UGC for Nutrition Apps: What a Brand Account Needs From Your File

UGC is video you film that the brand posts on its own account and from its own social profiles. Your offer says which parts of the process are yours: do you own the files, can you repost them, can the brand edit them or use them in ads. If your deal includes UGC, these are the specs and workflows that make the handoff clean and keep the brand able to turn your video into what its audience expects.

What does the brand need from your files?

Two versions of every video: a primary cut with all your effects, music and color grading dialled in, and a parallel raw cut that the brand can layer with its own sound and captions. The primary answers the question "does this moment work for my audience?" The raw cut gives the brand complete control over the audio track it publishes with, which is why it exists.

Both files should be vertical, at 9:16 resolution, which is full screen on modern phones. Record on your phone or your camera, shoot with the action and any on-screen text all the way to the edges so the brand does not have to crop, and keep movement or talking going from the start to the end so there is no dead space for the brand to cut out. If you are using an external camera, export at 9:16 after you colour grade; do not force the brand to crop a 16:9 file to fit a vertical feed.

What should each version contain?

Your primary cut is the finished reel. Add music, captions, effects, colour grading, jump cuts, everything you would normally add. Make it look like you. The brand will watch it to decide whether to use it and get a sense of the moment and pacing.

Your raw cut is the same video with no music, no SFX, and no motion graphics or captions. If you have natural dialogue in the primary (you talking, ambient conversation), keep that in the raw cut. If you have voice-over in the primary, provide a version with just the natural audio. If you prefer your raw cut to be completely silent, that is fine too. The brand will add its own music, voiceover and captions to match its posting schedule and brand voice, or sometimes it will strip it back further for different platforms or regions.

What if the app wants captions?

The brand may add hard captions (burned-in text) or soft captions (a separate file). Do not burn captions into your files. If your offer requires captions in the video itself, the brand should ask for that and put it in writing, because burned-in captions cannot be removed or translated. Let the brand handle captions in post, so it can adjust the language, timing and size to fit its own posting needs. Your video should be clean and ready to caption.

What should your file names be?

Use a naming convention the brand can scan across dozens of files from dozens of creators. A good pattern includes your identifier, the date, and a description of the moment:

Component	Format	Example
Your initials or code	UGC_INITIALS_ or UGC_CODE_	UGC_AB_ or UGC_PROMO2024_
Date filmed	YYYYMMDD	20260915
Moment or scene	short description	breakfast_scan
Version	PRIMARY or RAW	PRIMARY.mp4 or RAW.mp4
Full example		UGC_AB_20260915_breakfast_scan_PRIMARY.mp4

Do not use special characters (@, #, &) in file names. Do not include your handles or full name in the file name itself if you prefer the brand to list you as "featuring creator" instead of by name. Ask the brand which information it wants in the file names during the briefing. For more on how UGC fits with owned content, see when to film your own account versus UGC.

When should you send the files, and in what format?

Ask the brand how it prefers to receive files during the initial conversation. A few workflows that work: a shared Google Drive or Dropbox folder, a frame.io project (video collaboration software that lets the brand comment on specific scenes), WeTransfer for large files, or a cloud storage system the brand specifies. Avoid sending video files as a direct email attachment unless the brand asks for it; attachment size limits and mail-server compression are built to handle text and small images, not full-resolution video, so a link-based transfer is the safer default.

Export your videos as MP4 (H.264 codec, 1080p minimum, 9:16 aspect ratio). If the brand has specific codec, bitrate or frame-rate requirements, ask for them in writing before you start editing and include them in your shot list.

Who owns the files and what can each of you do with them?

This is set per creator and written into the offer before filming. Your agreement might say:

• You own the files. You can repost them, edit them, use them anywhere you want. The brand gets a limited right to post them on specified channels during a specified time window.
• The brand owns the files. The brand can edit, repost, translate, use in ads, and keep them indefinitely. You cannot repost without permission.
• You own the files, but the brand has a time-limited exclusive. You can repost after a specified period (30 days, 60 days, etc.), but not before. The brand publishes first and has a window to make the content look exclusive on its feed.
• You own the files for your own account, but the brand can repurpose. You can repost, but the brand can also edit, remix, translate and use the video in ways you did not create. Paid ads might be included, or might not. Check the fine print.

Ownership also matters for how you can use the files. If you own them, you can pitch the moment to other apps or use it in your own portfolio. If the brand owns them or has an exclusive, you cannot. Before you film, make sure the agreement spells out what you retain and what you give up. See the full rights breakdown in what usage rights are set per deal.

What is a shot list and when do you need one?

A shot list is a simple document describing every scene and what the brand should expect: "Scene 1: Creator in kitchen at 7am, pulls phone out, scans breakfast plate. 45 seconds. Natural audio. No captions." Provide it before you start shooting or send it along with your files, so the brand knows what is coming and can plan how to use each video. It also helps if the brand needs to pick which video to post on which day or in which order.

What else should be in the agreement before you film?

• Ownership and exclusivity. Can you repost? When? Can the brand edit the video?
• Usage rights. Can the brand use the video in paid ads, in other countries, in perpetuity?
• Compensation. Is this work for hire, a flat fee, or part of a larger deal? When are you paid?
• Disclosure. How does the brand tag you when it posts? Do you get tagged, or does the post say "sponsored content"?
• Revisions. If the brand does not like a scene, can it ask you to re-shoot? Is there a revision budget in your fee?
• Timeline. When do you deliver, and when can the brand start posting?

These details are unique to every creator and every deal. The offer should put all of it in writing before you film, so there are no surprises when the brand receives your files or when you see the videos posted. For a full checklist of what to ask before filming any content, see what questions to ask before you film.