A Quick Guide on Usage Rights
So you’ve landed a photography job for a brand and they’re paying you exactly what you want. A huge relief, no doubt. But you may be leaving money on the table if you don’t consider a very important aspect of the content creation industry – usage rights.
Let's demystify this concept and explore why understanding and charging for them is paramount when collaborating with brands.
What Are Usage Rights?
Usage rights, in the world of photography and videography, refer to the permissions granted by the creator to others regarding the use of their work. Essentially, it's a license that outlines how, where and for how long the content can be used. It’s important on both the brand and creator side to be extremely clear on usage rights so that no surprises come about.
In the photography and videography industry, the individual who creates/captures the content is the owner, even if they are creating said content for a specific client. It’s only until you relinquish ownership (sell your content outright) or provide usage rights to your work that other entities have the ability to use it.
Picture this – you’ve completed a photography package for a brand and sent off the final edits. You forgot to agree on usage rights with them, and now they’re plastering your photos on billboards around the country. They’re also using that content on display ads in stores as well as front page of their website. Without determining usage rights, you’re giving up control of your own creative property and missing out on well deserved compensation.
Why Are They Important to Charge For?
Protecting Your Craft: Your creative work is not just a snapshot; it's a piece of your artistic soul. Charging for usage rights ensures that your creation is treated with the respect it deserves and used in a manner aligned with your artistic vision.
Fair Compensation: When your work contributes to a brand's success, it's only fair that you receive compensation beyond the initial creation fee. Usage rights allow you to charge for the continued value your content brings to the brand over time.
Maintaining Control: By setting usage restrictions, you retain control over how your work is presented. This is particularly vital in a world where digital content can quickly take on a life of its own.
Tips for Knowing What to Charge
Define Usage Scope:
Clearly outline where and how the content will be used.
Specify if it's for online platforms, print materials, or both.
Consider Duration:
Longer usage periods often command higher fees.
Decide whether it's a one-time use or an ongoing license.
Exclusivity Matters:
Charging more for exclusivity use ensures your work won't appear alongside competitors' content.
Factor in Brand Size:
Larger brands with a wider reach typically pay higher fees for usage rights.
Research Industry Standards:
Investigate what others in your niche are charging for similar usage rights (we chat more about this below!)
Stay competitive while valuing your unique contribution.
Bundle Services:
Consider bundling usage rights with other services for a comprehensive package.
This can add value for the client and increase your overall compensation.
Types of Usage Rights
What you charge largely depends on the type of usage rights the brand is after:
Organic usage rights: for posting on their owned social media channels organically (no ad spend)
Digital usage rights: for using the content in paid social ads, website, emails etc.
Physical usage rights: for use on non-digital outlets such as billboards, magazines, in-store displays, etc.
Full ownership/in perpetuity: for complete ownership of the content to do whatever they want with, and for however long.
How to Communicate Usage Rights with Brands
Most brands should know what usage rights are and will likely mention their intended usage when giving you their proposed deliverables, but some either don’t know or try their luck and hope you won’t know what they are in order to save a bit of coin. In the end though, it’s up to you to discover how they’re planning to use your content.
An example response when a brand reaches out wanting to work with you:
"Hi [NAME], thank you so much for reaching out with this opportunity. I would love to work together! Could you please let me know what sort of deliverables you’re looking for as well as the usage rights you’ll need for them? I can then provide you with my rates and we can go from there.”
What to Charge for Usage Rights
And now onto the juicy stuff! Remember to take into consideration the points we mentioned earlier (brand size, duration, bundling, etc.) when determining what to charge for that specific brand.
Organic: 10% of content fee (note that it is also common practice to include organic social free of charge or build it into your creation fee, which sweetens the deal for brands)
Paid Social: 20-30% of content fee
Full Digital: 20-30% of content fee
Physical/Offline: 50-60% of content fee
Then, you take that percentage and multiply it by the number of months the brand wants to have these rights.
For example, if your content fee for the deliverables is $500 and a brand wants full digital usage rights for 3x months, this is your equation:
$500 (content fee) x .20 (full digital) x 3 (months) = $300.
So your usage rights total is $300 and your content fee is $500, meaning the total fee is $800. It’s important to list these separately so that the brand knows what they’re being charged for. You can even list the usage rights amount per month (in this example it would be $100 per month) so the brand can choose how many months they want to use the content. Even better, offer incentives for brands to opt in to more months by using a discount package strategy – e.g. $100 per month or $250 for 3 months, $500 for 6 months, etc.
Always Charge for Your Creative Legacy
Usage rights might seem like uncharted waters, but they're a crucial aspect of turning your passion into a lucrative career and ensuring you’re working in line with industry standards. By understanding their importance, protecting your craft, and following these tips for pricing, you ensure that your creativity is not only respected but also fairly compensated.
Happy creating! 📸✨
Want to dive a little deeper into all things content creation?
Turn your passion into your career with this 70-page guide to all things content creation. From landing brands deals to knowing what to charge for your work, we’re revealing everything you need to know to become a full-time content creator.