5 Essential Contracts for Creators Earning $0 - $5,000 Per Month
Want to know which contracts for creators you need as a beginner creator? I’m sharing the essential contracts you need to earn and protect your money.
Creating your dream of becoming a full-time creator is so exciting, and if you’re anything like me, you want to make sure you have all the essentials to earn money and protect your hard-earned cash. As a lawyer myself who drafts contracts for creators like you, I am sharing the most essential contracts for creators who are at the beginning of their journey (earning $0 - $5,000 per month).
You will learn all about which types of contracts for creators you need, including, of course, the social media content creator contract, but also other simple contracts for creators you have not thought about yet.
After learning about the key contracts for creators, you will have everything you need to earn money and protect it!
This post is all about the key contracts for creators, which all beginner creators need to earn and protect their money.
Essential Contracts for Creators
The 5 Simple Contracts for Creators
Now, let’s get into the 5 simple contracts for creators that they need when they are at the beginning stages of their business.
1. Legal website (and social media) terms, policies and disclaimers
First, you’ll need legal website (and social media) pages. Even if you do not have your own website, you’ll at least need two of these. So, pay attention!
Terms of use
When you do have your own website, even if it’s just a landing page, you’ll need solid terms of use for your website. These are different from the terms and conditions for digital products you sell (which is the fifth contract for creators we’ll get into).
The terms of use for your website are designed to protect your business, money and intellectual property. Here are a few reasons for having the proper terms of use for your website:
Sets usage rules: The terms set out the rules for how website visitors may use your website.
Limits your liability: They limit your liability for mistakes and errors on your website (because all humans make mistakes, like misrepresenting facts, leaving outdated information in a blog post from last year, or missing a 0 in their prices). Unlike most terms of use for websites, the terms of use that are part of my Legal Website Bundle alsoapply to your social media pages.
Protects your IP: They protect your intellectual property (IP) and put restrictions on how website visitors (and, in the case of my terms of use, people on social media) may use your content. They safeguard your content from unauthorised use or reproduction.
Grant usage rights: The proper terms will give you the right to use the photos and reviews visitors and customers submit on your website. They enable you to promote your brand with feedback and reviews from your customers and audience.
I’ll get deeper into each of these reasons and benefits in another blog post.
Privacy policy
The next one is your privacy policy. You’ll only need a privacy policy when you run your own website (including a landing page). It’s actually mandatory under most privacy laws, and more privacy laws are implemented every year.
In the US alone, there are new states every year creating their own privacy laws, like the following:
California (the first with its CCPA)
Virginia (CTDPA)
Colorado (CPA)
Utah (UCPA),
Texas (TDPSA), as of July 1, 2024
Oregon, as of July 1, 2024
Montana, as of October 1, 2024
Delaware, as of January 1, 2025
Iowa, as of January 1, 2025
Nebraska, as of January 1, 2025
New Hampshire, as of January 1, 2025
New Jersey, as of January 15, 2025
Tennessee, as of July 1, 2025
Minnesota, as of July 31, 2025
Maryland, as of October 1, 2025
Indiana, as of January 1, 2026
Kentucky, as of January 1, 2026
Rhode Island, as of January 1, 2026
And, of course, we can’t forget the GDPR of the EU and the UK (which will most likely apply to you, even if your business is not located in the EU or the UK) and the Canadian PIPEDA.
As I’ve shown in the overview, new privacy laws come into force every year. So, you’ll need to update your privacy policy at least once a year (which is also mandatory under most privacy laws.
My customers who buy my Legal Website Bundle receive a free updated privacy policy every single year to ensure my customers comply with new privacy laws.
Disclaimers for your niche, affiliate links and sponsorships
You’ll need disclaimers for your website, but also for your social media. Even if you don’t have a website, disclaimers are crucial for your business as a creator. Here’s why:
Limits your liability: Protects you against claims related to the accuracy of the information you provide on your website, YouTube, podcast, and social media.
Clarifies your responsibilities: Makes clear to your audience and customers that the actions they take based on your content are still their responsibility. Disclaimers reduce the risk of lawsuits for unintended consequences of using your information.
Compliance with (influencer) marketing laws: If you use affiliate links or are sponsored for certain posts, you must disclose that under US (FTC) and EU laws. Making the appropriate disclosures is simply mandatory. The proper disclaimers page will provide for these disclosures.
Your disclaimers should also be specific to your niche. My disclaimers that are a part of my Legal Website Bundle include disclaimers for:
Online entrepreneurs
Coaches, consultants & professional advisors
Bloggers
YouTubers
Podcasters
2. Freelance agreement
If you’re just starting out, you will most likely not be able to live off of brand sponsorships alone. That’s something you’re still working toward.
Therefore, you’ll most likely be taking any gigs you can in between.
So, as one of the contracts for creators, you’ll need a proper (freelancer-friendly) freelance agreement for your part-time gigs.
An ironclad freelance agreement made for freelancers should include the following:
Clear scope: Especially when freelancing is not your main gig, you want to prevent scope creep. So, your freelance agreement must have a clear overview of the tasks that are within your scope but also tasks that are NOT within your scope.
Crystal-clear payment terms: Ensure you don’t get underpaid (or not paid at all) with clear rates, invoicing process, and payment methods defined in your freelance agreement.
Keep or grant intellectual property rights: The proper freelance agreement will have alternative clauses, so you can decide for each project whether you remain the owner of all intellectual property you create or assign those intellectual property rights to your client. In the latter case, your contract should include terms that give you the right to freely reuse your materials for other purposes.
