Licensing Assistant
By Allen Luke
Licensing Assistant
Enter the usage details for a project and get a recommended licensing fee range — with the reasoning behind each factor, so you can explain it to your client with confidence.
The type of photography affects the base licensing value.
More placements = broader license = higher fee.
If the client says "we'll use them everywhere" — that's a broad, multi-channel license and should be priced accordingly.
Duration, geography, and exclusivity move licensing fees the most.
A perpetual buyout should be 3–5× the cost of a 1-year license. You're permanently giving up the ability to re-license those images.
Client size and industry impact the commercial value the images generate.
When the client is an ad agency, price the license based on the end-user's size and usage, not the agency's.
Break the license into components: "The usage fee for [X] images across [channels], for [duration], covering [geography] is [range]. Here's why each factor matters."
Charge at the higher end if you're the only photographer who can deliver this, the project is rush, or the client has a history of expanding usage.
Consider the lower end for long-term retainer clients, nonprofits you believe in, or when the relationship value exceeds the fee.
Get this fee breakdown sent to your inbox — easy to reference when you're writing the estimate, or to forward to your client as a starting point.
Usage licensing is where most commercial photographers build real revenue or leave thousands on the table.
You're licensing usage rights. You retain copyright. The client pays for specific ways, time, and places.
Fees aren't based on difficulty. They're based on how much commercial value images generate for the client.
When licenses expire, clients must renew or stop using images. This is recurring revenue.
Document every license: channels, duration, geography, exclusivity. Specific agreements lead to upsells.
A perpetual unlimited exclusive buyout means you can never license again. Price 3–5× annual rate.
Always itemize creative fee separately from licensing fee. This makes both defensible.