# How much should you charge for a brand collaboration in India?

Charge for three things separately, the work of making the content, the views it will get on your account, and any extra rights the brand wants. A simple formula is production hours × your hourly rate, plus your median views × a rate per 1,000 views, plus usage rights and exclusivity priced as add-ons. Price on views, not followers, and when a budget is tight, cut the scope instead of your rate.

When you price a brand collaboration, charge for three things separately. The work of making the content, the reach it gets on your account, and any extra rights the brand wants. Add them up and you have a quote you can explain line by line, which is what makes a brand say yes instead of haggling.

Here is the short version of how much to charge for a brand collaboration, as one formula.

**Quote = production + distribution + usage rights + exclusivity**

Production is your time. Distribution is your median views × a rate per 1,000 views. Usage rights and exclusivity are add-ons priced on what they cost you. Below is how to set each number, with worked examples for Indian creators and a quote you can copy. Every rupee figure is an example to show the method, not a market rate. If you would rather skip negotiating altogether, pay-per-view marketplaces like Viewzar show the rate upfront, which we cover near the end.

## How much to charge for a brand collaboration starts with views, not followers

A price list based on followers treats a 50,000-follower account whose reels get 3,000 views the same as one whose reels get 50,000. Brands that pay that way get burned, which is why careful ones ask for Insights screenshots before they book.

If you are the small account with big views, per-follower pricing hurts you the other way, because you undercharge. Our piece on [how many followers you need to make money on Instagram](/blog/how-many-followers-to-make-money-on-instagram) explains why views are the real currency.

> Price a reel on the views it will get and the work it takes, never on the number under your name.

## Step 1. Work out your expected views

Everything else depends on this number.

1. **Use the median, not the average.** Take your last 10 to 15 reels, sort by views and pick the middle. One viral reel drags an average up and makes you promise views you will not deliver.
2. **Plan for a typical reel, not your best one.** Quote on your median and treat anything above it as a bonus for the brand.
3. **Price Stories separately.** Stories mostly reach followers, so use your average Story views from Insights, which will be far lower than your reel views.

Say your last 12 reels got 6,000, 9,500, 11,000, 14,000, 18,000, 21,000, 23,000, 26,000, 31,000, 40,000, 64,000 and 3,10,000 views. The middle two are 21,000 and 23,000, so your median is 22,000. The average would be over 47,000, which is a number you should never quote.

## Step 2. Price the production

Production is the work, and you charge for it whether or not the reel goes on your account.

**Production fee = hours × your hourly rate + direct costs**

A typical 30 to 45 second product reel breaks down like this (example hours):

| Task | Hours |
|---|---|
| Reading the brief, idea, script | 1 |
| Shoot, including retakes | 1.5 |
| Edit, captions, music | 1.5 |
| Revisions and coordination | 1 |
| **Total** | **5** |

For your hourly rate, start from what an hour earns you elsewhere, such as freelance editing or tuition, then add a margin because creative work is irregular. At an example ₹400 an hour, those 5 hours are ₹2,000. Add direct costs like props, a location, travel or a helper.

When a brand wants a reel only for its own page and ads, production is most of your price. That is how UGC is priced, and our guide to [becoming a UGC creator in India](/blog/how-to-become-a-ugc-creator-in-india) goes deeper on it.

## Step 3. Price the distribution (your views)

Distribution is the reach the brand gets when you post on your account.

**Distribution fee = expected views × your rate per 1,000 views ÷ 1,000**

Marketers call a rate per 1,000 a CPM, short for cost per mille. There is no reliable public rate table for Indian creators, and anyone who quotes one is guessing. Use these four anchors instead.

### Anchor 1. What per-view campaigns pay

Pay-per-view marketplaces show creators the rate per 1,000 views on each campaign before they book. That tells you what brands are actually paying for views from creators like you. A direct deal, with your idea and your time spent negotiating, should usually sit above that.

### Anchor 2. What the brand pays for ads

Brands that advertise on Instagram can see their cost per 1,000 impressions in Ads Manager. Ask. Your argument is that a creator reel is reach plus content they can reuse, which an ad impression is not. For what Instagram itself pays creators, see [how much Instagram pays for 1,000 views in India](/blog/how-much-does-instagram-pay-per-1000-views-in-india).

### Anchor 3. Your niche and audience

Go higher when your audience is close to buying (personal finance, skincare, phones, education, fitness gear) or hard to reach (one city, one regional language the brand needs). Go lower for broad entertainment, where views are plentiful but buying intent is weaker.

### Anchor 4. Your income goal, worked backwards

Say you want ₹25,000 a month from four brand deals. That is ₹6,250 per deal. Take away ₹2,000 of production and distribution has to cover ₹4,250. With a median of 20,000 views, that is ₹4,250 ÷ 20 = about ₹212 per 1,000 views.

