"How much per clip" is the question we get asked more than almost anything else, usually from someone who just quoted a client on the spot and is now second-guessing the number an hour later. It's a fair thing to second-guess. Per-clip pricing looks simple from the outside and gets messy fast once you're actually running it.
We covered the retainer side of pricing in our agency pricing guide. This one is narrower on purpose: what to actually charge per clip, why the number changes depending on what kind of clip it is, and where most people leave money on the table without noticing.
Why "per clip" isn't one price
A clip that's just a clean cut with auto-captions from a well-lit podcast recording takes a few minutes once your pipeline is set up. A clip that needs a hook rewritten, b-roll pulled in, custom captions styled to match brand, and a fourth revision because the client changed their mind about the intro takes closer to an hour. Charging both the same rate means you're either overcharging on the easy ones or losing money on the hard ones, and most people don't notice which until they add up a month of hours.
The fix isn't complicated. Price by complexity tier, not by "a clip." Here's what that looks like in practice, based on rates we're seeing hold up across agencies and solo editors in 2026.
The 2026 rate card
Clean cut from source, auto-captions (lightly reviewed), single aspect ratio, no revisions beyond a typo fix
Podcast and talking-head content with decent audio and simple framing
Hook selection, styled captions, one revision round, multi-platform export, basic b-roll or zoom-ins where useful
Most client work: coaches, founders, brands posting regularly across TikTok and Reels
Custom hook writing, motion graphics or animated text, sourced b-roll, sound design, two+ revision rounds
High-production brand content, launch clips, anything meant to carry paid spend
These ranges assume you're using AI tools for the mechanical layer, transcription, clip detection, reframing, so a person is spending time on judgment calls, not manual cutting. If you're doing that part by hand, the lower end of each range stops being realistic. Push toward the top of the range or add 30 to 40 percent to cover the extra hours.
What actually moves the price
Complexity tier gets you most of the way there, but a few other things push the number up or down and are worth pricing explicitly instead of absorbing quietly.
- Source footage quality: bad audio or messy framing adds real time, price it, don't eat it
- Turnaround: standard 48-72 hours is baseline, anything under 24 hours is 1.5x to 2x
- Platform count: each additional aspect ratio or platform-specific edit is +$10-20 per clip
- Revisions past the included round: $15-30 per clip, per round
- Volume: clients ordering 30+ clips a month should get 10-15 percent off list, not more
That last one trips people up. Volume discounts feel generous and win the pitch, but past 15 percent off you're usually better off moving that client to a retainer instead of stacking discounts on a per-clip rate. If you're negotiating a bigger cut just to keep the deal, that's a sign the model, not the price, is wrong for this client.
When per-clip pricing is the right call
Per-clip works well for one-off projects, trial batches with a new client, or repurposing a single long-form asset like a keynote or webinar. It's clean, it's easy to quote, and clients understand exactly what they're paying for.
It stops working once a client becomes a recurring source of ongoing volume. At that point every incentive flips: they're motivated to ask for more clips because each one feels small in isolation, and you're stuck re-quoting and re-negotiating every month instead of just producing. That's the point to move them onto a retainer, which we go through in detail in the retainer vs. project pricing breakdown.
A quick gut check before you send a quote
Take your per-clip rate, multiply by realistic clips-per-hour for that complexity tier, and see what your effective hourly rate comes out to. If a "basic cut" at $30 a clip is actually taking you 25 minutes once you count review and export, that's about $72 an hour, which might be fine. If it's taking 45 minutes because your pipeline isn't set up for it yet, that's under $40 an hour, and the rate card isn't the problem, your workflow is.
Common questions
How much should I charge per short-form video clip in 2026?
Basic cuts run $25-$45 per clip, standard edits with styled captions and light b-roll run $50-$90, and premium edits with motion graphics or custom hooks run $100-$200+. The right number depends on complexity, turnaround, and how many platforms you're exporting for.
Should I price the same rate for every clip?
No. A flat rate either overcharges simple clips or undercharges complex ones. Split your pricing into two or three complexity tiers so the rate actually reflects the work.
How big a discount should I give for volume?
Cap it around 10-15 percent for larger monthly orders. Beyond that, you're usually better off moving the client to a retainer instead of discounting per-clip rates further.
Is per-clip or retainer pricing better for agencies?
Per-clip works for one-off projects and new clients. Once a client becomes a recurring, ongoing source of volume, a retainer gives you more predictable revenue and removes the incentive for clients to keep padding clip counts.
Make your per-clip rate actually profitable
Skapo handles the mechanical layer, clip detection, reframing, captions, bulk export, so a "basic cut" actually takes minutes instead of eating into your margin.
Try it freePosted by the Skapo team, July 2026