How much should you charge for a brand deal?

Quick answer

There is no single “correct” TikTok or Instagram rate that works for every creator. A useful way to think about brand-deal pricing is as a stack of commercial value—not a follower formula.

This is a directional framework, not a calculator and not legal advice. The right number for you depends on your audience, creative, category, and the terms of the deal.

What changes a creator’s rate

• Deliverables (one video vs a package; organic post vs UGC-only file)
• Platform and format
• Audience relevance to the brand’s category
• Average content performance and creative quality
• Production requirements (hooks, edits, revisions, rush)
• Organic publishing vs paid usage / whitelisting / Spark Ads
• Usage duration and territory
• Exclusivity or category restrictions
• Raw footage and additional assets
• Brand size, campaign scope, and timeline

Why follower count alone is insufficient

Follower count is a weak proxy for commercial value. Brands often pay for access to a specific micro-culture—not for the largest possible audience.

Two creators with the same follower count can justify very different rates if one owns a niche the brand cannot easily reach another way.

Organic content versus UGC-only content

Creation value is the cost of producing the asset. Distribution value is what you add when you publish to your own audience. A UGC-only file for brand channels may be valuable as creative—but it usually should not be priced as if you also delivered organic reach and social proof on your profile.

When brands ask for both, price both. When they only need the file, be explicit about what is included—and what is not.

Usage rights and paid media

Paid-media value is often where creators undercharge. Organic posting rights and paid amplification are different commercial products.

• Organic post on your channel
• Whitelisting / Spark Ads / paid boosting of your handle
• Brand use of the creative on their own channels or ads
• Duration (30 days vs 90 days vs longer)
• Territory and platform scope

If the brand wants to run your creative as ads, that is usually worth a separate line—not a free add-on.

Exclusivity

Restrictions reduce what else you can earn. Category exclusivity, competitor blackouts, and long exclusivity windows should raise the deal value because they constrain your pipeline.

Ask how long exclusivity lasts, which competitors are covered, and whether it applies only to organic posts or also to UGC for other brands.

Raw footage, hooks, and edits

Production requirements compound quickly:

• Multiple hooks or cutdowns
• Raw footage delivery
• Extra revision rounds
• Rush turnaround
• Scripted talking points or product shoots

Each of these is work and risk. Price them as requirements—not as goodwill.

Illustrative deal structures

These are examples of structure, not market rate tables. Actual pricing depends on your audience, creative, and terms.

• One organic TikTokCreation + distribution on your channel. Clarify usage beyond the organic post.
• One UGC video for brand channelsCreation value without your organic distribution—scope usage carefully.
• One video with 90-day paid usageCreation + paid-media value for a defined window.
• Three-video packageVolume may change per-unit economics; still separate usage and exclusivity.
• One video plus raw footageCreation plus production deliverables the brand can re-edit.

Fees creators commonly forget

• Paid usage / whitelisting / Spark Ads
• Exclusivity
• Raw footage
• Additional hooks or cutdowns
• Re-editing after approval
• Perpetual or broad usage
• Rush turnaround

When to ask for the brand’s budget

If a brief is vague, it is reasonable to ask for a budget range before you invent a number. Framing helps: “Happy to scope this—do you have a range for organic only vs organic + paid usage?”

You are not being difficult. You are matching commercial terms to commercial scope.

How CreatorEdge personalizes the answer

A generic calculator cannot see why a brand may value your particular audience, creative style, or cultural position. CreatorEdge builds a Revenue Map: what you can charge, which brands to approach, and why you fit—reviewed before it reaches you.

Methodology and disclaimer

Directional guidance only. Rates vary by creator, category, brand, and contract terms. CreatorEdge does not provide legal advice; contracts may require professional review. Examples on this page are illustrative structures, not universal benchmarks. Framework published for CreatorEdge Revenue Intelligence Library Phase 0 (2026). Observations that later attach evidence will be dated and sourced separately.