What to Include in Every Brand Deal Deliverables List

The most common source of friction in brand deals isn't the rate. It's the deliverables.

A creator thinks they're producing one video. The brand thinks they're getting a video, three stories, a raw file, and resharing rights for paid ads. Nobody wrote it down clearly. The deal goes sideways, payments get held, the relationship ends, and both sides walk away frustrated.

This happens constantly. It happens to experienced creators who should know better, because they treat the deliverables list as an afterthought instead of the foundation of the entire agreement.

A clear deliverables list protects you legally, prevents scope creep, and — maybe most importantly — gives you something concrete to track as you work through the campaign.

Here's what belongs in every one.

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What a Deliverables List Actually Is

A deliverables list is a specific, exhaustive description of every piece of work the brand is paying for. It's not a summary of the campaign concept. It's an itemized breakdown — specific enough that if either party pulled it up six months later with no other context, they'd know exactly what was agreed.

It lives in your contract, but it should also exist as a working checklist you update as you complete each item. That checklist is what prevents missed deadlines and protects you if a brand ever tries to expand the scope without a conversation.

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The Core Items Every Deliverables List Needs

1. Content Type and Format

Specify exactly what you're creating. Not just "a video" — the platform, format, and length.

• Platform: TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, YouTube long-form, Pinterest, podcast episode, blog post
• Format: video, static image, carousel, story series, unboxing, review, tutorial, lifestyle integration
• Length or dimensions: 30-second video, 60-second video, 9:16 vertical, 1:1 square, 1500-word article

If a brand briefs you on "a video," that's the moment to clarify. A 15-second TikTok and a 90-second YouTube integration are completely different products. They require different time, different rates, and have different performance expectations.

2. Quantity

List every individual asset. Be granular.

Weak: "Social content" Strong:

• 1 × TikTok video (45–60 seconds)
• 1 × Instagram Reel (30 seconds, repurposed from TikTok with adjusted caption)
• 3 × Instagram Stories (static, 24-hour window)

If there's any ambiguity about whether the Instagram content is included in the rate or separate, the deliverables list resolves it.

3. The Brand Integration Requirement

What does the brand actually need to see in the content?

• Product must be visibly featured for at least 8 seconds
• Verbal mention of brand name is required (once or twice — specify)
• Specific URL or promo code must be included in the caption and/or verbally
• Brand-provided tagline or messaging must be included verbatim (if applicable)
• Product must appear in the video thumbnail (if applicable)

If the brand has a required call to action — "use code CREATOR20 for 20% off" — it belongs here, word for word. Don't leave it to memory or a separate email thread.

4. Caption Requirements

This is often omitted and often causes disputes.

Specify:

• Whether the brand provides a pre-written caption or you write it
• Whether they have approval rights over the caption
• Whether their promo code or link needs to be included in the caption
• FTC disclosure language required (more on this below)
• Whether hashtags are required and which ones

5. FTC Disclosure Language

In every sponsored post, the audience must be able to clearly identify that the content is paid. This is a legal requirement, not a style choice.

Specify which disclosure format applies:

• #ad or #sponsored in the caption
• "Paid partnership with [Brand]" using the platform's branded content tag
• Verbal disclosure at the start of the video

The brand may have a specific format they require. That format belongs in the deliverables list. If they don't specify, state what you'll use. Having it written down protects both parties if the FTC is ever a concern.

6. Posting Dates and Deadlines

A deliverables list without dates is a wish list.

For every piece of content, specify:

• Content due date: when you'll deliver the draft or raw file to the brand for review
• Revision window: how long the brand has to request changes (48–72 hours is standard)
• Posting date or window: the specific date, or a range (e.g., "between June 3–7, 2026")
• Go-live confirmation: when you'll notify the brand that the content is live

If the campaign is tied to a product launch, the posting window may be non-negotiable. Get that date in writing early. Brands sometimes move launch dates and assume you'll adjust at no cost. Your contract should specify what happens if the posting window shifts — especially if you've already produced the content.

7. Revision Rounds

Define how many times the brand can request changes before additional work is billed.

Industry standard is one to two revision rounds. A revision round means a set of consolidated feedback — not a rolling series of small requests.

State it explicitly: "Rate includes one revision round. Additional revisions are billed at $[rate] per round."

Without this clause, a brand that keeps asking for small tweaks can effectively double your production time for free.

Also define what constitutes a revision. Adjusting one word in a caption is different from reshooting a thirty-second video. You can note that reshoots triggered by changes to the brand's brief (not quality issues on your end) are billed separately.

8. Raw File Delivery

Does the brand get the raw, unedited footage? The final cut only? Both?

This needs to be specified because:

• Raw footage has significantly higher value than a finished video for repurposing
• Some brands will request raw files without indicating they expect to edit and reuse them for ads
• If they want to use raw footage for paid advertising, that's a usage rights question (below)

State clearly what files you're delivering: the final edited video, any B-roll clips, raw audio, still frames from the video, or nothing beyond the finished post.

