Let’s get one thing straight: asking for a contract doesn’t make you difficult. It makes you a professional. The music industry runs on handshakes right up until something goes wrong, and when it does, the person without paper is the person who loses.
Why contracts matter (especially for us)
Women and queer creatives are statistically more likely to be underpaid, uncredited, or talked out of their own terms. A contract flips that dynamic. It turns “we’ll figure it out” into something enforceable, and it signals from day one that your work has value.
The five things every agreement needs
- Scope. Exactly what’s being delivered: how many photos, how many revisions, what length of video, what platforms the content covers. Vague scope is how “one quick edit” becomes a month of free labor.
- Payment. The amount, the schedule, and what happens if it’s late. A deposit up front (30–50%) is standard, not rude.
- Credit. How your name appears, on streaming credits, on socials, in liner notes. Exposure isn’t payment, but credit still matters for your portfolio.
- Usage rights. Who owns the work, where it can be used, and for how long. Licensing your work is not the same as giving it away.
- The exit. What happens if either side cancels. A kill fee protects the time you’ve already put in.
You don’t have to write one from scratch
We keep free, pre-made contracts for photography, videography, and social media management on our Services page, download them, fill in your details, and go. Every freelancer listed on GRRLSOUND works under contract, because that’s the standard we want for this whole community.
Got a contract question or a horror story that taught you something? Bring it to the community, someone else needs to hear it.