How to Price Custom Videos: A Pricing Guide for Creators
Price custom videos by the time they actually cost you, not by the length of the finished clip. Work out your target hourly rate, count every hour a custom takes (reading the brief, prep, filming, editing, uploading), then add charges for personal extras like names or outfits. Most creators land on a base price plus a per-minute rate, with a sensible minimum order.
Custom videos are often the highest-value thing a creator sells, and also the easiest to underprice. A five-minute clip made for one person can take two hours once you include messages, set-up and editing. This guide walks through a pricing method you can actually use, with worked examples and the fee maths included.
Step 1: Know Your Real Hourly Cost
Start with the number you want to earn per hour of work. Be honest: include time spent replying to the fan, clarifying details, setting up lighting, changing outfits, filming retakes, editing, exporting and delivering. A custom rarely takes less than an hour from first message to delivery.
Then track your next five customs with a timer. Most creators are surprised by how long the admin side takes. That tracked average is your true cost per custom, and it is the foundation of every price you set.
A simple formula
- Base fee covers the fixed work every custom needs: reading the brief, set-up, editing and delivery.
- Per-minute rate covers the extra filming and editing time for each minute of finished footage.
- Add-ons cover anything personal or effortful: saying a name, a specific outfit, a specific location in your home, extra editing, faster turnaround.
Example: if your base fee is £40 and your per-minute rate is £6, a 10-minute custom is £40 + £60 = £100 before add-ons.
Step 2: Set a Minimum Order
A minimum protects you from requests that take as much admin as a large order but pay a fraction of it. Many creators set a minimum length (for example five minutes) or a minimum price. If someone wants a 60-second clip, they still pay the base fee, because the set-up and communication are the same.
Step 3: Price Your Add-Ons
Add-ons are where custom pricing becomes fair to both sides. Fans who want something more personal pay for it; fans who want something simple pay less. Common add-ons include:
| Add-on | Why it costs more | How creators often price it |
|---|---|---|
| Using the fan's name | The clip cannot be resold or reused | Flat fee |
| Specific outfit or item | May need buying or changing into | Flat fee, higher if you must buy it |
| Rush delivery | Displaces other work | Percentage of total (for example +25–50%) |
| Extra editing or effects | More post-production time | Per-hour or flat fee |
| Exclusive (never sold elsewhere) | You give up future store sales | Significant flat fee |
The "exclusive" add-on is worth thinking about. A non-personalised custom can often be sold later in your content store (if your agreement with the fan allows it). If the fan wants it to stay private forever, charge for the income you are giving up. Always state your resale policy in your menu so there is no confusion.
Step 4: Do the Fee Maths
Every platform takes a cut, and it changes what you actually receive. On MyShrine you set the price and keep 90% of it; the fan pays a separate 10% service fee on top, shown before they pay. So your price is the number you base your maths on.
| Your custom price | Fan pays (price + 10%) | You keep (90%) |
|---|---|---|
| £50 | £55 | £45 |
| £100 | £110 | £90 |
| £150 | £165 | £135 |
| £250 | £275 | £225 |
On platforms that keep 20%, the same £100 custom would leave you with £80. If you sell across several sites, set your target take-home first, then work backwards. Our earnings calculator does this for you, and the creator platform fees guide compares splits in more detail.
Step 5: Get Paid Before You Film
The single most important pricing rule is not a number at all: take payment up front. Filming first and asking for money afterwards is how creators lose hours of work to fans who disappear. It also protects you from a fan who changes their mind after seeing the clip.
On MyShrine, custom requests are paid in full when the fan submits them. You then accept, send a counter-offer, or decline, and a decline refunds the fan automatically. Your earnings are released when you deliver, so both sides are protected. Because fan payments are currently in cryptocurrency, there are no chargebacks weeks later either.
Worked Example: A Full Custom Menu
Here is how one creator might structure a menu using the formula above:
- Base fee: £40 (includes up to 3 minutes)
- Each extra minute: £6
- Name use: £15
- Specific outfit you already own: £10
- Rush (48 hours): +30%
- Exclusive, never resold: +£50
A fan asks for an 8-minute custom with their name, delivered in 48 hours. That is £40 + (5 × £6) + £15 = £85, plus 30% rush = £110.50. The fan pays £121.55 including the service fee, and you keep £99.45. If that took you two and a half hours, you earned roughly £40 an hour — check that against your target and adjust.
When and How to Raise Your Prices
Signs your prices are too low:
- You have more custom requests than you can deliver within your stated turnaround.
- Fans never counter or ask for discounts.
- You feel resentful filming requests you used to enjoy.
Raise prices in steps of 10–20%, announce the change a week or two in advance, and honour any requests already paid for at the old price. Loyal fans tend to accept a clear, well-communicated increase far better than a sudden one.
Writing Clear Limits
Your menu should say what you will not make, not just what you will. Clear limits save you from awkward negotiations and reduce requests you have to decline. List your hard limits, your turnaround time, and your resale policy. Remember that all content must stay within the platform's content policy: consensual, between verified adults, and nothing that suggests anyone involved cannot consent.
For more on building a menu and running the whole custom workflow, see how to sell custom videos online, and for the vocabulary, see our custom content glossary entry.
FAQ
How much should a beginner charge for a custom video?
Start from your hourly target and your real time per custom rather than copying other creators. A base fee plus a per-minute rate, with a minimum order, is a sensible starting structure. Adjust after your first few orders once you know how long they take.
Should I charge per minute or per video?
A combination works best. A flat base fee covers the fixed work every custom involves, and a per-minute rate scales with length. Pure per-minute pricing tends to underpay short clips.
Is it fair to charge extra for using a fan's name?
Yes. A personalised clip cannot be resold, so you are giving up future income. Most fans expect a name add-on.
What does the fan pay on MyShrine?
The fan pays your price plus a 10% service fee, shown before they pay. You keep 90% of your price. A £100 custom costs the fan £110 and you receive £90.
What if a fan wants to negotiate?
Counter-offers are normal. On MyShrine you can send a counter-offer on a paid request; the fan can accept and pay the difference, or decline and be refunded.