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UGC rate calculator

Work out UGC rates for a brief: pick your experience, the videos, hooks and photos, and the usage rights the brand wants, then copy a line-item quote. Every default comes from a dated, published rate guide.

The brief

Your experienceUnder a year of paid UGC, a small portfolio
Same video, new opening
Video length
Delivered as
Paid ads usageThe brand runs your content as ads from its own account. Organic posting on its channels is included.
Ads run from your account or with your Spark Ads code
You don't work with their competitors
2 included
Edit the rates and multipliers

Change any number to match your own rates. Defaults come from the published guides listed under the calculator; the ones marked as ours in the table below have no published figure.

Beginner: one 15–30 s edited video

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One photo

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Suggested price$342Range $195–$585 · USD
Line items: typical price, with the low to high range
1 edited video, 15–30 s1 × $175 (beginner base $175)$175$100–$300
2 extra hooks per video2 × 25% of a video$88$50–$150
Paid ads usage, 30 days30% of the content fee$79$45–$135
Total$342

A starting point from published rate guides. Real rates vary widely by creator, brand budget and country.

Quote at

How the UGC rate calculator works

A UGC price has two parts: a content fee for making the videos and photos, and usage fees for what the brand may do with them. Most rate guides price them separately, and so does this calculator.

Content fee = videos × base rate × length × format × niche, plus extra hooks (a share of each video), raw clips and photos. Usage and extras are percentages of that fee: paid ads by duration, whitelisting or Spark Ads per month, exclusivity per month and rush. Extra revision rounds are a flat fee each.

Every line has a low, typical and high figure: the low and high start from the low and high base rates in the table below, with the same multipliers. The suggested price is the typical figure; quote anywhere in the range that fits your portfolio and the brand.

Worked examples

Example quotes at the default rates (USD)
BriefTypicalRange
One edited video, organic only$175$100–$300
One video, 2 extra hooks, 30 days of paid ads$342$195–$585
3 videos + 5 photos, 90 days paid, intermediate$2,925$1,725–$4,800
3 videos, 3 hooks each, 90 days paid + 3 months Spark Ads, intermediate$5,288$3,173–$8,460
Perpetual paid usage, experienced, 60 s video$3,750$2,500–$6,250

Beginner unless stated, 15–30 second edited videos, standard turnaround and 2 revision rounds. The first example has no paid usage: the brand can post it on its own accounts only.

Line by line: 3 videos, 3 hooks each, 90 days paid + 3 months Spark Ads, intermediate (typical figures, USD)
LineHow it's worked outTypical
3 edited videos, 15–30 s3 × $500 (intermediate base $500)$1,500
3 extra hooks per video9 × 25% of a video$1,125
Paid ads usage, 90 days50% of the content fee$1,313
Whitelisting or Spark Ads, 3 months3 × 30% of the video fee$1,350
Total$5,288

Paid usage is a share of the whole content fee, hooks included. Whitelisting is charged on the videos alone, so the hook variants add nothing to that line.

Published UGC rates by experience level

Per-video rates in published 2026 guides, and the calculator's defaults (USD)
LevelCalculator defaultSideShiftJoinBrandsInsense
Beginner$175 ($100–$300)$100–300$150–400$50–400
Intermediate$500 ($300–$800)$300–800$400–1,000$150–1,000
Experienced$1,200 ($800–$2,000)$800–1,500+$1,000–3,000+$500–3,000+

For a single market-wide figure, Collabstr's 2025 report, as reported by Net Influencer on February 6, 2025, found an average UGC asking price of $198.06 and an average actually paid of $177.68 on Collabstr's marketplace. Collabstr's own report page refused our request on October 14, 2026, so the figures are second-hand, and they describe early 2025. Billo, which sets prices for brands, starts videos at $99 including its own fees. None of the guides publishes its sample, so read these as benchmarks: rates vary a lot by country, niche and the brand's budget. Our guide to working as a UGC creator puts each marketplace's own pay figures side by side.

