How much should you charge to promote a song on TikTok?

Start from views, not followers

Followers tell an artist how many people could see your video. Views tell them how many people usually do. On TikTok, a lot of reach comes through the For You feed, which shows videos to people who don't follow you, so two accounts of the same size can get very different results. Artists who have paid for promos before will often ask for your views anyway.

Use the median, not the average. Look at your last 10 to 20 videos in a similar format, sort them by views and take the middle one. One viral video can pull an average far above what a normal post does. The median is what the artist can reasonably expect, and quoting it protects you from promising what you can't deliver.

The formula: median views × your CPM

Base price = median views ÷ 1,000 × your CPM. The CPM is the price you set per 1,000 views. Choose it by asking what your time, your audience's trust and the slot in your posting schedule are worth to you, then check whether artists accept it.

Illustration only. The CPMs in this table are arbitrary examples chosen to show the arithmetic. They are not market rates or recommendations.

The base price covers one video, posted once, with no special conditions. Everything below changes it.

What should move your price up or down

• Niche. An audience that closely matches the song's listeners (a genre, a scene, a type of content) is worth more to the artist than a general one of the same size.
• Audience country. Check where your viewers are in your TikTok analytics. An artist focused on one market cares about views from that market.
• Usage rights and duration. If the artist wants to reuse your video in their ads or on their own accounts, that is extra value. Price it separately, and put a time limit on it.
• Deliverables. Several videos, a story, a link in bio, a pinned comment or raw footage are all extra work. List each one and price it.
• Exclusivity. If you're asked not to promote other songs for a while, you're giving up income. Charge for that period.
• Turnaround. A video due in 24 hours pushes other work aside. A rush fee is normal.
• Creative freedom. A strict script with required moves or lines takes more time and usually performs worse than your own style. Price in the revisions.

Flat fee or pay per view?

Some creators combine the two: a smaller flat fee plus a bonus when the video passes a view level you agree on. It shares the risk and gives both sides a reason to want the video to work.

What to put in a rate sheet

A short rate sheet saves you from answering the same questions in every DM. Keep it to one page:

• Your handle, niche and the formats you make.
• Median views over your last 10 to 20 videos, and the date you calculated it.
• Your audience's main countries and age range, from TikTok analytics.
• Your price for one video, with what it includes (one post, your own concept, one round of changes).
• Add-ons, each priced: extra videos, usage rights by duration, exclusivity by duration, rush delivery.
• Payment terms: when you're paid, how, and in which currency.
• A note that paid videos carry a paid-partnership label, as the law requires.
• Two or three links to past videos with sounds, with their results.

Update the median every month or two. It is the number your price rests on.

Negotiating with independent artists vs labels

Independent artists

Often paying out of their own pocket, with a small budget. They usually care more about fit and less about paperwork. If the song suits you and the budget is short, offer something smaller rather than dropping your CPM: one video instead of three, no usage rights, a longer deadline. Keep your price per 1,000 views consistent, and change what the artist gets.

Labels and agencies

Larger budgets, but more conditions: contracts, usage rights, approval rounds, exclusivity clauses and sometimes long payment terms. Read what you're signing, ask for the brief in writing, and charge for every right and restriction they ask for. Agree on the payment date before you post.

With both, get the essentials in writing: the song and snippet, the number of videos, the deadline, rights, the price and the payment date. A clear message thread is better than nothing.

When per-view platforms pay better, and when they don't

To compare a platform with a direct deal, turn both into a price per 1,000 views. Your flat quote divided by your median views, times 1,000, gives your own CPM. Then compare it with what the platform pays.

Some published creator rates, as of September 2026, per each service's site: Stembl campaigns pay a CPM of €1 to €5, set by the artist. Whop says its Content Rewards clippers are paid on average $1 per 1,000 views (source). Playlist Push pays by view milestones, from $10 at 2,000 views up to $250 at 480,000 views (source): that is $5 per 1,000 at the first milestone and about $0.52 per 1,000 at the top one, by our calculation.

Per-view platforms tend to be the better deal when:

• You don't get direct offers yet. A platform gives you songs to pick from without negotiating.
• A video beats your median. Pay per view keeps paying; a flat fee doesn't.
• You want to choose songs yourself and post when it suits you.

They tend to pay less when:

• You already get direct offers at a price that works out higher per 1,000 views.
• Your videos often stay below the platform's minimum view threshold, where nothing is paid.
• The artist wants usage rights, exclusivity or a script. Those belong in a negotiated deal.

Nothing stops you from doing both: direct deals for artists who contact you, a per-view platform for songs you find yourself.

Per view on Stembl

Stembl, getting ready for launch, is the per-view option: you don't set a price, the artist sets the CPM (€1 to €5) and you choose the campaigns worth your time. A video starts earning once it passes 1,000 views, and then all its views from zero count. For example, 20,000 views at a €2 CPM earn €40. That is an illustration, not a forecast.

Each video is checked for the right sound and against fake views before payout. You're paid in euros through Stripe Connect from €25, and you remain responsible for disclosure and taxes. See how to get paid to use sounds for the full picture.

Frequently asked questions