UGC contract: what to include and a template you can adapt

A UGC contract is a written agreement between you and a brand that says what you will make, how long the brand can use it, what you will be paid and when. It does not need to be long. It needs to be signed or agreed in writing before you film a single second, because the brand that goes quiet after delivery is far easier to chase when the payment date is already on paper.

This guide gives you the clauses to include, short wording for each, and a one-page template to adapt. It is practical, not legal advice: a lawyer should look at big deals.

What should a UGC contract include?

A UGC creator contract should cover eight things: the deliverables, the revisions, the usage period, the price, the payment dates, disclosure, what happens if the deal ends early, and who signs. Creator contract checklists from marketplaces and law blogs list much the same core items, so this is a safe base.

How do I describe the deliverables?

Describe each deliverable so a stranger could check whether it was delivered. A line like "UGC video" is too loose. A line like "2 vertical videos, 20 to 30 seconds each, MP4, with captions, 1 hook variation each, delivered by December 5" settles most arguments in advance.

Also say what you are not delivering. If raw footage, extra hooks or a photo set are not included, write "Raw footage and photos are not included and can be quoted separately." That one sentence is your protection against scope creep: any request that is not in the list gets a quote first.

How many revisions should a UGC contract allow?

One or two rounds is a common limit, and the number matters less than writing it down. Say what counts as a revision (a change to the delivered video, not a new idea) and give the brand a deadline: "Revision requests must be sent within 5 days of delivery." Without a deadline, a delivered video can come back weeks later.

Wording you can adapt: "Price includes 2 rounds of revisions per video. Changes beyond that, or a change to the brief after filming, are quoted separately."

How long can the brand use my video?

State a usage period with a start date and an end date, plus where the brand may run it. "Usage rights" means the brand's permission to use your video; a longer period or more places (paid ads, website, email) should cost more. Set your base fee first with how much to charge for UGC.

Wording you can adapt: "The brand may use the delivered videos on its own social accounts and website from the delivery date until [end date]. Paid advertising and any use after that date need a new written agreement and fee."

If the brand wants to run ads from your own handle, that is a separate permission with its own fee: see UGC whitelisting.

Who owns the video?

By default, you do. The U.S. Copyright Act says copyright "vests initially in the author or authors of the work" (section 201(a)), and a transfer of ownership "is not valid unless" it is in writing and signed by the owner (section 204(a)). In practice most UGC deals are a license to use the video for a period, not a sale of the video itself.

So decide which deal you are making and write one sentence: either "You keep ownership; the brand receives the license described above" or, if you agree to a full transfer, say so plainly and price it much higher. Ownership rules differ by country and by type of work, so a short lawyer review is worth it before you sign away ownership. If the brand's draft says "work for hire", read what work for hire means first.

What payment terms should a UGC contract have?

Write the amount, the dates and the trigger for each payment. For most deals the safest structure is a deposit before you start and the balance when you deliver:

• Deposit: a share of the price (half is a common starting point you can negotiate), due before filming. "Work begins when the deposit is paid."
• Balance: due on delivery or a few days later, with the exact date printed, not only "net 15."
• Late payment: say when the invoice is overdue and that you will pause further work or additional usage until it is paid.

Avoid deals where pay depends only on views or sales: see performance-based UGC pay for how to insist on a base fee. For how long brands usually take and what to ask for, read how long brands take to pay.

Wording you can adapt: "50% of the fee is due before work starts. The balance is due 7 days after delivery. Usage rights begin when the balance is paid."

Who adds the sponsored label?

You do. The FTC's influencer guide says to disclose a financial or personal relationship with a brand, in a way people will see and understand, and that "it's your responsibility" to make the disclosure (FTC, Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers). It lists "ad" and "sponsored" as clear terms and says a hashtag is fine but not required.

For a video that only goes to the brand, the label usually matters when it is posted. Add a line so nobody is surprised: "Where a video is posted, the poster adds a clear sponsored label."

What if the brand cancels or disappears?

Say what the brand owes for work already done. A simple rule to propose: the deposit is non-refundable once filming has started, and if the brand cancels after you deliver, the full fee is still due. Brands may negotiate this, so decide what you will accept before you send it. Also write who may end the deal and how much notice they give ("5 days by email").

If a brand changes the brief after you filmed, treat it as a new job. You can quote it as an extra, using the approach in statement of work.

A one-page UGC contract template

Copy this into a document, fill in the brackets and delete anything that does not apply. It is a starting point, not a legal document.

UGC agreement Between [Your name or business] ("Creator") and [Brand] ("Brand"), dated [date].

1. Deliverables: [number] videos, [length], [format], delivered by [date]. Raw footage and photos are not included.
2. Revisions: [number] rounds per video, requested within [number] days of delivery. Further changes are quoted separately.
3. Usage: The Brand may use the videos on [channels] from [start date] until [end date]. Paid advertising or use after that date needs a new written agreement and fee.
4. Ownership: Creator keeps ownership of the videos. Brand receives the license in section 3.
5. Fee: $[amount] per video, $[total] in total. Extras are quoted separately.
6. Payment: [percentage]% due before work starts; the balance due [number] days after delivery, by [method]. Usage rights begin when the balance is paid.
7. Disclosure: Whoever posts a video adds a clear sponsored label.
8. Cancellation: The deposit is non-refundable once filming starts. If the Brand cancels after delivery, the full fee is due.
9. Agreement: Both parties agree in writing (signature or a reply of "agreed") on the date above.

Checklist before you film

• Deliverables listed, with what is not included
• Revision rounds and a deadline for requests
• Usage channels and start and end dates
• Ownership sentence (license or transfer)
• Price per deliverable and extras priced separately
• Deposit amount and due date, balance date printed
• Disclosure line
• Cancellation line
• Brand agreed in writing

Once the contract is agreed, send the deposit invoice straight away: how to invoice a brand walks through it. This guide is not legal advice, and a lawyer should look at big deals.