From JoinBrands' $200–800 for a set of 3–5 photos (about $40–270 each), split across the three tiers.

How much to charge for UGC usage rights

Usage terms, what they mean, and how the calculator prices them
TermWhat it meansHow it's priced here
Organic usageThe brand posts your video on its own social accounts, unpaid.Included by default (set a % if you charge for it).
Paid usageThe brand runs your video as an ad from its own ad account, for a set period.A % of the content fee by duration, from 30 days to perpetual.
WhitelistingThe brand runs ads from your account, under your name, with access you grant in Meta or TikTok.A % of the video fee per 30 days, on top of paid usage.
Spark Ads codeTikTok's version: you post the video and give the brand a code to boost it as an ad from your account.Same as whitelisting: per 30 days.
Perpetual usage (buyout)The brand may use the video forever, with no renewal.The perpetual paid-usage step: +150% by default.
ExclusivityYou don't work with the brand's competitors in a named category for a period.A % of the content fee per month.
RenewalExtending a usage window that has ended.Quote the same usage line again for the new period.

Write each right into the quote with its channels, its length and the date it starts. The quote this calculator writes starts each usage window on the date the brand first runs the content, so a brand that sits on a video for a month doesn't lose that month.

A Spark Ads code is its own right: the brand boosts your post, under your name, for the 7 to 365 days you pick in TikTok. How Spark Ads codes work, and when you can revoke one.

The multipliers, and where each comes from

Defaults the calculator adds, and where each comes from
ItemDefaultBasisWhat the guides say
Organic use (brand's own channels)Included (0%)Published rangeSideShift's usage-rights guide prices organic use at 10–20% for 3–12 months; its rate guide says it's usually included, as do Billo and Xolo.
Paid ads, 30 days+30%Published rangeSideShift: +25–50% for 30–90 days.
Paid ads, 90 days+50%Published rangeTop of SideShift's 30–90 day range.
Paid ads, 6 months+75%Our assumptionOur step between 90 days and 12 months.
Paid ads, 12 months+100%Our assumptionJoinBrands puts 6–12 months at +25–40%, SideShift paid use at +30–100%: guides disagree.
Paid ads, perpetual+150%Published rangeSideShift: 100–200%; JoinBrands: +50–100%.
Whitelisting or Spark Ads+30% per 30 daysOur assumptionSideShift: 30–50% for 30–60 days. We charge 30% per 30 days (our reading), so 60 days comes to 60%, above SideShift's range: lower it under Edit the rates if you follow SideShift.
Category exclusivity+20% per monthPublished rangeSideShift: 20–50% per month; JoinBrands: +30–50% for 3–6 months in total.
Rush+25% (48 h), +50% (24 h)Published rangeJoinBrands: +25–50% for a 48-hour turnaround.
Extra revision round$50–200 (typical $100)Published rangeJoinBrands: 1–2 rounds included, then $50–200 each; Billo includes two.
Extra hook+25% of the videoOur assumptionNo human-UGC source we found prices hooks; Motionbox's AI-ad guide says $40–80 each.
Raw footage with the edit+25% of the videoOur assumptionSideShift says to charge for it, without a figure.
Length: Up to 15 s−15%Our assumptionOur step down for very short clips.
Length: 30–60 s+25%Our assumptionJoinBrands' 30–60 s demo ($300–1,500) runs above its 15–30 s video ($200–800).
Length: 60–90 s+50%Our assumptionJoinBrands' 60–90 s testimonial ($400–2,000) is about double the 15–30 s range.
Niche: Tech, apps, gadgets+10%Our assumptionDemos take more setup.
Niche: Health, fitness, supplements+15%Our assumptionClaims rules mean tighter scripts and more review.
Niche: Finance, B2B, SaaS+20%Our assumptionJoinBrands says B2B SaaS specialists command premiums, without a figure.
Niche: Luxury+20%Our assumptionJoinBrands names luxury as a premium niche, without a figure.

"Our assumption" marks a number no source we found publishes, or our own reading of one that does. Treat them as starting points with no data behind them, and change them under "Edit the rates and multipliers" in the calculator.

