insists on starting at first ad spend, add an outer limit: "90 days from first ad spend, ending no later than March 31, 2027." That way a campaign that launches late doesn't stretch the window into next year.
What to say when a brand asks for usage rights
Each reply goes to the brand or agency contact. Fill in the [brackets] and send.
1. Price the usage
When the brief asks for usage but the offer only covers the video.
Hi [Name],
Thanks for the brief. Happy to go ahead with the video at [fee].
For the paid usage, my rate is [percent]% of the fee per month, so [number] days on [platforms] would be [amount]. That gives a total of [total], and I'm glad to adjust the window to fit your plan.
Thanks,
[Your name]2. Turn perpetual into a fixed term
When the contract says "in perpetuity" or "all media".
Hi [Name],
One change on usage: could we make it [number] months on [platforms], instead of perpetual, all media? That covers the campaign you described.
If you'd like to keep using it after that, we can extend at the same monthly rate. If you need perpetual rights from the start, that's [amount] for [platforms] only.
Thanks,
[Your name]3. Split out whitelisting
When the brand wants Spark Ads or partnership ads folded into the fee.
Hi [Name],
Glad to give you Spark Ads access. Because the ads run from my account, I price that separately from usage: [amount] for [number] days.
If it's easier for the budget, you can run the ads from your own account under the usage rights instead.
Thanks,
[Your name]4. Renew an ending window
About two weeks before usage runs out, when the ad is still live.
Hi [Name],
A quick heads-up: the usage rights for [content] end on [date].
If you'd like to keep running it, I can extend for [number] months at [amount]. Otherwise, could you take it down from your ads and channels by [date]?
Thanks,
[Your name]What happens when usage runs out?
The brand should stop using the content. In practice, ads keep running, because nobody on the brand's side is watching the date. The fix is to watch it yourself.
- Write the end date down the day the contract is signed, as a date, not as "90 days".
- Check two weeks before it ends. If the ad is still live, send the renewal note above.
- If it runs past the date, invoice the extra time at your monthly rate, and say which dates the invoice covers.
How managers keep usage straight across a roster
One creator might have three windows open. A roster of eight might have twenty, each with its own platforms, end date and renewal price. Keep them in one list, one row per deal, and check it every week.
| Creator | Brand and usage | Ends | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priya | Fernhollow Skincare, paid ads | Jan 22 | $250 a month |
| Leo | Larkspan Outdoor, website and email | Mar 1 | $150 a month |
Price usage the same way for every creator on the roster, so a brand that books two of your creators gets one consistent rate card.
Keep usage terms on the deal
In Kromadic, usage rights live on the deal, beside the fee, the deliverables and the exclusivity. When Kroma reads a contract, it pulls out the usage scope and length for you to check, and flags perpetual usage as a red flag before anything is saved. On the brand's page, a perpetual term is marked, and the usage line prints on the invoice, so the brand sees what it paid for. It's free for up to 10 active deals.
This is general information, not legal advice. Copyright and contract rules vary by country and state, so have a lawyer review any agreement you're unsure about.
Questions people ask
Should I charge for usage rights?
Yes, when the brand will use your content beyond your own post, especially in paid ads. Your fee covers making and posting the video. Usage covers the brand's use of it afterwards, which is a separate thing of value.
How much should a beginner charge for usage rights?
Use the same structure as everyone else, a share of your own fee per month, and stay near the low end of the range. A newer creator might quote 20% a month for paid usage. The percentage keeps the price fair as your base fee grows.
Is $200 reasonable for perpetual paid usage?
Only if your base fee is very small. One agency CEO prices perpetual rights limited to a few platforms at 3 to 5 times the base fee, so $200 fits a video priced at about $40 to $67. For anything more, offer a fixed term instead.
How much should I charge for usage rights on TikTok?
The same way as anywhere else: a share of your fee per month of paid usage. Spark Ads, which run from your own account, are whitelisting and cost more than the brand using your video in its own ads.
What's the difference between paid and organic usage?
Organic usage means the brand posts your content on its own channels with no ad spend. Paid usage means the brand puts money behind it as an ad. Paid usage reaches far more people and is priced higher.
Can a brand use my content after the usage period ends?
Not without a new agreement. If they do, ask them to take it down or to pay for the extra time, and send an invoice for the dates it ran past the end of the term.
