A line-by-line review checklist for brand-deal contracts

A line-by-line review checklist for brand-deal contracts

Thesis: the rate is the part creators read. The clauses that cost the most are the ones they skip. Review in this order.

The checklist:
— Usage rights: term and scope. "Perpetual, all media" means the brand runs your content as paid ads forever — that's worth a multiple of the base fee, and routinely given away free.
— Exclusivity: category and duration. A 6-month category lock-out can cost more in foregone deals than this one pays.
— Approval and revision rounds: cap them. "Unlimited revisions" is an open-ended time liability.
— Payment terms: net-30 vs net-60, and the kill fee if the brand cancels post-production.
— Performance clauses: any payment tied to views or conversions you don't control is a red flag.
— Morality/exit clauses: how either side terminates.

Caveat: this is a reading checklist, not legal advice; jurisdiction and deal size determine when a lawyer is warranted.

What we still don't know: how much aggregate creator income is quietly transferred through under-priced usage rights. No one has measured it.