Creator pay
How to pay UGC creators: per video, per 1,000 views or revenue share
Each way of paying moves risk between you and the creator. Pick the one that matches how sure you are that their views turn into customers, then judge it by what each customer cost.
The short answer
Pay a flat fee per video while you're testing a creator and want a fixed cost. Pay per 1,000 views (CPM) when you're scaling creators who already brought customers and want cost to follow reach. Offer a revenue share only when you can credit customers to each creator in a way both sides trust. Whichever you choose, judge the deal by its cost per paying customer, with its range.
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Flat fee per video
Simple and predictable: you know the cost before the post goes up. The risk is yours, because a post that flops costs the same as one that sells. Flat fees suit first tests and creators whose audience fits but whose results you don't know yet.
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Per 1,000 views (CPM)
Cost follows reach, which is how most clipping campaigns pay. The catch: views aren't customers, and views can be bought. Cap the payout per post, check suspicious posts before you pay, and look at what the views actually brought before you raise the rate.
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Revenue share
It ties the creator to your revenue and limits your cost to a share of what you earned. It needs an attribution both sides accept. Codes and links undercount, so a creator paid only on codes is paid for a fraction of what they brought, and good creators notice.
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Hybrid deals
Many teams combine a small flat fee with a CPM, or with a bonus per paying customer above a threshold. The creator keeps a floor and the upside follows results. Write down how results will be measured before the first post goes live.
Listed rates
What pay-per-view clipping campaigns list per 1,000 views
Listed rates on one public marketplace of pay-per-view clipping campaigns, read logged out on 7 Deireadh Fómhair 2026. A listed rate is what the advertiser offers per 1,000 views, not what was paid out.
| Advertiser type | Campaigns | Advertisers | Median rate | Middle half | 10th to 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All campaigns | 680 | 417 | $1.00 | $1.00 to $2.00 | $0.50 to $3.00 |
| Consumer apps | 74 | 56 | $1.25 | $1.00 to $2.00 | $0.80 to $3.00 |
| Software and SaaS | 42 | 40 | $1.50 | $1.00 to $3.00 | $1.00 to $5.45 |
Our own count of every campaign listed that day that pays per view. Gaps: one marketplace, one day, clipping campaigns only (not flat-fee UGC deals), and listed rates rather than amounts paid. Advertiser types were labelled by hand.
Worked example
One month, three ways to pay
Illustrative numbers: 10 creators, 1,000,000 views in total, posts that brought 30 to 60 paying customers, and a subscription at $15 a month.
| Way of paying | What you pay | Cost per paying customer | Who carries the risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat fee, $150 per creator | $1,500 | $25 to $50 | You |
| CPM, $1.25 per 1,000 views | $1,250 | $21 to $42 | Shared: you pay for reach |
| Revenue share, 30% of the first month | $135 to $270 | $4.50 | The creator |
The revenue share looks cheapest here because it only pays for customers someone can credit to the creator. If that credit comes from codes alone, the creator is paid for a fraction of what they brought.
Questions
Questions, answered.
What's a fair CPM for UGC and clipping?
On the public campaigns above, the median listed rate was one dollar per 1,000 views, and most sat between one and two dollars. Fair for you depends on what those views bring: work out the most you can pay per 1,000 views from your own cost limit with the calculator.
Should I cap CPM payouts?
Yes. A cap per post limits what one viral, or bought, post can cost. Pair it with a check on posts whose engagement looks far below typical before you pay.
How do I set a revenue share both sides trust?
Agree on the measure before the posts go up. Codes give a confirmed floor; a measure of paying customers above your normal level, with a range, covers the buyers codes miss. Pay on the agreed figure and share how it was measured.
When should I switch a creator from a flat fee to CPM?
When a creator has brought paying customers under your cost limit at least once, a CPM lets you scale them without renegotiating every post. Keep testing new creators on flat fees.
Keep reading
Related guides
See what your own creators brought
Connect your revenue read-only and add the posts you paid for, or look through a sample report first. Every result comes with its range.