A brand loves your video and sends over the details. Somewhere in the message are the words "usage rights", "whitelisting" and "raw files". You nod at your phone and quietly open a new tab. This is that tab. Here's what it all means, in plain English.
What are usage rights in UGC?
Usage rights are the permission you give a brand to use your content. They answer three questions.
- Where can the brand use it? Their social pages, their website, emails, paid ads.
- How long can they use it? 30 days, 90 days, a year, forever.
- How can they use it? As it is, or cut into new versions.
When you make a UGC video you are selling two things. The work of making it, and the right to use it. The second part is where a lot of new creators leave money on the table.
Organic usage vs paid usage
Organic usage means the brand posts your video on its own channels like any normal post. This is usually included in your base rate.
Paid usage means the brand puts money behind your video and runs it as an ad. Your content is now selling to thousands of people every day, so it's fair that it costs more. Many creators add 30 to 50 percent of their base rate for 30 days of paid usage, and more for longer.
Always check which one the brief is asking for. "We'd like to post this" and "we'd like to run this as an ad" are different jobs.
What is whitelisting?
Whitelisting means the brand runs ads through your own social handle. The ad shows your name and your profile picture at the top, with a small "sponsored" label, so it looks like it's coming from you.
Brands love it because ads from a person tend to feel more trustworthy than ads from a logo. You'll also see it called Partnership Ads on Instagram and Spark Ads on TikTok.
To set it up, the brand needs a way to connect to your account for that one video. On each platform you generate a short ad code, or approve a request, and send it over. You are not handing over your password, and you can end the access when the campaign is done.
Is whitelisting safe for creators?
Yes, when you do it through the official tools. A few habits keep it that way.
- Never share your login. A code or an in app approval is all a brand needs.
- Agree an end date. Thirty to ninety days is common.
- Ask to see the ad before it runs under your name, if that matters to you.
- Remember your face is attached. Only whitelist for products you're happy to stand next to.
Because your identity is part of the deal, whitelisting should be its own line on the quote. Some creators charge a flat monthly fee, others a percentage on top of the video rate.
What are raw files?
Raw files, or raw footage, are your unedited clips. Brands ask for them so their own editors can build new versions, new hooks and new lengths from your material.
That is a lot of extra value from one shoot, so charge for it. An extra 25 to 50 percent of your base rate is a common range. If you'd prefer to keep control of how you appear, it's also fine to say raw footage isn't available.
What is exclusivity?
Exclusivity means you agree to stay away from competing brands for a set time. If a skincare brand asks for 60 days of exclusivity, you're turning down every other skincare job for two months.
That is income you're giving up, so it should be paid. Always ask which category it covers and for how long, and keep both as narrow as you can.
What does "in perpetuity" mean?
It means forever. The brand can use your content with no end date. It isn't automatically a bad deal, but it should cost clearly more than a 30 or 90 day licence, because you can never sell that exclusivity window or renew that licence again.
If a brief says perpetual and the budget is small, you can ask for a set period instead. Many brands say yes.
What to check before you say yes
- Is the usage organic, paid, or both?
- How long does the brand have the rights?
- Do they need whitelisting, and on which networks?
- Are raw files included in the price or extra?
- Is there exclusivity, and for which category?
- When and how do you get paid?
If all six are clear in writing, you're in good shape. For help turning this into numbers, read UGC creator rates in 2026.
How Bliss handles it
On Bliss Social every brief tells you up front if the brand wants ad usage, which networks it will whitelist on, how long the rights last and whether raw files are part of the job. The price you see already counts those extras in, so you know the full picture before you apply.
Usage rights FAQ
Do brands own my UGC video once they pay?
Only if the agreement says so. Normally you are granting a licence to use the content for a set time and purpose. Read what you're agreeing to.
How much should I charge for whitelisting?
There's no fixed rule. A flat fee per month of ad access, or 20 to 30 percent on top of the video, are both common starting points.
Can a brand keep running my ad after the usage period ends?
They shouldn't. If you spot your video running past the agreed date, send a friendly note and offer to extend the licence for a fee.
Do I have to agree to whitelisting?
No. It's always optional. If you'd prefer your handle stayed out of ads, say so before you accept the job.