Now sanity-check it against anchors 1 and 2. If your number is far above what brands pay elsewhere, you need more views, more deals, or more production-heavy work like UGC. If it is below, you are probably undercharging.

## Step 4. Price usage rights

Usage rights cover what the brand can do with your reel beyond your own post. Small creators lose the most money here, usually through one vague line like "brand may use content on all channels", which in practice means paid ads, forever, for free.

- **Organic repost.** The brand shares your reel on its own page or Stories. Often included, or a small fee.
- **Paid ads.** The brand runs your reel as an ad, from its account or from your handle as a partnership ad. Always charge for this.
- **Raw footage.** You hand over unedited clips they can recut forever. Price this highest.

Pick a rule and use it every time. One simple rule is **usage fee = 30% of your production fee for each month of paid ads**. With a ₹2,000 production fee, three months of ads is ₹1,800. Basing it on production makes sense because when a brand runs your reel as an ad, it pays Instagram for the reach and pays you for the content.

Get the terms in writing, including which platforms, how many months, and whether they can edit the reel. As another reference point, on Viewzar a brand can license a creator's reel to run as an ad for a fixed ₹5,000, of which the creator receives ₹3,500. The details are in [usage rights for creators](/help/usage-rights-for-creators).

## Step 5. Price exclusivity

Exclusivity means you agree not to work with the brand's competitors for a period. Price it on what you might lose.

**Exclusivity fee = your typical deal in that category × deals you would likely turn down**

Say you usually land about one skincare deal every two months at ₹6,000. A brand asks for 60 days of skincare exclusivity, which would probably cost you one deal, so charge around ₹6,000. Narrow it to 30 days and direct competitors only ("no other sunscreen brands") and the fee drops with the risk.

## Step 6. Price the extras

- **Stories:** Story views × your rate per 1,000 ÷ 1,000, plus a small production fee for each.
- **Link in bio:** a small flat fee for each week it stays up.
- **Collab post:** no discount, since the brand's audience sees it too.
- **Extra revisions:** two rounds included, then about 20% of production for each extra round.
- **Rush delivery:** 25% to 50% extra for delivery within three days.
- **Travel or location shoots:** your costs plus your time.

## A full worked example, a Hindi skincare creator

Say you make Hindi skincare reels. You have 7,500 followers, a median of 22,000 views per reel, and around 1,200 views per Story. You have settled on ₹150 per 1,000 views as your rate and ₹400 an hour for production. A sunscreen brand asks for one reel, three Stories, 60 days of paid ads and 30 days of exclusivity against other sunscreen brands.

| Line | Working | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Production | 5 hours × ₹400 | ₹2,000 |
| Reel distribution | 22,000 × ₹150 ÷ 1,000 | ₹3,300 |
| Three Stories | 3,600 views × ₹150 ÷ 1,000, plus ₹300 production | ₹840 |
| Paid ads, 60 days | 30% × ₹2,000 × 2 months | ₹1,200 |
| Exclusivity, 30 days, sunscreen only | Half of one ₹6,000 deal | ₹3,000 |
| **Total** | | **₹10,340** |

Quote ₹10,500 and send the breakdown with it.

Now the brand says its budget is ₹6,000. Do not drop your rate. Drop the scope. Without exclusivity and paid ads you are at ₹6,140 for the reel and three Stories with organic reposting, so offer that at ₹6,000, or the reel alone at ₹5,300. Your rate stays intact for the next deal.

## Two more worked examples

### A UGC-only job for a marketplace seller

A Meesho seller of kitchen gadgets wants three short videos for its own page and ads. Nothing goes on your account, so there is no distribution fee. You batch-shoot all three in 8 hours at ₹400 (₹3,200) plus ₹300 of props, so production is ₹3,500. Three months of paid ads at 30% a month adds ₹3,150. Quote **₹6,650**.

### A local café with a small budget

You have 2,300 followers, most of them in Indore, and a median of 9,000 views. A new café in Vijay Nagar wants a reel. Local reach is scarce, so you use a higher example rate of ₹200 per 1,000. Production is 4 hours at ₹300 an hour (₹1,200) and distribution is 9,000 × ₹200 ÷ 1,000 (₹1,800), so one reel is **₹3,000**. Offer four reels a month at 15% off, which is **₹10,200** a month, and you have a retainer instead of a one-off.

