Videographer Invoice Template — Day Rate, Editing
Shoot day rates, editing by the hour or project, motion graphics, music licensing, multi-format delivery. The template handles weddings, commercials, and editorial with the same structure.
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What belongs on a video production invoice
●Booking retainer (non-refundable). Typically 25–50%.
●Shoot day rate / half-day. State the deliverables that day rate covers.
●Crew (camera op, sound, gaffer). Pass-through or wrapped.
●Equipment / specialty gear (drone, gimbal, RED). Often a separate line.
●Editing (per hour or per minute of finished video). State turnaround.
●Music licensing / stock footage. Pass-through with admin %.
●Deliverables (4K, social cuts, captions). Itemise each format.
The usual payment structures for a shoot
Wedding / event: retainer to book + balance ~7 days before.
Commercial / brand: 25/50/25 (book / shoot / delivery) or 50/50 are standard.
Stock or licensing: invoice on use; renewal on term expiry.
Tax notes
Production services are typically fully taxable. Music licensing has its own treatment — pass-through requires the licence reference on the invoice. International commercial work often qualifies for reverse-charge VAT.
Frequently asked questions
How do I bill for editing time?
Either by the hour with a tracked log, or by the minute of finished video at a fixed rate. Editing-by-the-minute is more common — clients prefer predictable cost.
Should I charge for music licensing separately?
Yes — it's a real cost (Artlist, Musicbed, custom composer) and licensing terms vary by use. Itemise as 'Music licence — [track] — [terms]' so the client sees what they're entitled to use it for.
How do I price multi-format deliverables?
Each cut (4K master, 60-sec social, 15-sec teaser, captioned versions) is its own line. Editing the same content for different platforms is real work — bill it.
How do I invoice a brand client across multiple shoots?
One PO/SOW per project. Within a project, milestone invoices. For long-term retainers, monthly invoices referencing the master agreement.
Sample wording for a production invoice
Realistic, copy-and-paste-ready line items videographers typically use. The numbers reflect a mid-cost US market, so scale them to your own city and client tier.
●Pre-production — concept dev, shot list, location scout, gear check (8 hrs across two weeks): $760
●Production day — full crew (DP + audio + AC), 10 hrs on location $2,800
●Equipment package — RED Komodo + 24-105 zoom + Sennheiser kit + lights (day rate): $850
●Post-production — edit, colour grade, sound mix, two rounds of revisions (40 hrs labour over 2 weeks): $3,800
●Licensed music — soundtrack from MusicBed (track licence pass-through) $95
●Final deliverables — 60s social cut, 30s pre-roll, 15s teaser, 90s full edit (per spec): included
●Drive and back-up — DCDM master + ProRes + H.264 web (included): no charge
Notes: All deliverables in 4K (web 1080p versions provided). Music licence per MusicBed terms (non-broadcast, social and web use). Two rounds of revisions included; additional rounds at $135/hr. 50% retainer applied. Final files delivered via Frame.io once balance clears.
How the money comes in on a project
Commercial videography pays in stages: 50% retainer on signed treatment, balance on final delivery. The trap is post-production — you've shot the day, the client loves the dailies, but final delivery sits in revision purgatory while two rounds become five. Set the revision limit in the contract (two rounds is industry standard) and charge for additional rounds explicitly. Wedding video runs on a similar schedule to wedding photography: 25% retainer to book, balance 30 days pre-event.
Brand and corporate work is Net 30-60 from agency or in-house marketing. Music licensing is its own delay: if you used a tracked piece that needs sync licence, the licensing platform invoice can lag your client invoice by weeks. Always quote music separately as a pass-through. Documentary work is its own animal — production grants, festival timelines, and broadcaster deliverables drive the schedule and most documentarians invoice in milestones (treatment approved, shoot complete, rough cut, picture lock, deliverables shipped).
Five billing mistakes that hold up your payments
●Not specifying deliverable spec on the contract. Client says 'a video' and means 60-second social cut. You shoot for a 5-minute documentary. Spell out deliverables on the invoice: length, aspect ratio, deliverable file format, captions included or not, music type.
●Bundling music licence into the project fee. Music licensing pricing varies by usage tier and platform. Pass it through with the licensing receipt attached — bundling it into your fee means you eat the cost when the client upgrades the campaign to broadcast and the music platform invoices you for the tier change.
●Skipping the revisions cap. Without a written cap, 'just one more change' becomes a month of unbilled labour. Two-round cap is standard; additional rounds at hourly rate ('Additional revision round at $135/hr, estimated 4 hrs').
●Quoting day rates without specifying crew. A DP working solo with a single-camera kit is one job. A DP + AC + audio + grip with two cameras is another. Always quote with crew names and roles, or 'TBD per shot list, approximate $X total day rate.'
●Delivering masters before final payment. Delivery via Frame.io with download disabled until payment clears is the industry workflow. Client preview is free; client download is paid. Avoid emailing finals as attachments — invoice leverage gone.
US tax notes for videographers
Videography services follow photography rules with extra complexity: a delivered DVD or USB drive is tangible property and taxable, but a Vimeo link or Frame.io download is service delivery and varies state-by-state. Texas: physical media taxable, digital downloads exempt. California: digital exempt, physical taxable. New York: bundled with project fee can flip the entire invoice taxable; itemise carefully. Music licence pass-throughs are typically not separately taxable if itemised and not marked up.
Federal: 1099-NEC at $600 from every business client. Videographer deductibles: camera and lens packages (Section 179 covers initial year up to limits), audio gear, lighting kits, drone purchase and Part 107 recurrency, computer and storage (RAID, NAS), software subscriptions (Adobe CC, DaVinci Resolve, Frame.io, MusicBed), studio rental, crew payments (1099 to each contractor over $600), continuing-ed (NAB, masterclasses), and the often-missed line — hard drive turnover (consumables — they fail).
Not tax advice — confirm specifics with your CPA or state department of revenue.
More questions from videographers
How do I bill for prep days the client doesn't see?
Itemise pre-production as its own line: 'Pre-production — concept, shot list, scout, gear prep — 8 hrs across two weeks: $760.' Clients undervalue what they don't witness; the line item makes it visible. Bury it inside the day rate and they assume the shoot day is the whole job.
Should I charge separately for delivery in multiple formats?
If the formats are in the original spec (60s social + 30s pre-roll + 15s teaser), they're included. If the client adds 'and also can we get a square version for IG?' mid-project, that's a change-order line: 'Additional format — 1:1 IG version of 60s cut: $185.' Two minutes of work; not free.
How do I handle a client who wants to use the music differently than the licence allows?
Two paths: re-license through MusicBed/Artlist/etc. at the higher tier (pass through with new receipt) or swap to a track that covers the broader use. Don't ignore licence terms — sync agencies audit, and the client (not you) gets the takedown notice, which kills the relationship.
Can I charge for storage and archive after delivery?
Yes — and you should. State the post-delivery archive policy: 'Project files held 90 days after delivery; retrieval after 90 days billed at $X per hour plus media costs.' Otherwise clients ask you to dig up 2-year-old footage for free and you eat the time.
Other professions
→ Contractors → Electricians → Plumbers → Photographers → Graphic designers → Web developers
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