Tips for pricing UGC

  • Quote usage separately. List the content fee and each right on its own line, so a brand that wants to cut the price drops a right rather than your fee.
  • Name the start date and channels. "90 days of paid ads on Meta and TikTok from first spend" is a term both sides can check. "Usage rights" on its own leaves the channels and the length open.
  • Charge for Spark Ads codes and whitelisting by the month. The ads run under your name, so renewals are a new fee.
  • Price hooks as an add-on. An extra hook is a re-shot opening on a video you've already planned, lit and edited, so the calculator charges 25% of the video for each (our assumption; Motionbox's guide to AI-made ads puts hooks at $40–80). In the UGCLive app, hook variants export from one edit.
  • Put your rates where brands see them. Add them to a UGC portfolio or a media kit, then adjust per brief.

Sources

Published rate guides and reports, checked on October 14, 2026. Dates are the ones each page shows. Most are written by UGC platforms and marketplaces, which sell UGC themselves.

How to use UGC rate calculator

  1. 1

    Describe the brief

    Pick your experience level, then enter how many videos, extra hooks and photos the brand wants, the video length and whether you deliver edited videos or raw footage.

  2. 2

    Add the usage rights

    Choose how long the brand can run your content as paid ads, how many months of whitelisting or Spark Ads it wants, any exclusivity, the turnaround and the revision rounds.

  3. 3

    Check the numbers and send the quote

    Every line shows how it's worked out. Change any rate or multiplier under "Edit the rates", then copy the quote, download it as text or save it as a PDF.

FAQ

UGC rate calculator FAQ

How much should I charge for a UGC video?

Published 2026 guides put beginners at roughly $100–400 per video, intermediate creators at $300–1,000 and experienced creators at $800–3,000 or more, before usage rights. Collabstr's 2025 report, as reported by Net Influencer in February 2025, found an average UGC asking price of $198.06 and an average actually paid of $177.68. This calculator starts a 15–30 second edited video at $175, $500 and $1200 for the three levels. Rates vary widely by country, niche and brand budget, so treat these as a starting point.

How much should I charge for UGC usage rights?

Price paid usage separately from making the content, as a percentage of the content fee. Defaults here: +30% for 30 days of paid ads, +50% for 90 days, +100% for 12 months and +150% for perpetual use. SideShift's guide puts 30–90 days at 25–50% and perpetual at 100–200%; JoinBrands' is lower, so guides disagree. Change any of them to match your rates.

What is whitelisting, and how do I price Spark Ads?

Whitelisting lets a brand run ads from your account, under your name; on TikTok, Spark Ads do the same with a code you generate for a post. Because the ads use your identity and audience, they're priced on top of paid usage, usually per month. SideShift's usage-rights guide puts it at 30–50% for 30–60 days. The default here is our reading of that: +30% of the video fee for every 30 days, so 60 days comes to 60%. Lower it if you price a 60-day window as one block.

Are organic usage rights included in a UGC rate?

Usually. SideShift's rate guide, Billo and Xolo treat posting on the brand's own social accounts as part of the base price. SideShift's usage-rights guide prices organic use at 10–20% of the base rate for 3–12 months. The calculator includes it by default; set "Organic use" under Edit the rates if you charge for it.

How do I price extra hooks, raw footage and photos?

None of the human-UGC guides we checked publishes a price for hooks, so the calculator charges each extra hook at 25% of the video (Motionbox's guide to AI-made ads says $40–80 a hook). Raw clips handed over with an edit add 25% of the video fee, and photos run about $40–270 each, from JoinBrands' $200–800 for a set of 3–5. All of these are editable.

Should I charge for exclusivity, rush delivery and revisions?

Yes. Exclusivity stops you working with a brand's competitors, so it's charged per month: +20% of the content fee here (SideShift: 20–50% a month). JoinBrands puts a 48-hour rush at +25–50%, includes 1–2 revision rounds and charges $50–200 for each extra round; the defaults follow it, with 2 rounds included.

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