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"Hey, what do you charge?" If you are a music or nightlife creator, you get this message all the time. And every time, you type out a new answer, guess a number, and wonder afterwards if it was too low.
A rate card fixes that. One clear document (or one page) with your packages, your prices, your conditions and your rights. Promoters can decide quickly, you stop underselling yourself, and you look like someone who has done this before.
This guide shows what to put on a rate card for events, how to set your prices, when perks make sense, and gives you a template to copy.
Key takeaways
- A rate card has four parts: packages, single items, conditions and usage rights.
- Price from your time first, then adjust for reach, deliverables, speed and rights.
- Perks-only collabs are fine when they are a choice. Write down what they include.
- Paid ads use of your content costs extra. Always state duration and channels.
- Show a "from" price to promoters only, and send full details on request.
What goes on an event rate card
1. Packages
Most promoters want to pick a package, not build one. Three or four is enough:
- Social promo: stories during the night, tagging the event
- Event creator: one reel plus stories
- Vlog experience: a full vlog of the night or weekend
- Full coverage: vlog, reels, stories and raw clips for the event to reuse
Give each one a short name, exactly what is delivered, and the delivery time.
2. Single items (à la carte)
For promoters who only want one thing: one reel, one TikTok, a story set, a photo set, raw footage. Prices here are higher per item than inside a package. That is the point of packages.
3. Conditions
The things you need to do the job well:
- Entries: usually you plus one filming partner
- Access: VIP, backstage or artist area if the content needs it
- Travel and hotel for events outside your city
- Posting deadline you commit to
- Rush fee if they need content the same night
4. Usage rights
What the event can do with your content, for how long, and where. More on this below, because it is where most creators lose money.
How to set your prices
There is no official price list for event creators, and anyone who gives you one exact number is guessing. Use a method instead.
Step 1: Count your real time. Travel, the night itself, editing, posting, answering messages. A "simple reel" from a festival is often a full day of work.
Step 2: Set a base rate. Decide what one hour of your work is worth, including your phone or camera, mics, editing apps and the risk of a bad night. That rate times your hours is your floor.
Step 3: Adjust for value:
| Factor | Price goes up when |
|---|---|
| Reach | Your audience is large and in the event's scene and region |
| Deliverables | More pieces, longer edits, higher production |
| Speed | Same-night or next-morning delivery |
| Usage rights | Paid ads, long duration, posters, other channels |
| Exclusivity | The event asks you not to cover competing events |
Step 4: Test and raise. If every promoter says yes immediately, you are too cheap. If you are booked every weekend, raise your prices for the next season.
Perks vs paid: write down your policy
Free entry, VIP and drinks are a real part of this world. Big events often prefer perks-only collabs, and for creators starting out they are a good way to build a portfolio.
The problem is when every collab becomes perks-only by default. Fix it with a clear perks policy on your rate card, for example:
- Perks-only collabs: up to 5 stories during the night, no reels, no edits
- Reels, vlogs and raw footage are paid packages
- Perks collabs include 2 entries + VIP access
That way a promoter knows exactly what free entry gets them, and anything more becomes a paid conversation.
Usage rights, explained simply
| Use | Usually |
|---|---|
| Event reposts your post or story on its own accounts | Included |
| Event saves your raw clips to post on its own accounts | Included in full coverage, or a small extra |
| Event uses your video in paid ads | Extra fee, limited time (for example 1 or 3 months) |
| Event uses your content on posters, aftermovies or a website for a long time | Extra fee, agreed in writing |
| Exclusivity (you skip competing events) | Extra fee, limited time and region |
When a promoter says "can we use your video for our ads?", the answer is "yes, here is the price for 1 month or 3 months".
Free rate card template
Copy it, replace the brackets, delete what you don't offer.
Event creator rate card template
[CREATOR NAME], event content creator Scenes: [techno, hard techno, house...] · Based in [city] · Travels to [region] Audience: Instagram [followers] · TikTok [followers] · YouTube [subscribers] Audience mostly in [cities / countries], [age range] PACKAGES 1. Social promo: [5] stories during the event, tagging you. From [X] EUR 2. Event creator: [1] reel + [5] stories. Delivered within [48h]. From [X] EUR 3. Vlog experience: [1] vlog of the night/weekend + [3] stories. Delivered within [5 days]. From [X] EUR 4. Full coverage: vlog + [2] reels + stories + raw clips for your accounts. From [X] EUR À LA CARTE - Extra reel: [X] EUR - TikTok: [X] EUR - Raw footage pack: [X] EUR - Same-night delivery: +[X] EUR PERKS-ONLY COLLABS Up to [5] stories, no edits. Requires [2] entries + VIP access. CONDITIONS - [2] entries (creator + filming partner) - VIP / backstage access when needed for content - Travel and hotel covered for events outside [city] - Posting deadline agreed in writing before the event USAGE RIGHTS - Reposts on your own accounts: included - Paid ads: +[X] EUR per month of use - Exclusivity: on request CONTACT [presskit link] · [email]
Sending your rate card the smart way
- Don't post your full prices publicly. Rates depend on the event, and public prices invite people to negotiate down before they even talk to you.
- Show a "from" price to serious buyers. It filters out promoters with no budget.
- Send the full details once a promoter is interested, with the date and event in front of you.
- Keep it on one link. Not a PDF lost in a DM thread.
- Three or four packages with clear deliverables and delivery times
- Single items priced higher than in packages
- A written perks-only policy
- Conditions: entries, access, travel, deadline
- Usage rights with prices for paid ads
- Audience numbers per platform, with the date you updated them
Your rate card on Backstage.dj
On Backstage.dj, creators get a presskit built around this exact structure:
- Packages, paid or perks: each with what is included, delivery time and conditions (entries, VIP, usage rights, posting deadline)
- Prices only for promoters: visitors see your package titles, logged-in promoters see the prices and details
- Audience numbers per platform, with the date you last updated them so promoters trust them
- Booking requests where a promoter picks a paid package or sends a perks offer
Your rate card stops being a screenshot and becomes a link promoters can book from.
New to working with events? Start with our guide on how to collab with events as a content creator, including a pitch template and a collab agreement checklist.
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Frequently asked questions
What is an influencer rate card?
A rate card is a short document that lists what you offer and what it costs: packages like 'reel + stories', single items like one vlog, your conditions (entries, travel, deadlines) and your usage rights. It lets promoters and brands understand your offer without five rounds of messages.
How much should I charge for event coverage?
There is no single market price. A practical method: estimate the hours you spend (travel, filming, editing), set a base rate per hour that covers your time and gear, then adjust for your reach, the number of deliverables, how fast you deliver and the usage rights the event wants. Raise prices when you are booked out.
Should my prices be public?
Many creators keep prices private and share them only with serious requests, because rates depend on the event and change over time. A 'from' price per package, shown only to promoters, is a good middle ground: it filters out time-wasters without showing your numbers to everyone.
Is it OK to do events for free entry?
Yes, if it is a choice. Perks-only collabs make sense for events you would go to anyway, big names that strengthen your portfolio, or when you are starting out. Put your perks policy on your rate card so it is clear what a perks-only collab includes.
What are usage rights and why do they cost extra?
Usage rights define what the event can do with your content. Reposting on their own accounts is usually included. Using your video in paid ads, on posters or for a long period is extra, because your content is then working as their advertising. Always state the duration and the channels.
