When a brand in Spain decides to commission UGC, two routes appear: an agency or a creator marketplace. Both get you people who film. They differ on three concrete points, and the right answer depends on volume and on who is going to run the process.
What each one does
The agency
The agency brings strategy, selection, briefing, follow up and a single invoice. It charges for that work, usually with a margin on the creator fee or a management fee.
The marketplace
The marketplace gives you direct access to creators, with visible prices and per job hiring. You run the brief and the process; the price is lower because the coordination work is yours.
When each one pays off
An agency
If you need few pieces a year but with high complexity: a regulated category, legal approvals, on location shoots, campaigns with talent and sets.
A marketplace
If you need constant volume, want to test many hooks, have a clear brief and prefer to pay for the creator's work rather than for coordination.
Many brands end up combining: an agency for the big campaign, a marketplace for the monthly flow of paid media creatives.
The three questions to always ask
Who holds the rights
If the agency signs with the creator, check that the assignment reaches you, and with what term and territory.
What happens with exclusivity
Some agencies block the creator from other brands; that has value and also a cost.
How and when the creator is paid
An intermediary that pays late leaves you without the best creators on the second campaign, even if you paid on time.
The mistake that repeats
Choosing on unit price without looking at total cost: discarded pieces, revision rounds, internal management time and rights bought beyond need. That calculation, not the rate, is what decides which option is actually cheaper.
Where to go next
There is no single answer, there is an answer per volume. Our complete UGC guide for brands covers briefing, usage rights and process.
