Videography invoices

Videography invoice FAQ

What's standard on a videographer's invoice?

Shooting day rate (or hourly), edit hours, deliverable count and formats (4K master, 1080p web cut, social cuts), music licensing fees, revision rounds included, color grade tier, and any travel. Wedding videographers also list the highlight reel runtime and the documentary/full-ceremony cut. Commercial work itemizes B-roll, drone, motion graphics, and on-screen talent fees if applicable.

How should I handle music licensing on the invoice?

Music licenses cost real money: Musicbed, Soundstripe, Artlist, and Epidemic Sound all bill per-project or per-track. List the license fee as its own line item with the source noted ("Soundstripe Pro license: 1 track, commercial use"). Don't bake it into your day rate; clients deserve to see it explicitly, and if their use case changes (broadcast vs web), the license tier needs to flex with it.

How many revision rounds should I include?

Two rounds is typical for commercial work, three for weddings (the family always has notes). State revision limits explicitly in your terms section, "Includes 2 rounds of revisions; additional rounds at $150/hr." Unlimited revisions eat into your margin. Put the cap in writing and repeat it on the invoice.

What should I charge for rush turnaround?

50–100% premium for delivery inside 7 days, 25% for 14-day turnaround. Rush kills your editing schedule and pushes other clients back, so the markup compensates for the disruption. List rush as a separate line item so the client sees the premium and can decide if they actually need it, many will accept normal turnaround once they see the cost.

Should I deliver source files / project files?

Generally no, source/RAW/project files are not part of standard delivery. Only deliver them if the client specifically buys them (typically 25–100% of the project total) and the contract assigns rights. Itemize as "Source file delivery: $X" if included. Most agencies and businesses don't actually need source files; they just want to know they're an option.

How do I bill for footage usage and ad campaigns separately from production?

Separate the production cost (filming + editing) from the usage license (where the video can run, for how long, in what territories). Production is fixed; usage scales with reach. A campaign running on broadcast TV for two years is 5–20x the usage cost of the same video on the brand's website. List usage as its own line ("Usage: web + social, 1-year, US territory: $X") and price per the rate cards used by IATSE, AICP, or your local guild.

Do I charge sales tax on video production?

It varies dramatically by state and by deliverable type. Many states tax tangible products (USB drives, hard drives) but not the digital deliverable. Some tax all production services. California exempts most production for broadcast / film. Hawaii taxes everything. Issueable applies tax to the whole invoice, so bill taxable products and non-taxable services on separate invoices if your state splits them.

Should I invoice in milestones for long-form projects?

Yes, anything over 4-6 weeks of production should be milestone-billed. Common pattern: 30% on signing, 30% on principal photography wrap, 30% on rough cut delivery, 10% on final delivery. State each milestone clearly with the deliverable that triggers it. This protects your cash flow and gives the client clear stage gates to review progress.