How Talent Managers and Agents Take a Cut of an Influencer's Brand Deals

How much does a manager or agent actually take?

A talent manager typically takes 15-20% of a brand deal's value, and an agent or agency typically takes 10-20% — both deducted from the creator's own fee, not added on top of what the brand pays. If a creator has both a manager and an agent at once, the two cuts can together remove 25-40% of the deal's gross value before the creator sees anything. In Denmark, Christina Barré, partner at communications agency Friday, told Danish outlet SE og HØR in May 2025 that having an agent costs an influencer 20-30% of revenue, calling it "a standard distribution key in the influencer industry".

The Academy already covers how a brand should negotiate when a creator is represented, in negotiating with an influencer's manager or agency vs. direct. This article flips the angle: it's written for the creator considering representation, or already signed — what the percentage actually covers, when it stacks with another percentage, and what's genuinely negotiable before signing.

Manager, agent and agency — who does what?

The three words are often used interchangeably, but they cover different roles:

In practice the line is often blurred: many smaller creators have one person acting as both manager and agent, while larger creators can have both roles filled separately — and therefore two separate bills.

Why isn't there one fixed number?

In the US entertainment industry, 10% is actually a regulated figure for part of the market: California's Talent Agency Act caps agent commission at 10% for union jobs and up to 20% for non-union work, according to Parrot Analytics' own explainer of the law. That's the historical reason "10 percent" is still used as a reference point across the wider industry.

That regulation doesn't apply in Denmark, the EU, or to digital creator deals generally — there is no Danish or EU cap on what a manager or agent may take from an influencer. The 10-20%/15-20% ranges used throughout this article are market practice reported by practicing managers themselves, not a regulated floor or ceiling. Always ask for the specific rate rather than assuming a number.

How the cuts stack if you have both

The most overlooked point for a creator considering representation isn't the percentage itself — it's what happens when two percentages apply at once.

Per one example from creator-tech company Dots' own explainer of the industry's fee structure (May 2026), both commissions are typically calculated on the same, original gross value — not one on top of the other. On a $10,000 deal, the manager takes 20% ($2,000) and the agency takes 10% of the original gross ($1,000), leaving the creator with $7,000 — 30% total, not a compounded, higher percentage.

That's a reasonable default assumption, but it isn't a guarantee. Whether both commissions are calculated on the same gross figure, or one party takes their cut of what's left after the other has already taken theirs, is a specific contract detail — and one of the most important things to confirm before signing anything if you already have, or are considering, both a manager and an agency.

Flat retainer, pure commission, or a hybrid?

Most managers and agents work on pure commission — they only earn when a deal closes. But the model varies:

• Pure commission. No payment without closed deals. Most common for individuals managing a small number of creators.
• Monthly retainer. One practicing influencer manager (Johanna B. Voss, on her own site) states she has seen retainers ranging from $800 to over $3,000 per month in the US market — paid regardless of whether a deal closes in that period.
• Hybrid. The same source describes her own model: an initial 3-month retainer followed by a reduced commission rate (10% instead of her standard rate) on every deal afterward.

No Danish figure for retainer levels was found in this research — treat the US amounts as evidence the model exists, not as a Danish norm.

Does it matter who found the deal?

Some managers distinguish between inbound deals (the brand approaches the creator directly, and the manager only negotiates terms) and outbound deals (the manager actively sources and closes the deal). The logic can run either way: some charge a lower rate on inbound because less work was involved; others charge the same rate regardless of source, because the negotiation itself is the same job. Ask directly — this is one of the factors most often open to negotiation.

What's actually negotiable when you sign

• The percentage itself. The 10-20% (agent/agency) and 15-20% (manager) ranges are a frame, not a fixed price.
• A carve-out for existing relationships. If you already have brands you built a relationship with before signing, ask for them to be excluded from commission, or negotiate a lower rate specifically for them.
• Notice period and contract length. How long are you locked in, and how much notice do you need to give to leave without complications?
• Commission after the contract ends (a "tail" clause). Across sales and brokerage agreements generally, it's common for an intermediary to keep the right to commission on deals that were in progress while the contract was still active, for a period after it ends — typically 6-24 months depending on the industry, per contract-reference site ContractKen. No documented, influencer-specific figure for this period was found in this research — but the pattern appears often enough in reporting on management contracts that it's worth asking directly whether your own contract has a similar clause, and if so, for how long and which deals it covers.
• The inbound vs. outbound rate, as above.

