10 Questions to Ask Before Paying Someone to Make a Video Ad

Before paying anyone, a freelancer, an agency, or a tool, to make a video ad, ask ten concrete questions: who owns the finished files, how long delivery actually takes, how many revisions are included, whether the footage is real or generated, whether any music is licensed for the platform you'll post to, what happens if your brand changes after delivery, what the actual cost works out to per video, whether the format matches the platform, who is doing the work, and what happens if you're not satisfied. A vague or evasive answer to any of these is worth noticing before you pay.

1. Who owns the finished files, and can you use them anywhere?

Ask explicitly whether you receive the final video file outright, with the right to post it on any platform, run it as a paid ad, and reuse it later, or whether the arrangement only grants a licence to use it in specific ways. Some cheaper deals deliver a low-resolution watermarked file, keep the source project, or restrict use to organic posts only, which becomes a problem the moment you want to boost the video as a paid ad. Get this in writing before paying, not after delivery. If a vendor is vague about ownership, treat that as an answer in itself: assume you won't have full control over the file unless they confirm otherwise.

2. What is the actual turnaround time, in days, not "fast"?

Ask for a specific number of business days from brief to delivery, and ask what happens to that number if you're slow to reply to a question or approve a step. "Fast turnaround" and "quick delivery" are not commitments, they're marketing language, and they tend to expand once a project is underway. A specific vendor will usually give you a specific range, such as three to five business days for a first draft. If someone can't commit to a number, ask why, since a genuinely capable process usually has a known baseline it can quote, even if larger jobs take longer than smaller ones.

3. How many rounds of revisions are actually included?

Ask for the exact number of revision rounds included in the price, and what counts as one round: is it a single email with a list of changes, or does every new comment start a new round? Ask what happens once you run out: is there a flat fee per extra round, or does the vendor refuse further changes entirely? This matters because the first draft is rarely the final one, and an unclear revision policy is one of the most common places a cheap-looking quote turns expensive. Get the number and the definition of a round in writing before the project starts, not after you've used your first one.

4. Is the footage real, generated, or stock, and can you see the source?

Ask directly whether the footage in the ad is a capture of your actual product or website, generated imagery built to resemble it, or stock footage standing in for it. Ask to see the raw, unedited source material if you're not sure, since a vendor confident in their footage will usually show it without hesitation. This matters because a viewer who recognises your real interface, storefront, or product trusts the ad more than one showing a generic or invented approximation, and because a viewer who later visits your actual site and finds it doesn't match has been shown something misleading, even unintentionally. Learn the specific signs that footage was staged rather than captured.

5. Is any music in the video properly licensed for where you'll post it?

Ask whether the music in the delivered file is licensed for the specific platform and use you intend, commercial promotion, a paid ad, a particular country, since a licence that covers one use doesn't automatically cover another. If the vendor used a trending sound and baked it into the exported file rather than attaching it natively through the platform, ask why, because that approach can break the platform's own commercial-music rules and puts the licensing risk on you once it's published under your account. A vendor who can name the specific music library or licence they used is giving you a checkable answer. The mechanics of using trending audio without a licensing problem are covered in more depth here.

6. What happens if your logo, colours, or pricing change after delivery?

Ask what it costs, in time and money, to update the video if your logo, brand colours, or a price shown on screen changes months from now. Some production methods require booking a new project from scratch to make a small update, while others can regenerate the same edit with new source material. If you expect your brand or pricing to change, even slightly, over the life of this video, get a clear answer on update cost and turnaround before you commit, not after you need the update urgently. A vendor who treats a small brand update as a full re-shoot is telling you something about how the video was actually built in the first place.

7. What does this actually cost per video, and per month?

Ask for the real cost per finished video, not just the headline project fee, since a one-off price can hide ongoing costs such as hosting, revisions, or a subscription needed to keep using the tool that made it. Work out the number both ways: cost per single video, and cost if you need a steady stream of them over a month. As a concrete comparison point, sizzledraft prices at $19 for two videos or $39 a month for eight, which gives you a real number to measure other quotes against, whether you use it or not. Whatever vendor you choose, get the full cost of an ongoing arrangement in writing before assuming a low headline price is the whole story.

8. Does the delivered format actually match the platform it's for?

Ask whether the file you receive is sized and shaped for where you're actually posting it: a vertical 1080x1920 file for a phone-first feed such as TikTok, Reels, or Shorts, or a horizontal 1920x1080 file for a wide YouTube player or a website. A vendor who delivers one fixed format regardless of destination is asking you to crop or pad it yourself later, which can cut off important content or leave empty bars on screen. The reasoning behind choosing one format over another by placement, not habit, is worth understanding before you brief anyone. Confirm the exact dimensions you'll receive before paying, not after the file arrives in the wrong shape.

9. Who is actually doing the work, and is that consistent?

Ask whether the same person or team will handle your account each time, or whether work gets reassigned between projects without notice. This matters for consistency: a brand's tone, pacing preferences, and past feedback are easier to maintain when the same person is applying them, and harder when every project starts from zero with someone unfamiliar with your previous notes. It also matters for accountability, since a named point of contact is easier to raise an issue with than a rotating queue. Ask this plainly, and note whether the answer is specific, a name or a small team, or vague, a general studio process with no named individual attached to your account.

10. What happens if you're not happy with the final result?

Ask what recourse exists if the finished video doesn't meet the brief, after all included revisions are used: a partial refund, an extra revision round at a stated cost, or nothing at all. Get this answer before paying, because it's much harder to negotiate after a project has already gone wrong and money has changed hands. A vendor confident in their own process will usually have a clear, already-written policy for this rather than needing to improvise one when you ask. If the answer is vague, or amounts to "that won't happen," treat it as a warning rather than reassurance, and decide whether the risk is one you're willing to take at that price.

None of these questions require distrust, they just make the deal specific instead of assumed. Most of them are answered by default when you use sizzledraft: real screenshots from your own site, a stated price, and a file built for the platform you choose. See what it produces from your own URL.