Charge a setup fee before the first retainer month
Month one of a retainer is mostly unbillable: intake, style lock, asset library, approval workflow. What to itemise and how to defend it on the call.
9 min read
Per minute, per deliverable, or retainer?
The same month of video work quoted three ways, showing where each model earns and leaks, plus a rule for choosing on clip length and revision risk.
10 min read
Sell capacity, not deliverables, in a retainer
Asset-count retainers get gamed once variants are cheap. Build a capacity-unit retainer: what a unit buys, how unused units roll, and where the ceiling sits.
9 min read
What goes in a $1,500 local video retainer
A defensible entry tier: deliverable count, format mix, revision cap, reporting cadence, four written exclusions, and the triggers for the next tier.
9 min read
How to Price AI Video Services as an Agency in 2026
Pricing playbook for AI video agencies in 2026: retainers, project pricing, white-label, performance deals. Real numbers, real margins, what clients will pay.
12 min read
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