## How to send your quote

Never give a number on a call without a breakdown. Send something like this.

```
Hi [Name],

Thanks for the brief. Here are three options for [product]:

Option A: 1 reel (30 to 45 sec), organic repost allowed. ₹5,300
Option B: 1 reel + 3 Stories + 60 days of paid ads. ₹7,340
Option C: Option B + 30 days of category exclusivity. ₹10,500

All options include two rounds of revisions and #ad disclosure.
Terms: 50% advance, balance within 15 days of posting, by bank transfer or UPI.
Prices exclude GST where applicable.

Happy to adjust the scope to fit your budget.
[Name] · @handle
```

Three options work better than one number, because the brand compares your options with each other instead of with a cheaper creator. Still looking for brands to quote? Start with [how to get brand deals as a small creator](/blog/how-to-get-brand-deals-as-a-small-creator).

## Pricing mistakes that cost small creators money

- **Quoting before you know the scope.** Always ask about usage, exclusivity and Stories first.
- **Discounting your rate instead of the scope.** Once a brand has paid ₹3,000 for your ₹6,000 package, that is your price in their records.
- **Skipping the advance.** New brands pay 50% upfront or you do not start.
- **No invoice.** Invoice every deal. Some brands deduct TDS, products you keep may count as income, and a CA can tell you when GST registration applies to you.

## How Viewzar prices a reel for you

If negotiating is the part you hate, pay-per-view flips it. On Viewzar, the brand sets a rate per 1,000 verified views and you see it before you book a campaign. There is no negotiation and no follower minimum. You choose the campaigns whose rate and brief make sense for you.

The maths is the distribution line from this article, done for you. Earnings are verified views × rate ÷ 1,000, minus the 10% platform fee, so you keep 90%. For example, 50,000 verified views at ₹50 per 1,000 is ₹2,500 gross, a ₹250 fee, and ₹2,250 to you. A reel needs 1,000 verified views to qualify, after which every view counts, including the first 1,000. Views come from Instagram's own data for your account, are checked for bots and bought views, and are counted for 30 days or until the campaign ends. The full formula is in [how earnings are calculated](/help/how-earnings-are-calculated).

Each day's earnings wait out a 15-day hold, then go to your UPI ID or bank account once your payable balance reaches ₹500. If a brand wants to run your reel as an ad, the ₹5,000 licence covers the usage rights question with a fixed number.

It is also a useful benchmark. After a few campaigns you know what brands actually pay for your views, which makes your direct quotes easier to defend. It is not built for custom packages with Stories, exclusivity or events, so price those with the formula above, and it covers Instagram Reels only today. If you would rather book than bargain, [sign up for Viewzar as a creator](/signup?as=creator).

## The bottom line

How much to charge for a brand collaboration is a sum, not a guess. Production is your time, distribution is your median views at your rate per 1,000, and usage rights and exclusivity cost you something, so they cost the brand something. Send three options with a breakdown, cut scope instead of rate, and get every term in writing. When you would rather skip the bargaining, Viewzar campaigns show the rate upfront.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much should a small creator charge for a reel in India?

Add your production cost (hours × your hourly rate, plus props or travel) to your distribution fee (median views × your rate per 1,000 views ÷ 1,000). For example, 5 hours at ₹400 plus 20,000 views at ₹150 per 1,000 gives ₹2,000 + ₹3,000 = ₹5,000. Then add usage rights, exclusivity and Stories if the brand wants them.

### How do I calculate my rate per 1,000 views?

Work backwards from your income goal and sanity-check it. Divide your monthly target by the number of deals you expect, subtract production, and divide what is left by your median views in thousands. Compare the result with the per-view rates brands pay on pay-per-view campaigns and with the brand's own ad costs.

### How much should I charge for usage rights?

Pick a rule and apply it every time, such as 30% of your production fee for each month the brand runs your reel as a paid ad. Organic reposts on the brand's page can be included or priced low, while raw footage should cost the most because they can recut it indefinitely. Always write down the platforms, duration and whether they can edit.

### What should I do if a brand says my rate is too high?

Reduce the scope, not the rate. Remove exclusivity, paid ad usage or Stories until the total fits their budget, and offer the smaller package at your normal rate. Discounting your rate sets a lower price for every future deal with that brand.

### How much do micro-influencers charge in India?

There is no reliable public rate table, and quoted figures vary so widely that they are not useful for pricing yourself. Micro-influencers with similar follower counts can have very different median views, niches and audiences. Use the formula of production plus views × rate per 1,000, plus rights, and you will land on a number you can defend.

### Should I accept barter instead of a fee?

Only for products you would buy anyway and only for a small scope, like one reel with no exclusivity and no paid ad usage. Value the product at what it is worth to you, not its MRP, and charge separately for anything extra the brand asks for.

### How does Viewzar decide what a reel earns?

On Viewzar, the brand sets a rate per 1,000 verified views, shown before you book. Your reel earns verified views × rate ÷ 1,000 once it crosses 1,000 verified views, minus the 10% platform fee, and there is no negotiation involved.