Usage rights are the permissions that say where a creator's video can run, for how long, and as what. A creator making you a video does not automatically give you the right to run it as a paid ad, put it on your site, or run it from their handle. Those are separate permissions, and they're the single most expensive thing brands forget to agree upfront.
The four questions every usage agreement must answer
- Where: which platforms, and does that include your website and email?
- How long: 30 days, 90 days, a year? Rights should have an end date you can renew.
- Organic or paid: use on your own feed is one permission. Putting spend behind it is another.
- Whitelisting and exclusivity: running ads through the creator's own account, and whether they can work with competing brands meanwhile.
Why "we'll sort it later" is the expensive option
The classic failure: a video performs, the brand scales it as an ad, and the creator rightfully asks for the usage fee that was never agreed. Now you're negotiating for something already live in your ad account, which is the weakest position there is. Best case you pay a premium. Worst case you pause a winning ad.
If a video might become an ad, buy that right before anyone films.
What fair looks like
Rights in writing before filming, priced by scope and duration, with renewals instead of forever-grabs. Creators quote honestly when the ask is honest, and you avoid paying for permissions you'll never use.
This is standard practice in every campaign Sadie runs: usage rights are defined in writing before anyone films, so nothing is left to sort out after delivery.
FAQ
Do I own UGC content once I've paid for it? You own whatever the agreement says you own. Most deals grant a license with a scope and duration rather than full ownership, which is why the written terms matter.
What is whitelisting? Running paid ads through the creator's own account, so the ad carries their name and face natively. It performs well and it's the most expensive permission, because it borrows their identity, not just their content.
Should usage rights be perpetual? Rarely. Time-boxed rights with an option to renew keep costs matched to what you actually run, and creators price them far more reasonably.