Creator Deliverables Checklist for a Brand Deal

"One sponsored video" can quietly turn into a TikTok, a Reel, three Stories, raw footage, two hooks, a clean version, and a reshoot. The problem is not always a bad contract. Often the deliverable was never defined below the campaign headline.

Use this checklist before you price the work, again before you shoot, and once more before final delivery.

1. List every public post

For each post, write down:

• Platform and account
• Format and aspect ratio
• Minimum or maximum length
• Posting date or window
• Caption, tags, links, and discount codes
• Required platform partnership tools
• Whether the post must remain live for a minimum period

Do not assume one vertical video can be posted everywhere unchanged. Safe zones, caption limits, disclosure tools, and licensed music can differ by platform.

2. List every file the brand receives

Separate public posts from delivered assets:

• Final edited video
• Platform-specific cutdowns
• Clean version without captions or music
• Alternate hooks or endings
• Thumbnail or cover image
• Raw footage or selects
• Project files
• Caption copy and tracking links

Each additional file creates production work and may create new usage value. If the brand asks for source material, read what raw-footage rights include before treating it as a free export.

3. Confirm what appears in every cut

Turn the brief into a final-cut checklist:

• Clear sponsorship disclosure in the form, placement, and frequency required for that cut; for video, consider both spoken and on-screen disclosure
• Required talking points
• Approved product claims
• Offer, price, code, and expiration date
• Product demonstration or packaging shot
• Call to action
• Prohibited claims and competitors
• Correct pronunciation, spelling, and tags

Check each cut separately. A disclosure in the master does not automatically survive a shorter hook or a different crop. The first-try approval guide covers the self-review pass to run before upload.

4. Define the review process

Confirm:

• First-draft deadline
• Where files are submitted
• Who sends the final consolidated feedback
• How quickly the brand returns notes
• Number of included revision rounds
• What counts as a revision versus a new concept or reshoot
• Final approval owner
• Publication trigger

A revision cap only helps if the starting scope is clear. A new talking point requested after the shoot may be an out-of-scope change rather than an included revision, depending on the brief and agreement.

If a brand returns conflicting notes from several people, ask for one consolidated revision list before editing.

5. Separate creation from usage

The deliverable says what you make and post. The usage license says what the brand may do with it afterward. The agreement controls: confirm who owns the work and whether an assignment, work-made-for-hire provision, or third-party rights change the license you can grant. The U.S. Copyright Office explains the baseline rules in Copyright Basics.

Write down:

• Organic reposting rights
• Paid social usage
• Partnership Ads, Spark Ads, or other creator-identity ad permissions (sometimes called "whitelisting")
• Media, territory, and term
• Editing and derivative rights
• Sublicensing to retailers, agencies, or affiliates
• Renewal price and process

Document paid-media scope and duration expressly instead of leaving either side to infer rights from "one video." Usage rights in brand deals explains the three scope dials to price separately.

6. Match payment to milestones

Confirm the total fee and which portion covers creation, posting, usage, exclusivity, rush work, or expenses. Then identify:

• Deposit amount
• Invoice trigger
• Payment due date
• Purchase-order or vendor requirements
• Kill fee
• Late-payment terms

The invoice should mirror these line items. Use the creator invoice checklist so finance can match the bill to the approved work.

7. Keep one delivery record

When you submit, include a numbered file list, version names, delivery date, and link to the brief. Keep the upload confirmation and final written approval.

That record gives both sides useful evidence; it does not by itself decide ownership, payment, or approval disputes. The brand can identify the approved asset, and you can show which files were delivered, which version passed, and when the payment trigger occurred.

The takeaway

Define every post and file, check every cut independently, set the review and revision rules, and keep usage separate from creation. Match payment to visible milestones and preserve one record of exactly what you delivered and what the brand approved.