1. The short version
- Six terms: paid in 30 days, a deposit on bigger work, usage with an end date, two rounds of edits, paid exclusivity, and a kill fee.
- They are a starting point for every negotiation, not a ceiling. Ask for them in writing before you start.
- Brands that sign them are marked on every listing and come first on the IU board.
2. Article I. Paid within 30 days
Net-30 from delivery, with a late fee after that. Creators are often the last to be paid in a campaign. A fixed date, and a fee when it is missed, puts the cost of lateness on the party causing it.
3. Article II. 50% up front over $1,000
Bigger deals start with a deposit. On larger work you spend money and weeks before you deliver. A deposit means the brand shares that risk.
4. Article III. Usage has an end date
Organic use is time-limited; paid ads and whitelisting are licensed and priced separately. A video used in advertising for years is worth far more than one used for a month. An end date makes the difference visible, and payable.
5. Article IV. Two rounds of edits
Further revisions are billed. Two rounds is enough to get a brief right. Beyond that, edits are new work.
6. Article V. Exclusivity is paid for
Blocking competitors costs extra and has an end date. Turning down a competitor costs you income. If a brand wants that, it pays for it, for a set time.
7. Article VI. Kill fee if cancelled
Work started is work paid — at least 50%. If a brand cancels after you have started, the time you spent is gone. At least half the fee covers it.
8. Method
Figures use the average views of 8,277 YouTube channels IU tracks, refreshed at least every 30 days. Rate floors use IU’s published pricing method at its low end; ranges are shown only where a group has at least 20 channels. This guidance comes from creators, for creators; it is not legal or financial advice.
Cite as: InfluencerUnion, “The IU Fair Deal: six terms every creator should get”, influencerunion.com/academy/fair-deal (2026).