Your first paid UGC gig
Updated October 2026
The hardest UGC deal to land is the first one. Big brands want a portfolio; you need paid work to build one. Indie app builders are a way out of that loop: they want someone who gets their app and makes honest videos, and their first budgets are small enough to say yes to a newer creator.
What a first gig looks like
- 2–3 short videos (20–40 seconds) showing the app being used, delivered as files or posted on your account.
- A clear brief: who the app is for and the one thing it does well.
- A fixed price agreed upfront, often $50–150 per video for newer creators.
How to win it without a portfolio
- Make one sample for free, for yourself. Pick any app you use and make the video you'd make for them. Link it in your offer.
- Be specific. “3 videos: unboxing-style first open, a 5-second problem hook, and a day-in-the-life” beats “I make great content”.
- Read the brief and say one thing about the app. Most applicants don't.
Getting paid safely
Agree the deliverables and price before you start, and get paid through a platform that holds the money. On Shoutyard the builder pays when they pick you, and you're paid when they approve, or automatically 5 days after you deliver.
Where to find these gigs
Shoutyard is the distribution marketplace for vibe coders. Builders post their app and what they need; you send a short fixed-price offer. Free to join.
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