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Saturday, 3 October 2026Fashion, style and modelingLTEN
Money and rights

Buyout

Also called: usage fee

A buyout is a one-off fee with which a client buys in advance the right to use the pictures in set channels, a territory and a period.

How it works

On an advertising job a model is often paid two sums: the day rate for the work and a buyout for the usage, say one year online and in stores in the Baltic states. The more channels and countries, the bigger the buyout.

A total buyout means rights to use without limits or time. It should be paid very well, because the model loses the chance to offer the same "face" to other clients in that sector, especially if exclusivity is asked for too.

A buyout must always be described clearly in writing. A vague "all media" with no term will be read in the client's favour in a dispute.

In practice

An advertising agency offers a model a day rate and a buyout for two years of online, TV and outdoor use across Europe. Her agency calculates that such usage would shut her out of other advertising in that sector, and negotiates a bigger buyout and a shorter, one-year term with a paid option to renew.

What to watch for

  • Ask for the day rate and the buyout to be listed separately.
  • Ask what happens after the term: renewal or end.
  • A total buyout plus exclusivity should cost a lot.

Related terms

Money and rightsUsage rightsUsage rights define where, for how long and in which countries a client may use pictures or footage of the model.Money and rightsDay rateThe day rate is what the client pays for a model's working day, usually eight hours; the half-day rate covers four.Agencies and representationExclusivityExclusivity means that only one agency represents the model in a given territory, or that for a set time the model works for only one brand.Types of work and modelsCampaignA campaign is a brand's seasonal advertising: pictures and video used in stores, online, in magazines and on billboards.Money and rightsModel releaseA model release is a document signed by the model that allows the photographer or client to use pictures of them in the stated way.
Questions and answers

Frequently asked

01How is a buyout different from usage rights?

Usage rights are the permission itself; a buyout is the price paid for it up front.

02Is commission taken on a buyout?

Yes, as on the day rate, if the job goes through the agency.

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