Read these 6 clauses first. Then sign.

Why this exists

Creators ask about contracts because they've been burned, or they're scared of it:

• "The contract added perpetual usage and ads that weren't in what we agreed. Do brands just hope you won't read it?"
• "I delivered everything, no formal agreement, no payment terms. I had zero leverage."
• "Is it normal to sign a contract with deadlines and a script for a gifted collab?"
• "There's a clause that lets them withhold payment if they don't like the content."

We run creator programs for brands, including Tabs, where our creator videos reach 100M+ views a month. We send creators agreements. A fair contract protects both sides. An unfair one usually hides its problems in the same six places. Read those first.

The 6 clauses to read first

1. Deliverables and revisions

What it should say: exactly what you're making. Number of videos, length, format, number of hooks, raw footage or not, deadline. And how many rounds of revisions are included.

Red flags:

• "Unlimited revisions," or no limit at all.
• Deliverables described vaguely: "content as needed."
• Extra deliverables that weren't in your conversation (stories, posts on your account, raw files).

Ask for: "Includes up to 2 rounds of revisions. Further revisions, or changes to the original brief, billed at [rate]."

2. Payment terms

What it should say: the amount, the currency, when you get paid, and how.

Red flags:

• No payment date. Or "payment upon campaign completion" with no end date.
• Payment "net 60" or "net 90" on a small deal, with no deposit.
• Payment only "if content meets brand standards," with no definition of the standards.
• Payment tied to views or sales when you agreed to a flat fee.

Ask for: "50% deposit before production. 50% on approval. Invoices due within [14 or 30] days." For first-time clients, a deposit is the single best protection you have.

3. Usage rights

What it should say: where the brand can use the video (organic, paid ads, website, email, TV), for how long, and in which countries.

Red flags:

• "In perpetuity" or "worldwide, in all media now known or later developed," when you agreed to something smaller.
• Paid ads or whitelisting appear in the contract but weren't in the price.
• No end date at all.

Ask for: a specific duration and channel list that matches your quote. See the Usage Rights Pricing Sheet for how to price extras.

4. Exclusivity

What it should say: if there is any, which competitors, for how long, and starting when.

Red flags:

• Exclusivity that wasn't discussed.
• A whole category ("any beauty brand") instead of named competitors.
• Long exclusivity for a one-video, low-fee deal.

Ask for: a named competitor list, a short window, and a price for it. Exclusivity is income you can't earn, so it costs money.

5. Ownership, likeness, and AI

What it should say: whether you keep ownership and license the video, or transfer it. And whether the brand can use your face, voice, or name beyond the video itself.

Red flags:

• "Work for hire" or full transfer of ownership, priced like a simple license.
• Rights to your "name, image, likeness, and voice" for unrelated uses.
• Permission to use your content or likeness to train AI or create synthetic versions of you.
• Rights to edit your video into something you didn't say.

Ask for: a license, not a transfer, for most UGC. Likeness use limited to the agreed videos. No AI or digital-replica use without separate written consent and separate payment.

6. Termination and kill fee

What it should say: what happens if either side ends the deal early.

Red flags:

• The brand can cancel at any time, for any reason, without paying for work you've done.
• You can't cancel at all, even if they don't pay.
• A clause letting them cut your rate after signing.

Ask for: "If the brand cancels after production begins, the creator is paid [50% or 100%] of the fee for work completed." And: "If payment is more than [30] days late, the creator may pause work and usage rights are suspended until payment is received."

More red flags anywhere in the contract

• Click-through "I agree" contracts with terms you can't negotiate or even easily read. Read them anyway. Screenshot them.
• Penalties for you, none for them. Late delivery fines for you, but no late payment terms for them.
• Required posting on your own account inside a "UGC only" deal.
• A non-disparagement clause that lasts forever.
• Account access. Any clause that gives a brand or agency control of your accounts or your email. You should always have your own logins.
• Rate changes "at the brand's discretion."
• Terms that changed between the email and the contract. Compare them line by line.

A simple UGC agreement outline

If a brand doesn't send a contract, send them one. Short, clear, both names on it. Use this outline and fill it in. For anything large or unusual, have a professional review it.

• 1. PartiesYour legal name (or business name) and the brand's legal company name, with contact emails.
• 2. ProjectProduct, brief summary, and the date the agreement starts.
• 3. DeliverablesNumber of videos, length, format (9:16), number of hooks per video, raw footage yes or no, captions yes or no.
• 4. TimelineProduct arrival date, draft delivery date, feedback window (for example, 5 business days), final delivery date.
• 5. RevisionsRounds included. What counts as a revision (small edits) versus a new brief (billed separately).
• 6. Fee and paymentTotal fee. Deposit amount and due date. Balance due date. Payment method. Late fee, if any.
• 7. Usage licenseOrganic, paid, or both. Duration. Countries. Whitelisting or Spark Ads yes or no, and for how long. Renewal rate if they want to extend.
• 8. ExclusivityNone, or named competitors, duration, and fee.
• 9. OwnershipCreator keeps ownership and grants the brand a license as described in section 7. No AI training or digital replica use.
• 10. Approval and deliveryBrand approves a watermarked or low-res draft. Final files delivered after final payment.
• 11. DisclosureAny posts on the creator's own account will be marked as paid partnerships where the platform and local rules require it.
• 12. CancellationKill fee if the brand cancels after production begins. Creator can pause work if payment is late.
• 13. SignaturesBoth names, dates, and signatures. An e-signature tool works fine.