GUIDE

How much to charge for brand deals

Creator rates are opaque by design — brands want to keep it that way. Here's what actually drives your rate, what the benchmarks look like by platform and audience size, and how to defend your number.

Why there's no single right answer

Brand deal rates depend on platform, audience size, engagement rate, niche, deliverable type, exclusivity scope, and usage rights. A finance creator with 200k YouTube subscribers can command more than a general lifestyle creator with 1M — because their audience converts better for the brands that want them.

The benchmarks below are UK market figures for 2026, based on self-reported creator data and industry surveys. They represent typical negotiated rates — not first offers.

Rate benchmarks by platform (UK, 2026)

Audience size: Small = under 100k · Mid = 100k–500k · Large = 500k+

Placement
Small
Mid
Large
YouTube dedicated integration (60s+)
£500–£2,000
£2,000–£8,000
£8,000–£30,000+
YouTube mention (30s or less)
£300–£1,000
£1,000–£4,000
£4,000–£15,000+
Instagram Reel (sponsored)
£300–£1,200
£1,200–£5,000
£5,000–£20,000+
Instagram Story (swipe-up)
£100–£500
£500–£2,000
£2,000–£8,000+
TikTok video (sponsored)
£200–£800
£800–£4,000
£4,000–£15,000+
Podcast mid-roll (60s)
£200–£800
£800–£3,000
£3,000–£12,000+
Newsletter placement (primary)
£150–£600
£600–£2,500
£2,500–£10,000+

Rates for high-conversion niches (finance, software, health) typically run 1.5–2.5× these figures. Usage rights, exclusivity, and whitelisting are priced separately on top.

What moves your rate up

↑
High engagement rate
Engagement above 5–6% for YouTube, 3–4% for Instagram commands a significant premium. Brands measure this.
↑
Conversion-friendly niche
Finance, B2B software, health supplements, and career audiences convert to purchases much better than general entertainment. Rates reflect this.
↑
Loyal, specific audience
A tightly defined audience (UK female runners 25–40, for example) is worth more to the right brand than a broad general audience 3× the size.
↑
Previous brand deal performance
If you can show a brand that a previous deal drove measurable results (promo codes used, affiliate revenue, traffic), your rate goes up.
↑
Urgency and scarcity
If you're booked out 6 weeks ahead and a brand wants a slot in 2 weeks, the premium is legitimate. Scarcity is real pricing power.

Pricing usage rights and exclusivity

Usage rights and exclusivity are add-ons to your base rate — not included by default. Many creators give them away because they don't know they're worth money.

Usage rights (paid ads, 3 months)
+20–40% on base rate
Usage rights (paid ads, 12 months)
+50–80% on base rate
Usage rights (perpetual)
+100%+ on base rate — negotiate hard
Whitelisting / dark posting
+30–50% on base rate
Exclusivity (direct competitors, 3 months)
+10–20% on base rate
Exclusivity (category-wide, 6 months)
+30–60% on base rate
Exclusivity (category-wide, 12 months)
+80–150% on base rate — consider carefully

How to defend your rate

When a brand pushes back on your rate, the most effective response is data, not emotion. "This is my rate" is fine. "This is my rate because my CPM for [category] is X, my last 3 deals in this niche were Y, and usage rights for 12 months adds Z" is much better.

The second most effective response: silence. Give your number. Then stop talking. Let them respond. Brands will often come back with a counter rather than walk away, because finding and briefing a new creator costs them more than the rate difference.

CreatorPilot benchmarks every inbound offer against your past deals and audience metrics — so you always know whether a rate is fair before you reply.

Know your rate on every deal

CreatorPilot flags low offers automatically and tells you exactly what to counter with.

Get started free

Stop leaving deals on the table.

Get started