No risk of employment taxes: A solid freelancer agreement will also have the proper terms to ensure that tax authorities will not assess your relationship as an employment relationship. It should also include indemnities for the case where it is, in fact, an employment relationship.
Work globally: As an online creator, you’ll likely have clients that are not located in your State or country. That is why a proper freelance agreement should contain the proper terms for use with clients in different States and countries so you are protected globally.
I’ll go deeper into the reasons for having an ironclad freelance agreement in a different blog post.
3. (User-generated) content (UGC) creator agreement
Another one of the essential contracts for creators is the content creator agreement.
At the beginning of your journey, you still need to build a real following in order for brands to want to pay you a decent fee for sponsored content.
So, in the beginning, like part-time gigs, you’ll also run into some UGC (user-generated content) opportunities. As opposed to being paid to post content on your platforms, the brand will pay you to create content for them to use on their platforms. Your name and audience are irrelevant in this case.
This is a crucial difference with brand sponsorships. Therefore, you’ll need a completely different type of contract: the content creator agreement.
Here is why you need a (creator-friendly) content creator agreement as one of the contracts for creators:
Protects your face: In most cases, especially if your face is included in the content, you’ll want to keep full ownership of your content. Your contract should have clear terms on the type of license the brand receives. For more on the licensing aspect, read my blog post on the 7 Essential Types of Licensing Agreements Creators Must Know to Maximise Income and Protect Creativity.
Sets usage rights: In the case of UGC, it is crucial to specify exactly for what purpose and on what platforms and accounts the brand may use your content. The reason for this is not only so you have full control over what happens with your content but also so that you are properly compensated.
Royalty payments: With UGC, in certain cases, the brand will pay the creator a one-time fixed fee for eternal usage (if the brand has it their way). But, in many cases (where the creator has it their way), the brand pays a recurring fee for the time it uses the content. These recurring fees are called royalties, and your content creator contract template should include clear terms on the royalty payments and the (pre)payment thereof.
I’ll go deeper into the reasons for having a (creator-friendly) content creator agreement in a different blog post.
4. Brand sponsorship agreement
The next and most obvious one of the essential contracts for creators is the brand sponsorship agreement.
Most creators will want to be able to rely fully on brand sponsorships. Eventually, you’ll probably also want to make money from your own products, like digital products (which we’ll get into next), but a crucial part of your business will likely be brand sponsorship deals.
Just like with UGC deals, there are a few risks involved with brand sponsorship deals. That is if you do not have the proper (influencer-friendly) brand sponsorship agreement in place. Here are some of the risks you’ll avoid with a proper (influencer-friendly) brand sponsorship agreement:
Getting paid really late or not at all
Having to make endless revisions to your sponsored content (without proper compensation)
Getting fined for breach of US (FTC) or EU (influencer) marketing laws
Getting claims for IP infringement (while the brand requested you to use a specific song or prop in your video)
Paying for claims from your audience for faulty products of the brand
Banned from future opportunities because of extremely limiting exclusivity terms
Being linked to the brand when the brand’s reputation changes for the worse...
Also, ensure you have the proper type of brand sponsorship agreement for your type of content:
For social media and YouTube sponsorships, you’ll need a brand sponsorship agreement.
If your podcast is sponsored, you should use a podcast sponsorship agreement.
If you’re a blogger, then you need a sponsored post agreement for your sponsored blog post.
5. Terms and conditions for digital products
As a creator at this beginning stage of your career, you may not be creating complete online courses (or even want to), but you’ll likely sell digital products. These digital products could be about how to get UGC deals or a roadmap to getting your first brand sponsorship deal (p.s. make sure to apply to my affiliate program and include an affiliate link to my contracts).
Whether you’re selling digital products on your own website or through your Stan Store, you’ll need terms and conditions for digital products.
It is one of the most important contracts for creators selling digital products. Here’s why:
Protects against incompatible software: You’ll have no responsibility for customers not having the right hardware, software and WiFi to download and use your digital products.
Excludes refund rights: You won’t have to pay your customers back for any reason (as they can’t just “return” a digital product like a pair of shoes).
Protects your IP: Ensure copycats can’t resell your stuff with the proper IP protections.
Limits your liability: Limit your liability in the event of any negative outcomes from the use of your digital product.
No responsibility for results: You will not be responsible for any bad results your customers get from your digital products.
If you want to learn more about what you need in your terms and conditions for digital products, read these blog posts:
10 Must-Haves for All Terms and Conditions for Digital Products
11 Key Protections Your eBook Terms and Conditions Template Must Have
Contract for Creators Template Shop
Now, you know exactly what contracts for creators you need at your level of income! Now, where do you get these contracts?
My mission is to equip creators at every level of income with high-quality contracts they can afford.
That is why I have created my contract shop. At my contract shop, I sell all the contracts for creators discussed in this blog post and any other contracts you may need!
Check out my contract shop to find the perfect contract template for you!
This post was all about the most crucial contracts for creators.
Want to know which contracts for creators you need when you earn more than $5,000? Read my next blog post!
Need a legal website bundle with all the legal pages you need for your website (and social media)? Get the Legal Website Bundle on this page of my contract shop!
Need a (freelancer-friendly) freelance agreement? Get this one of the simple contracts for creators on this page of my contract shop!
Need a content creator agreement for your UGC deals? Get your social media content creator contract on this page of my contract shop!
Need a brand sponsorship contract? Get this contracts for creators template on this page of my contract shop!
Need terms and conditions for digital products you’re selling? Get your template on this page of my contract shop!
