Model hiring fees brands pay and how to budget them

• Rate. Hourly, half day or full day, set by experience, market and the kind of work. A freelance model on a standard ecommerce shoot is commonly $50 to $150 an hour, and agency talent costs more.
• Agency or platform fee. Traditional agencies commonly take a commission from the model and add a client service fee on top for the brand, so the brand pays the rate plus a percentage. On ModelContracts the brand pays an agency fee of 20% on Starter, 15% on Studio, 12% on Agency and 10% on Enterprise, and the model pays nothing.
• Usage fee. The price for where and how long the images run. A product page is a narrow use, a paid ad, packaging or out of home is wider and costs more.
• Time fees. Overtime past the booked hours, late cancellation and weather or reschedule charges, all of which should be written in the agreement.
• Extras. Travel, meals on long days, hair and makeup, wardrobe and a manicurist for hands. Anything you promise in the brief you pay for.

It helps to separate two fees that sound alike. Commission is what an agency keeps from the model's earnings, so it does not appear on your invoice. A client service fee is what the agency adds for the brand, and that one does. If a quote says "plus agency fee", ask whether it is the client fee, how it is calculated and whether it applies to usage as well as the day rate.

On ModelContracts there is one fee for the brand and it is shown before you confirm the booking. The percentage depends on your plan, see pricing for what each plan includes. Models keep the full rate they agreed.

Usage is where budgets go wrong. A rate for "a photoshoot" does not automatically cover every ad you run later. Price usage by four things: the media (website, organic social, paid social, print, packaging, out of home), the term (6 months, 12 months, 24 months or perpetual), the territory (US or worldwide) and exclusivity (whether the model can work for a competitor).

A practical way to budget is to book the usage you will certainly use and a buffer for what you might. Extending later means a new agreement and usually a new fee. Our model usage rights guide covers each term in detail, and the model release form page shows what is signed on every booking.

Agree these before the shoot, not during it.

• Overtime. Common practice is a higher hourly rate after the booked block, with approval from the brand. Put the rate in the agreement.
• Late cancellation. A short notice cancellation by the brand typically pays the model part or all of the booked time. State the window, for example 48 hours, in writing.
• Weather and reschedule. For outdoor shoots, agree who covers a reschedule and whether the model is paid for a called off day.
• Minimums. Many models set a minimum booking, often two to four hours, so a 30 minute shot list still costs a minimum.

On ModelContracts, hours are approved after the wrap and cancellation terms are set in the booking, so the invoice matches what was agreed.

Say you shoot a collection for your site and paid social with two models for six hours at $100 an hour each.

The 25% usage figure is an assumption for the example, not a market rate. Usage varies a lot with media and term, so always agree it with the model before booking. Photographer, studio, stylist and travel are separate. For market rates by model type, see the cost to hire a model for a photoshoot.

• Shoot more in one booking. Batching looks per day lowers the cost per image more than a lower rate does.
• Narrow the usage to what you need now. Start with website and organic social for 12 months if ads are not planned.
• Brief tightly. A clear casting reduces callbacks and overtime.
• Pick the right plan. If you book models every month, a higher plan with a lower agency fee can cost less than Starter, and the yearly option takes 50% off.
• Cast fit to the job. A hand shoot or a product clip does not need a full body fashion model, see hire models for clothing brand and hand modeling agency for the right roles.

For teams that keep dozens of talent agreements, usage terms and renewals, tracking them in contract management software keeps expiry dates from slipping past you.

Model hiring fees are everything a brand pays to book a model: the rate, an agency or platform fee, usage fees, overtime and cancellation charges, and extras such as travel. The rate is usually the largest line, but usage and fees can add 25% to 50% to the total.

How much is a model agency fee?

Traditional agencies commonly take a commission from the model and add a client service fee for the brand, often around 20%, though it varies. On ModelContracts the brand pays 20%, 15%, 12% or 10% depending on plan, and models pay nothing.

Who pays the agency fee, the brand or the model?

Both can pay at a traditional agency: the model through commission and the brand through a client service fee. On ModelContracts only the brand pays, and the fee is shown before the booking is confirmed.

Are usage fees separate from the day rate?

Often yes. A day rate pays for the model's time, while a usage fee pays for where and how long the images run. Some bookings bundle a basic usage into the rate. Check the agreement to see which media, term and territory are included.

Can I avoid cancellation fees?

Cancel outside the window agreed in the booking, usually 24 to 72 hours before. Inside the window the model is typically paid part or all of the booked time, because they held the date for you. Set the window in writing before you book.