Contributor agreement

You put in the time, the gear, and the local knowledge that makes a shot actually land. This agreement spells out exactly what you get in return, in plain numbers, no asterisks. If any part reads like fine print, flag it to creators@brollcollective.com and we’ll rewrite it.

You earn $0.50 USD per download, paid the moment a buyer downloads your clip. Every download. Every plan. Every time.

There is no monthly accounting. There is no “wait until the end of the cycle.” There is no formula that depends on what other creators do or how many clips a subscriber happens to take that month. One download equals fifty cents in your earnings balance, full stop.

Roughly 2x what major stock platforms pay creators on subscription downloads, and at full subscription utilization that works out to around 26% of plan revenue going to creators. Subscribers get a fixed number of downloads per month (Basic 10, Pro 25, Agency 50). Unused downloads do not roll over.

BrollCollective pays creators $0.50 per download, paid immediately upon a buyer’s download. We commit to maintaining this rate through October 27, 2027. After that date, the rate will be reviewed annually based on platform economics and may be adjusted up or down with at least 60 days written notice to all active creators. Our target is to pay creators between 13% and 26% of subscription revenue at typical utilization. If we ever need to lower the per-download rate, we will publish the reasoning publicly alongside the new rate, before it takes effect.

Translation: you can plan around this number for the next 18 months. If we ever change it, you get two months heads-up and we tell you exactly why.

Every creator starts at Base. As your catalog performs you automatically step up to Rising and then Top. Tiers are recognition badges and perks, not payout multipliers. Every download still earns the same $0.50 flat rate regardless of tier. We re-evaluate tiers on the first of every month based on lifetime stats.

Tier upgrades take effect on the first of the next month. Downgrades only happen after two consecutive months below threshold, and we email you before any change takes effect.

Earnings accrue continuously at $0.50 per download. Payouts are processed on the 5th of every month via Stripe Connect. When your balance reaches $50 USD, the next payout run sends it to the bank account linked to your Stripe account. Balances below $50 roll into the next month.

• Stripe fees (standard Connect 0.25% plus $0.25 per payout) are deducted from the transfer, not from your earnings.
• Tax forms: we issue a 1099-NEC for US creators who earn $600+ in a calendar year. Non-US creators handle their own tax reporting; we store your Stripe W-8BEN where applicable.
• Holds only happen if there’s a fraud flag on your account. We notify you within 24 hours and resolve within 7 days.

Upload anything except:

• Any clip that includes identifiable people without a signed model release. Kids need a guardian signature, full stop.
• Copyrighted music, logos, trademarks, or art in the frame. Mute your audio track if in doubt. We prefer silent B-roll anyway.
• Clips you didn’t shoot or don’t have an explicit license to distribute.
• Anything hateful, sexually explicit, graphically violent, or depicting illegal activity.
• Drone footage shot over people or in restricted airspace.

Every upload passes through a review before publication. Rejected uploads receive a plain-English reason and a one-click resubmit option. Published clips remain subject to removal if we discover guideline violations after publication.

You own your work. BrollCollective never claims copyright. You grant us and our subscribers the worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license described in the Terms of Service. You can delete a clip at any time (future downloads stop immediately; already-executed downloads stay licensed).

If a subscriber chargebacks a month in which your clip was downloaded, that download’s $0.50 earning is reversed. If chargebacks exceed 3% of a subscriber’s downloaded clips, Stripe suspends their account. Your catalog is never penalized for someone else’s dispute.

The per-download rate is fixed through October 27, 2027 per the rate stability commitment in section 3. Any other material change is announced 30 days in advance via email, and you can delete your account if you disagree. Previous downloads always pay at the rate that was effective when they happened.

We may suspend or terminate your creator account for the following reasons:

• Three-strike rule. Accounts that accumulate three substantiated violations of the Creator Guidelines or Terms of Service within 12 months are subject to termination. We notify you of each strike at the time it is recorded.
• Single severe violation. Accounts may be terminated immediately for severe single violations including: uploading illegal content, attempting to upload content the creator does not own, deliberate misrepresentation of clip metadata, attempting to circumvent prior termination by creating multiple accounts, or any conduct that creates a risk of significant legal exposure for BrollCollective.
• Repeat copyright infringement. Accounts that accumulate three or more valid DMCA infringement notices, or fewer when circumstances warrant, are subject to termination per our DMCA Policy.
• Fraud. Accounts engaged in fraudulent activity (fake uploads, payment fraud, identity fraud) are terminated immediately upon confirmation. Fraud-related terminations may be reported to law enforcement.

When an account is terminated under any of the above clauses:

• Earnings already paid out are not affected. We do not claw back payouts that have already been disbursed.
• Earnings above the $50 threshold but not yet paid out are paid out as scheduled on the next monthly cycle, unless the termination resulted from fraud or willful infringement, in which case those earnings are forfeited as liquidated damages for the harm caused to BrollCollective and other creators.
• Earnings below the $50 threshold are forfeited at termination. The threshold serves a clearing function under normal operation; on termination, balances below the threshold are not paid out.

Forfeited earnings become the property of BrollCollective and may be used at our discretion to offset enforcement costs, support catalog integrity, or contribute to creator-facing programs. We do not retain forfeited earnings as direct revenue.

If you believe your account was terminated incorrectly, you may submit an appeal to support@brollcollective.com within 14 days of the termination notice. Include:

• The basis for your appeal.
• Any evidence supporting your position (documentation, context, witness statements where applicable).
• A clear statement of the outcome you are requesting.

We respond to appeals within 5 business days. Appeals may result in: account reinstatement, partial reinstatement (e.g., catalog removal but earnings preserved), or denial. Our decision on appeal is final.

For the avoidance of doubt, BrollCollective reserves the right to terminate any creator account at our discretion, with or without cause, with reasonable notice. In the case of termination without cause, all accrued earnings (regardless of threshold) are paid out as scheduled.