CollabRateQuick answer: Price UGC in two parts. First the content fee: your base rate for one edited video (CollabRate suggests $50–$150 if you're new and $300–$600 once you have proven ad results) times the number of deliverables. Then add a percentage of that fee for anything beyond organic posting: paid usage rights (about 20–30% for 30 days up to 100–200% for perpetual use), whitelisting or Spark Ads (15–30% per month), exclusivity, raw footage and rush delivery. The result is a negotiating starting point, not a fixed price.
How to calculate your UGC rate in 5 steps
- Set your base rate: one edited video up to 60 seconds, organic use, one revision round. Pick a starting point or type your own.
- Add the deliverables. Videos, extra hooks and photos price themselves from your base rate. Type over any unit price or add a custom item.
- Add the rights: a paid usage window, months of whitelisting or Spark Ads, and any exclusivity. The typical range shows next to each.
- Add extras: raw footage, extra revision rounds and rush delivery.
- Send it as a quote PDF, a rate card or a pitch email, and save the deal for reminders when usage rights end.
The formula
Every add-on is a percentage of the content fee (deliverables after any package discount), so rights scale with the job. Lines are rounded to whole currency units and the total is their sum, so the quote always adds up.
Content fee = (quantity × unit price, for each deliverable) − package discount
Add-on = content fee × uplift % (× months or rounds where it says "per")
Quote total = content fee + paid usage + whitelisting + exclusivity
+ raw footage + extra revisions + rush
Worked example
A brand asks for 3 videos with 2 extra hooks each, 90 days of paid usage, and the raw footage. With a base rate of $150:
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| 3 × UGC video (up to 60 s) at $150 | $450 |
| 6 × Extra hook (alternate opening) at $30 | $180 |
| Content fee | $630 |
| Paid usage: 90 days (50% of content fee) | $315 |
| Raw footage (40% of content fee) | $252 |
| Total | $1,197 |
The suggested ranges for 90-day usage (40–60%) and raw footage (25–60%) put this job between $1,040 and $1,386. Quote near the top when the brand clearly wants ads, and treat the bottom as your floor.
Methodology: the default percentages
The defaults the calculator uses, and the ranges it shows while you quote:
| Item | CollabRate default | Suggested range | What it pays for |
|---|---|---|---|
| UGC video, up to 60 s (your base rate) | 100% of base | — | Your base rate: one edited video with organic use and one revision round. |
| Long UGC video, over 60 s | 150% of base | 125–175% | More scripting, filming and editing time than a short video. |
| Extra hook (alternate opening) | 20% of base | 10–30% | A new first 3–5 seconds on a video you already made, so the brand can test ads. |
| Product photo | 25% of base | 15–35% | One edited still image, usually shot during the same session. |
| Organic use on the brand's own channels | Included | — | Posting your video on the brand's own social pages and website, with no ad spend behind it. |
| Paid usage: 30 days | +25% of content fee | 20–30% | A short ad test. The brand finds out which videos work. |
| Paid usage: 60 days | +40% of content fee | 30–50% | A short campaign or a seasonal push. |
| Paid usage: 90 days | +50% of content fee | 40–60% | A full campaign. The most common window to quote. |
| Paid usage: 6 months | +75% of content fee | 60–90% | Long-running ads on the content that performed best. |
| Paid usage: 12 months | +100% of content fee | 80–120% | A year of ads, often an evergreen product page or always-on ad. |
| Paid usage: perpetual | +150% of content fee | 100–200% | No end date. The brand never has to come back to you. |
| Whitelisting / Spark Ads | +20% per month | 15–30% | Ads run from your account, using your name and audience trust. Charged for each month of access. |
| Exclusivity: named competitors | +10% per month | 5–15% | You turn down work from the brands you list for the period. |
| Exclusivity: whole category | +20% per month | 15–30% | You turn down a whole product category (for example all skincare), which costs more future work. |
| Raw footage | +40% of content fee | 25–60% | Unedited clips let the brand cut new ads without you, so it replaces future editing work. |
| Extra revision round | +15% per round | 10–20% | The base rate includes one round; more rounds take more filming or editing time. |
| Rush delivery | +25% of content fee | 20–50% | Moving other work around to deliver faster than your normal turnaround. |
Last reviewed . These are negotiating starting points chosen for this calculator, not survey data or an industry standard. Published guides from agencies and creators disagree, sometimes widely, so every percentage in the tool is editable.
Organic use, paid usage and whitelisting: what's the difference?
| Organic use | Paid usage | Whitelisting / Spark Ads | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who posts it | The brand, on its own pages | The brand, as ads from its own ad account | The brand, as ads shown under your name and handle |
| Ad spend behind it | No | Yes | Yes |
| How it's priced here | Included in your base rate | One uplift for the whole window | An uplift for each month of access |
| What to agree | Which channels | Duration, start date, channels | Duration, how access is granted and removed, creative approval |
Whitelisted ads are still paid ads, so charge paid usage for the same period too. The calculator warns you when they don't match.
Rate card or quote for each brief?
Both. A rate card shows starting prices (or “rates on request”) in your media kit; a quote prices one specific brief with its exact rights and terms. CollabRate makes both from the same numbers.
What you can make, all free
- Brand quote PDF: itemised, with rights in plain words, payment terms, an expiry date and optional usage options.
- Rate card in three templates, as a 1080 × 1350 PNG or a PDF, with your photo and colour.
- Pitch email written from your quote.
- Saved deals with status, CSV export and calendar reminders for when usage, whitelisting and exclusivity end.
- Six currencies, autosave, and a share link that never includes your photo.
No account, no paid tier, and your work stays in this browser. Exports carry a small “Made with CollabRate” credit.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I charge for a UGC video?
Start from a base rate for one edited video up to 60 seconds with organic use only. CollabRate's starting points are $50–$150 if you're new, $150–$300 once you've done a few brand projects, and $300–$600 with proven ad results. Then add usage rights, whitelisting and extras on top as percentages.
How much should I charge for UGC usage rights?
Charge paid usage as a percentage of your content fee that grows with the time the brand can run ads. CollabRate's defaults are +25% for 30 days, +50% for 90 days, +100% for 12 months and +150% for perpetual use, with suggested ranges of 20–30% up to 100–200%.
What is whitelisting, and what should I charge for it?
Whitelisting (Spark Ads on TikTok, partnership ads on Instagram and Facebook) lets the brand run ads through your account, under your name. Charge it per month on top of paid usage. CollabRate's default is 20% of the content fee per month, with a suggested range of 15–30%.
Should I charge extra for raw footage?
Yes. Raw clips let the brand cut new ads without paying you to edit them. CollabRate adds 40% of the content fee by default (suggested range 25–60%).
Do I need followers to charge for UGC?
No. Brands pay UGC creators for the content and the right to use it, not for posting to your audience. Price your work on quality, turnaround and rights, and use the beginner preset if you're starting out.
Where do the percentages come from?
They're CollabRate's own negotiating starting points, set in the middle of the ranges creators and agencies commonly discuss. They aren't survey data or an industry standard, which is why the tool shows a range and lets you change every percentage.
Is CollabRate free? Is my data uploaded?
Everything is free with no signup. The calculator, quotes, rate cards and saved deals all run in your browser, and nothing you type is sent to a server. Exported quotes and cards carry a small "Made with CollabRate" credit in the footer.
More UGC pricing guides
Last updated · Written by the MiniTools team. Rates here are negotiating starting points, not financial, legal or tax advice. CollabRate isn't affiliated with any platform or brand named on this site.