You don’t legally need a formal contract for every UGC video, but we strongly recommend a written UGC contract before a creator films or you publish the content.
UGC feels casual, but it is still advertising, money changes hands, and your business is the one living with the fallout if a video gets pulled, a claim is challenged, or a creator later says you can’t use the clip in ads. A short agreement removes guesswork around rights, deadlines, payment, and disclosures.
When a contract is needed
- You plan to run the video as a paid ad (Meta, TikTok, YouTube, Google).
- The creator will post on their own account or you want whitelisting or Spark Ads access.
- You want exclusivity, category limits, or any non-compete language.
- You are in a regulated space like healthcare, dental, legal, financial, or supplements.
- The video includes a minor, a customer, or anyone who is not your employee.
What we put in a solid UGC agreement
| Clause | What to spell out | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Deliverables | Number of videos, length, aspect ratio (usually 9:16), raw footage or not, and cutdowns. | Stops “I thought this was included” problems. |
| Brief and brand rules | Talking points, what the creator can and cannot say, required on-screen text, and any do-not-show items. | Keeps content on track and avoids risky claims. |
| Timeline and review | Ship date, shoot date, first cut date, and how fast you will review (for example 1 to 2 business days). | Prevents projects from dragging out for weeks. |
| Revisions | How many rounds, what counts as a revision, and what counts as a new concept. | Keeps costs and expectations clear. |
| Usage rights | Where you can use it (site, email, organic social, paid ads, Amazon), how long, and whether it is worldwide. | This is the heart of the deal, and it drives pricing. |
| Paid media rights and whitelisting | Permission for paid ads, creator handle usage, access windows, and what happens when access ends. | A creator post can’t be turned into an ad without the right setup and permission. |
| Ownership | Who owns the final edit and the raw files, and what you can edit or re-cut later. | Avoids “you can’t change my video” disputes. |
| Disclosures | How the creator will disclose sponsored content (for example #ad or platform disclosure tools) when posting. | Reduces FTC and platform policy risk. |
| Music and stock assets | Who supplies licensed music, fonts, and b-roll, and what is not allowed. | Stops copyright claims and ad rejections. |
| Payment and cancellations | Rate, deposit or not, payment method, late delivery rules, and what happens if the project ends midstream. | Protects both sides and avoids awkward chase-downs. |
If you are an Orlando or Florida business, a written release matters even more because Florida Statute 540.08 restricts commercial use of a person’s name or likeness without consent. The law allows oral consent, but written consent is easier to prove if there is a dispute later, which is why we treat the release as part of the contract package.
When we produce content through our UGC video services, we keep the paperwork simple and tied directly to how you will use the videos, especially if paid ads are on the table.
If you want the videos to perform as ads, our team can manage testing and spend through PPC management so the creative and rights match the platforms you are running.
Two spots that get overlooked are ownership and reuse rights, which is why we like to clarify this early: who owns the UGC video after it’s delivered.
And if the creator will publish the content or you plan whitelisting, read whether UGC videos need FTC disclosures so the post is labeled the right way.
We are not your attorneys, but we have seen enough UGC projects to know where deals break. If you tell us where you want to run the videos and for how long, we can point you to the clauses that reduce risk and the habits that keep approvals fast.
