An agency is a client buying for somebody else. That changes what it negotiates, and above all what it asks for without paying.
The map of Spanish agencies
Three families, and they do not buy the same way.
Advertising and media agencies, concentrated in the large cities, buying content to feed paid campaigns continuously.
Influence agencies, which manage portfolios of creators and will often offer you the role of a listed profile rather than a supplier.
And studios and content agencies, smaller, which subcontract shoots when their schedule overflows.
The third family is the most accessible when starting out, and the most regular once established.
How they buy
In batches, with cascading approval.
A brief arrives, often already rewritten from the end client's. You are selected, then approved by the brand, then the order goes out.
Each step adds days, and the shooting schedule shrinks by the same amount. That is why an agency values a supplier able to deliver four variants at once: it absorbs the delay accumulated upstream.
What they pay
Correctly, when the scope is written down.
An agency knows the cost of a production and is not hoping for the lowest rate. What it wants to avoid is having to go back to its client for a supplement.
Hence the rule: put everything in the quote, including what may never happen. The price of an extra revision, of an additional format, of a six-month extension. Those lines do not scare people off, they reassure.
What they will try to get for free
Four things, almost always the same.
Revisions beyond the number planned, because the end client changes their mind.
Additional formats for another channel.
An extension of duration when the video works.
And the exclusivity described in the box.
None of those requests is dishonest: they arrive because nobody priced them at the start.
Payment terms
That is the point to be clear about from the first exchange.
An agency often pays after being paid by its own client, which mechanically lengthens the circuit. So ask for the real term, not the theoretical one, and ask before accepting.
Three simple protections: a deposit for a first collaboration, staged invoicing on large batches, and the order reference obtained before issuing the invoice.
The statements and obligations applicable to your invoicing depend on your situation and are checked with an accountant.
How you get into an agency roster
| Stage | What it asks for | What triggers it |
|---|---|---|
| Listing | A form and samples | An unsolicited application |
| The first test | One paid video, often short | Availability |
| The regular roster | A complete, up-to-date file | A delivery without a hitch |
What you prepare to stay on that roster
Three samples per category, a rate per format, availability updated each month and a reply within a day.
What is negotiated from the start
The payment term. An agency often pays at thirty or sixty days: knowing it beforehand decides how many orders you take at once.
How to reach them
By looking at who signs the work you see.
The campaigns you come across were produced by somebody. Identify the agency, then the person in charge of production or content, and write to them directly.
Send three examples of the same kind, shot in a category they already handle, your usual timescale, and one sentence saying that you invoice and that your documents are ready.
An agency is not looking for the most original creator. It is looking for the one it will not have to chase.
Sources
- Agencia Tributaria, Spanish tax authority
- Spanish Social Security, self-employed registration (RETA)
Checked on 4 September 2026. Thresholds and rates change: where this guide and the official source disagree, the official source is right.
