Creators, influencers, freelancers, agencies, brands, and entrepreneurs should use a UGC Agreement when content is being created for a brand, business, product, campaign, or paid collaboration. It helps put the business terms in writing before content is created, delivered, posted, or used.

Yes. The best time to use a UGC Agreement is before the creator sends final content, raw footage, product photos, videos, captions, or campaign assets to the brand. Once the content is delivered, the creator may have less leverage to clarify payment, usage rights, revisions, deadlines, and cancellation terms.

Only if the agreement gives the brand that right. Paid ad usage, boosting, whitelisting, amplification, website use, email marketing use, and long term usage should be clearly written into the agreement. A brand deal for organic posting is not automatically the same as permission to run the content as paid advertising.

Usage rights explain how the brand can use the creator’s content. They can address where the content may be used, how long it may be used, whether it can be used in paid ads, whether it can be edited, and whether the creator keeps any rights to use the content in a portfolio or on social media.

Raw footage means the original, unedited video, photo, audio, or content files created during the project. Raw footage can be valuable because it may allow a brand to create additional content beyond the original deal. If raw footage is included, excluded, or available only for an additional fee, that should be clearly stated in the agreement.