In today’s digital landscape, understanding usage rights is crucial, especially for Talent and Talent Managers. Whether you’re a presenter, influencer, actor, model, or voice artist, how your image, voice, or performance is used can significantly influence your income, visibility, and control over your personal brand.
TrueRights is making headway in the industry, providing much needed transparency and fairness in every creative collaboration. They’re spotlighting what usage rights really mean and why the TrueRights industry-first Usage Calculator is transforming the way talent and managers approach and manage their negotiations.
I’ve spent the last eight years working in talent management, with my career spanning across major agencies where I managed talent in both digital and entertainment. When it comes to costing usage, I’ve consistently seen a lack of clarity and uniformity. The industry desperately needs more control and consistency around how content rates and usage terms are calculated and communicated.
TrueRights is not only helping talent understand their value, but also arming agents and managers with the tools to negotiate smarter, fairer deals. It's about time we had a standardised, and transparent approach to usage, and that’s why I’m excited to be consulting for TrueRights.
What are usage rights?
Usage rights define exactly how a client can use a piece of creative work - where it will appear, for how long, and across which platforms or territories. For instance, a presenter in a commercial might grant permission for the content to run on UK television for 12 months, but extending that use to online platforms, international markets, or across multiple formats requires separate agreements and, crucially, additional compensation. But how much to charge for this?
Take another example: an influencer may license their branded content for limited use within the UK for two years. Yet all too often, that content is repurposed globally, sub-licensed, or used far beyond what was originally contractually agreed, without renegotiation or additional payment, as talent have a lack of understanding on where and how their content is used. For talent, understanding and asserting these rights is vital. It protects creative integrity, future career opportunities, and, importantly, fair pay.
In a world of vague contracts and rapidly expanding media, clarity is often lacking. But the TrueRights Usage Calculator is crucial at providing clarity and consistency in the wild west that is usage rights.
A tool for transparency
It’s not uncommon for talent to agree a fee for a shoot without fully knowing where or how the final content will be used. But imagine this: your work features in a global campaign that runs for several years across TV, digital, and social platforms, yet you’ve only been paid for a single day on set. This is a common scenario when usage isn’t clearly defined or valued, and there is still a lack of understanding on how to cost different types of usage effectively and fairly.
The TrueRights Usage Calculator is built to change that. It’s a smart, straightforward tool powered by hundreds of real-world data points to deliver accurate rates based on key variables like media type, channel, region, exclusivity, AI vs. traditional production, and paid vs. organic use.
For Talent and Managers, it’s more than a calculator, it’s a confidence-building tool that can help them to:
By replacing guesswork with transparency, the calculator empowers talent to take control of their contracts.
A step toward fairer, smarter contracts
As the creative industry evolves, driven by new platforms, formats, and global reach, so too must our approach to rights and fair remuneration for talent. There’s too much ambiguity, inconsistency, and often, missed opportunities.
At TrueRights, the Usage Calculator was built with one clear purpose: to bring fairness and transparency to the way rights are negotiated, valued, and ultimately respected. It's a tool designed not just to simplify the process, but to empower talent and their teams with the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions.
I can’t wait to see the industry move toward a more standardised, aligned approach when it comes to usage rights. It’s about creating a level playing field where everyone knows the value of what they’re bringing to the table.
Unlock smarter usage rights pricing. Join the beta and try the TrueRights Calculator free today.
Authored by Hannah Banks, Talent Agent.
