Rate ranges are 2026 directional benchmarks from creator-reported deals. Not legal advice — have a lawyer review any contract with usage or exclusivity terms.
Most creators lose money on brand deals before the conversation even starts: they quote a number, the brand accepts instantly, and that instant yes is the tell. Here is how to price, counter and close without leaving half the fee on the table.
Anchor your rate with the Brand Deal Rate Calculator or the Sponsorship CPM Calculator.
Step 1 — Price off views, not followers
Follower count is a vanity anchor. Brands buy delivered impressions. Price from your median views over the last 10 posts, then apply a CPM:
- YouTube integration (60–90s): $20–$45 CPM
- YouTube dedicated video: $45–$90 CPM
- YouTube Shorts: $8–$18 CPM
- TikTok in-feed: $10–$25 CPM
- Instagram Reel: $12–$28 CPM
- Newsletter primary slot: $30–$60 CPM on opens
- Podcast host-read mid-roll: $22–$40 CPM on downloads
A channel averaging 60,000 views per video in a business niche at a $35 CPM prices an integration at roughly $2,100 — before any add-ons below.
Step 2 — Apply niche multipliers
- B2B SaaS, finance, legal: 1.4–2.0×
- Tech, productivity, education: 1.1–1.4×
- Health, fitness, home: 1.0–1.2×
- Beauty, fashion, food: 0.9–1.1×
- Gaming, general entertainment: 0.6–0.9×
Step 3 — Charge for everything beyond the post
This is where most creators under-quote. Each of these is a separate line item, not a courtesy:
- Paid usage / whitelisting: +25–100% of base fee, scoped to a term (90 days is standard; perpetual should be priced at 2–3×).
- Category exclusivity: +20–50%, and never agree to it without a defined end date and a narrowly defined category.
- Cross-posting to additional platforms: +30–50% per extra platform.
- Raw footage or asset handover: +15–30%.
- Scripted-by-brand content: +10–25% for the extra revision cycles.
- Rush turnaround under 7 days: +20%.
Step 4 — Never name the first number
When the brand asks for your rate, ask first: "What budget has been allocated for this campaign?" Roughly a third of the time they will state a figure above what you would have quoted. If they insist you go first, give a range with the top anchored high and tie it to deliverables, not to a discount.
If the first offer is accepted with no pushback, that is information for the next deal: you were 20–40% low.
Counter-offer scripts that work
- Low offer: "My rate for a 60-second integration at my current view average is $X. I can get to $Y if we drop the exclusivity clause and cap usage at 30 days."
- Product-only offers: "I don't take product in place of fee, but I'm happy to do a gifted review with no timeline commitment if the product is a fit."
- "We'll pay on performance": "I do flat fee for the content, and I'm glad to layer an affiliate rate on top of it. I don't take affiliate-only for produced content."
- "This will be great exposure": "I appreciate that — exposure is what my rate is based on. Here's the delivered impressions data."
Contract clauses to strike or bound
- Perpetual worldwide usage with no extra fee — always bound the term and territory.
- Open-ended exclusivity across a broad category ("all financial services") that locks out your next six deals.
- Unlimited revisions. Cap at two rounds, then hourly.
- Payment on performance metrics you do not control.
- Net-90 payment terms. Push to net-30 and require 50% up front for new brands.
- Content takedown on demand with no kill fee.
- Morality clauses drafted so broadly the brand can void payment at will.
Rate card vs custom quotes
Publish a starting-from rate card to filter out unserious inbound, but quote every real deal custom. A public rate card becomes a ceiling; a "packages start at $X" line becomes a floor.
FAQ
What should I charge with 10,000 followers?
Price on views, not followers. A 10K account averaging 25,000 views per post in a commercial niche can reasonably charge $300–$700 per in-feed post.
Should I take affiliate instead of a flat fee?
Only if the product converts well for your audience and you have data proving it. Flat fee plus affiliate upside is the right structure for most creators.
How do I raise rates with an existing sponsor?
Raise at renewal, with a one-page performance recap: delivered views, clicks, code redemptions, and your current view average versus when the rate was set.
Is brand deal income taxed differently?
No — it is ordinary self-employment income. See the quarterly estimated taxes guide.