How Much Should You Charge for a YouTube Brand Deal? (A 2025 Guide Beyond CPM Magic)

Picture this: a brand slides into your DMs asking for a YouTube sponsorship, and you’re stumped on what to charge. Do you whip out a CPM calculator, throw a dart at a rate card, or consult a crystal ball? Spoiler alert – there’s no magical formula. One talent manager put it plainly: “There’s no, ‘If you’re within this follower range, you charge this.’ It’s very arbitrary. It’s not regulated.”

Translation: pricing isn’t one-size-fits-all, and that’s actually good news. It means you have the freedom to set your rates strategically – no matter if you have 5k subscribers or 5 million.

In 2025, brand deals aren’t priced by simply counting followers. Strategic pricing (and a bit of wit) will get you far.

Beyond CPM and Follower Formulas: The Pricing Myth to Bust

If you’ve ever Googled “how much do YouTubers charge per brand deal,” you probably found some CPM ranges and subscriber-tier charts. Sure, as of 2025 the typical YouTube sponsorship runs about $15–$25 CPM. And yes, nano-creators (under 10k subs) might get offers like $50–$300 per video, while mega-influencers (1M+ subs) can pull in $20K–$100K+.

Those benchmark figures are fine as a baseline, but here’s the rub: they’re just starting points, not rules. Influencer rates are arbitrary and unregulated. Two creators with the same subscriber count might charge wildly different prices. One might take a free product and a shoutout, while the other asks for $5,000 – and both are technically “right.”

The reality: value > volume. A smaller channel with a loyal audience can be worth more to a brand than a bigger channel with passive viewers.

Think Like a Brand: Value Created Matters More Than Audience Size

Brands aren’t paying you for fun; they’re investing in outcomes. The question is: how will your video help their bottom line? Will it drive sales, sign-ups, downloads?

And here’s the kicker: small creators often drive better ROI than large ones. One study found that nano-influencers charging around $50 per post delivered about $1,000 in revenue on average – a 20x ROI. Macro-influencers, meanwhile, brought in about a 6x ROI. Why? Smaller creators usually have higher trust and engagement.

Lesson: if your community is tight-knit and engaged, highlight that. You can charge more than CPM math suggests, because you’re delivering results, not just reach.

(Your mock scenario and table examples go here – keep them exactly as you had them, since they work well to illustrate the point.)

Charge for the Extras: Usage Rights and Exclusivity

New creators often give these away without realizing their value. Don’t.

• Usage Rights: If a brand wants to reuse your content on their social channels or as ads, that’s extra value – and it should cost extra. Many creators add 20–50% of the base rate per month.

• Exclusivity: If a brand doesn’t want you promoting competitors for a period of time, that’s lost income you need to build into your fee. This can add anywhere from 20% to 100% of your base rate, depending on how restrictive it is.

Spelling these out in negotiations signals you’re a professional and protects your earning potential.

Negotiate Based on Outcomes (But Don’t Work for Free Results)

Brands care about ROI. Here’s how to use that to your advantage:

• Highlight performance metrics: conversions, engagement rates, past campaign results. These can justify rates 50–60% higher.

• Consider hybrid models: base fee plus commission or bonus if targets are hit. This gives the brand confidence while rewarding you if the campaign takes off.

• Avoid commission-only deals: they put all the risk on you. Always secure a base fee.

When possible, frame your ask around outcomes, not just audience size.

Practical Tips for Pricing (Especially for New Creators)

• Do your homework: research what similar creators in your niche are charging.

• Calculate your baseline fee: cover your time, costs, and creative value. Don’t undersell yourself.

• Always price extras: usage rights, exclusivity, multiple deliverables – all should be line-itemed.

• Leverage your strengths: niche focus, high engagement, loyal community – these are bargaining chips.

• Ask for the budget: it gives you leverage. Don’t be afraid to aim high at first.

Wrapping Up: Your Worth, Your Rules

Pricing brand deals isn’t about plugging numbers into a calculator. It’s about positioning yourself as a partner who can create measurable value for a brand. Charge based on the outcomes you can deliver, not just your audience size. Don’t give away extras for free. Be open to creative deal structures, but don’t let anyone reduce you to “exposure only.”

In 2025, creators who treat brand deals as business partnerships – and price accordingly – will win. Do your homework, know your value, and negotiate with confidence. You can’t deposit likes in the bank, but you can cash a well-negotiated check.