Red flags before you sign

• No written contract. A verbal agreement on a percentage isn't something you can point back to if a dispute arises.
• Commission on everything, with no exceptions. If the contract claims commission on any income at all — including relationships you built long before signing — that's a red flag.
• No clear termination clause. If you can't work out how and when you can exit the agreement, get it clarified before signing, not after.
• A rate meaningfully above 20% with no explanation of what the extra covers (for example, a broader bundle of services beyond deal negotiation alone).
• No clarity on what happens if you have both a manager and an agent. If you can't get a clear answer on whether the commissions are both calculated on the same gross figure, that's a question you need answered before you're carrying two bills on the same deal.

Decision framework: is representation worth the cut?

IF you're a nano or micro creator (under roughly 100,000 followers) and deals rarely arrive on their own → your time is probably better spent pitching brands yourself and building your own media kit than handing over 10-20% of every deal.

IF your time is going into negotiation and admin instead of content, and deal volume has grown noticeably → the maths starts to make sense, provided you can verify the manager is actually landing more or better deals than you would have closed yourself.

IF you already have strong, direct relationships with specific brands → negotiate a carve-out for them before you sign anything, not afterward.

IF you're considering both a manager and an agent at once → get it in writing how the two commissions are calculated relative to each other before agreeing to either.

Worked example

Hypothetical figures for illustration only — not a real Make Influence customer case.

A creator signs a DKK 20,000 deal with a brand. The creator has both a manager (18%) and an agency (12%), and both calculate their commission on the original gross value, as described in the stacking section above:

• Manager: 18% of DKK 20,000 = DKK 3,600
• Agency: 12% of DKK 20,000 = DKK 2,400
• Total commission: DKK 6,000 (30% of the deal's value)
• Creator keeps: DKK 14,000

The brand's price is still DKK 20,000, regardless of how it's split behind the scenes. What changes for the creator is that 30% of the deal never arrives — a concrete figure to factor in when comparing a represented offer against negotiating the same deal directly.

Make Influence's perspective

Make Influence is not a talent manager or an agency, and we do not take a management commission from creators on our platform. We negotiate and pay out directly to the individual creator, or to the contact the creator has designated — including a manager or agency, if the creator is represented. Whatever commission that manager or agency then takes from the payout is an arrangement between the creator and their own representative, and happens outside our platform. We can't put a number on that for any individual creator, which is exactly why it matters to know your own contract before comparing offers.

FAQ

Is a manager the same as an agency?

Not necessarily. A manager often represents only one or a few creators personally, while an agency typically has a larger roster and more staff to split the workload across.

Can I negotiate the percentage down?

Yes, particularly if you come with a documented track record or already have brand relationships you built yourself. The rate is rarely fixed across every creator at the same agency.

Do I owe commission on deals I find myself while under contract?

That depends entirely on what the contract says — which is exactly why it needs to be explicit, not assumed. Some contracts exclude deals the creator brings in themselves; others don't. Get it confirmed in writing before signing.

What's the difference between this commission and the commission I negotiate with the brand?

They're two different things that happen to share a word. The manager's or agency's commission is a fee for representation, paid out of the creator's own fee. The performance commission the Academy covers in how much commission should influencers get is part of the payment model with the brand itself, based on tracked sales. The two can appear in the same deal without affecting each other.

What if I want to end the agreement with my manager?

Check the contract's termination clause and any post-termination commission clause before acting — see the negotiable-terms section above. An exclusivity clause can also be relevant; see exclusivity clauses in influencer contracts for the general mechanic, even though that article is written from the brand's side of a deal.

Is joining a creator collective better than hiring a manager?

It's a different model with different economics — see creator collectives: what they are and whether brands should work with them for the distinction, including that a collective is typically built by creators themselves, while a manager or agency is an external third party paid a fee.