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Usage Rights: The Part Most Creators Get Wrong

Usage rights deserve their own section because they're where the most money gets left on the table.

When a brand pays you for a post, they're paying for one thing: the right to have you post it on your channel. That's the base rate. Everything beyond that is a separate license.

What to specify:

Channels. Can the brand repost your content on their own social channels? Their website? In email campaigns? Each channel is a separate right.

Duration. How long can they use your content? 30 days from posting? 6 months? 1 year? Perpetual? "Perpetual" means forever — charge a significant premium for that.

Paid advertising (whitelisting). If the brand wants to run your content as a paid ad — putting spend behind it on TikTok, Instagram, or Meta — that is a fundamentally different use than organic reposting. Paid usage rights typically add 25–50% to the base rate, sometimes more. If the brief doesn't mention paid usage, it's not included.

Exclusivity. Are you agreeing not to post similar content for competitors during a specific window? If so, that window and the categories covered need to be explicitly defined. Vague exclusivity ("you can't work with competing brands") is a trap. Defined exclusivity ("no partnerships with companies in the [category] during the 60-day window following your post") is manageable.

Editing rights. Can the brand edit your content after delivery — change the caption, add text overlays, cut it to a different length? If so, specify the limits. Some creators include language that prohibits edits that materially change the message or misrepresent their views.

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The Approval Process

Define how content review works before you start creating.

• Will you send a concept or script for pre-approval before filming?
• Will you send a rough cut or a finished video for final approval?
• Who is the single point of contact for approvals? (Getting feedback from five different stakeholders who haven't aligned with each other is a production nightmare)
• How will you send files? (Email attachment, Google Drive link, Dropbox, WeTransfer, a review tool)
• What happens if the brand doesn't respond within the review window?

That last point is critical. If you don't specify a response window, a brand can sit on an approval for two weeks, then come back with feedback after your posting date has passed. Add a clause: "If no feedback is received within 48 hours of submission, content is considered approved and may be published."

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Kill Fee

A kill fee is what the brand pays you if they cancel the campaign after you've started production.

Without a kill fee clause, a brand can brief you, have you film and edit a video, and then cancel — leaving you with nothing.

Standard kill fees:

• Campaign cancelled before production begins: no fee (just lose the time spent on planning)
• Campaign cancelled after brief but before filming: 25–50% of the agreed rate
• Campaign cancelled after filming but before delivery: 50–75%
• Campaign cancelled after delivery but before posting: 100%

Include this language in the deliverables section or in the contract terms, and make sure it's agreed to in writing before you start any work.

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A Practical Template

Here's what a complete deliverables section looks like when written properly:

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Deliverables:

1. 1 × TikTok video (50–65 seconds, vertical 9:16)

   • Brand product featured visibly for minimum 8 seconds
   • Verbal brand mention included once
   • Promo code "CREATOR15" included in caption and stated verbally
   • #ad included in caption
   • Draft due: June 1, 2026
   • Revision window: 48 hours from delivery
   • Post date: June 5–8, 2026

2. 3 × Instagram Stories (static image, 9:16, brand-provided assets or creator-produced)

   • Posted within 24 hours of TikTok post
   • Swipe-up link to brand product page included

Files delivered: Final edited video (.mp4, 1080p minimum). No raw footage included in base rate.

Usage rights: Brand may repost finished content on their organic social channels for 60 days from posting. Paid advertising rights not included. Additional usage available for $[rate].

Revisions: One revision round included. Additional rounds billed at $[rate] per round.

Kill fee: 50% of total rate if cancelled after production begins. 100% if cancelled after delivery.

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That section takes twenty minutes to write. It prevents hours of back-and-forth, protects your payment, and gives you a clear checklist to work from.

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Why Tracking Deliverables Matters After the Deal Closes

The deliverables list isn't just a negotiating tool — it's a working document for the life of the campaign.

Every item on that list is something you need to track: draft due, submitted for review, revision requested, approved, posted, confirmed live. Without a system, you're relying on your memory and your email thread to know where each item stands.

This is the core of what Paperclip does. Every deal you create has an associated deliverables checklist. Each item has a status. You can see at a glance which deliverables are pending, which are in review, and which are done — across every active deal simultaneously.

For a creator managing two or three brand deals at once, that visibility is the difference between a campaign that runs smoothly and one that ends with a late post and an awkward email.

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The Underlying Principle

Every item on a deliverables list exists because at some point, a creator and a brand had a disagreement about what was included.

The industry has been running long enough that most of these pain points are known. Raw file rights, revision counts, posting windows, paid advertising — these aren't edge cases. They're the things that come up in almost every deal.

The creators who never have disputes aren't lucky. They're specific.

Write it down. All of it.