Get paid $150 to $1,500 per video. Zero followers needed.
TL;DR: Brands pay for content skills, not audience size. Build a portfolio of 5 videos, pitch 10 brands, land your first deal. You are selling a service, not followers.
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New here? Read this first. 📣 UGC = you record short demo videos for a brand, the brand pays you to run those videos as their ads. You are NOT an influencer and you do NOT need followers. Rates start at $150/video. Plan 5 to 10 hours a week. Any unfamiliar term is defined in one line in the Glossary at the top of the Hub.
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Trust the Deep Dive for live numbers. 📊 Per-video rates and retainer ranges change quarter to quarter. For 2026's current rate card and pitching scripts, open the 15 Streams Reference. If a number here and a number there disagree, the Deep Dive wins.
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Stats: $150 to $300 raw file rate. $500 to $1,500 with usage rights. 0 followers needed. 5 portfolio videos.
UGC (User Generated Content) means brands hire you to create authentic-looking short videos for use in their paid advertising. They run your video as an ad. You are NOT an influencer. You don't need an audience. Brands care about your on-camera presence and editing ability, not your follower count. This is a B2B service.
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Insider Secret. The secret to landing premium UGC rates is usage rights. A raw video file pays $150 to $300. But if you charge "usage rights," meaning the brand can run your video as an actual paid advertisement, that jumps to $500 to $1,500 per video. Always quote two packages: raw file only, and raw file + usage rights. Most brands pick usage rights because they need to run ads.
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