In short: A UGC creator can earn in six ways: paid per-video campaigns, direct pitching, retainers, usage-rights fees on top of a base price, affiliate links and referring brands. They pay at different moments and ask for different things. You can combine them, none is guaranteed, and the first one to aim for is whichever gets you a first paid video.
The six ways at a glance
| Way | You are paid when | What it needs | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketplace campaigns | A brand approves your video | A portfolio and a campaign that fits | A video may not be approved |
| Direct pitching | A brand accepts your pitch and approves the work | Pitches, a portfolio and patience | Unpaid time spent on pitches |
| Retainers | Every month, for an agreed number of videos | A brand that wants regular volume | Possibly a lower price per video |
| Usage-rights fees | The brand wants more than the base use | Clear license terms | The brand may not agree to the price |
| Affiliate links | Someone buys through your link | An audience that trusts you | No audience, no sales |
| Brand referrals | A brand you brought pays the platform | A brand to introduce | The brand may never buy |
1. Paid campaigns on a marketplace
A brand posts a campaign with a price per video, creators submit videos, and the brand pays for the ones it approves. You see the price before you start, which makes this the easiest place to earn a first payout. The catch is that approval is the brand’s decision, so a video can be turned down. A strong portfolio helps: UGC portfolio examples and a checklist.
2. Pitching brands directly
You choose the brand, you write the pitch and you set the price. The cost is the time you spend pitching, which is unpaid. A pitch template for UGC creators shows how to keep it short.
3. Retainers
A retainer means a brand pays a fixed amount each month for a set number of videos. One pricing guide from Sideshift lists $600–$900 a month for 8 to 20 videos as an example scope. A retainer can mean a lower price per video than a one-off job in exchange for steady work, so weigh the two before you accept one.
4. Usage-rights fees
If a brand wants to run your video as an ad, or run it from your own account (whitelisting), that is worth more than posting it on its own channels, and creators price it separately. The same Sideshift guide suggests adding 30–50% of your base fee for paid ads or whitelisting, and gives a wider benchmark of 30–100% depending on scope, platforms and duration. See UGC usage rights explained. On a platform where the license is part of the deal, such as Usicri, this is already priced into the payout, so price a campaign as a whole.
5. Affiliate links
An affiliate program pays cash commission when people you reach buy through your link. According to Referral Rock, affiliates are typically paid a flat fee per sale, a percentage of the sale or recurring payments, and their audiences trust their content rather than know them personally. That means you need an audience first. If you have one, say clearly that you earn from the link; if you do not yet, the other five ways are better places to start. Shops with their own affiliate programs, such as TikTok Shop, are covered in UGC for TikTok Shop.
6. Referring brands
A brand-referral program pays you when a brand you introduce starts spending on a platform. Terms differ: some pay a percentage for a limited time, others a fixed amount, as the comparison in UGC creator referral programs shows. It needs no audience, only a brand that would use the platform, and it pays only if that brand buys. How to refer brands and earn commission has the steps.
How to choose your mix
- Get a first paid video. Campaigns or a direct pitch, whichever you can land sooner.
- Price your rights. Agree usage up front so a good video does not become a cheap one.
- Look for repeat work. A brand that likes your video is the easiest client to keep, and a retainer may follow.
- Add referrals on the side. They cost one message per brand, and they pay only when the brand buys, so they cannot replace paid videos.
Work out what each way really pays per hour, including pitching and revisions: the formula is in how much a UGC creator can earn. Be skeptical of anyone who promises thousands a month for a fee: the figures that exist are claims by the guides that made them, and none is a promise.
On Usicri
On Usicri, creators keep 100% of the payout a brand sets for an approved video, and approved earnings are paid out automatically once they reach 20 USD. And when you bring a brand, you earn 10% of its video spend for 12 months, plus a 50 USD bonus once its paid videos reach 150 USD, on top of what you earn for your own videos. Brands pay no platform fee on videos approved through December 31, which makes Usicri an easy pitch right now. You earn from the brand’s first paid video, also while it pays no fee. Your link is on the “Bring a brand” page.