Why Updating the Licensing Fee Schedule Matters for Canadian Image Creators
For professional photographers and image creators, understanding how to price creative work has never been more important — or more complex. In an evolving marketplace defined by digital platforms, shifting client expectations, and rapid technological change, keeping licensing and production fees up to date is essential for maintaining fair standards across the industry.
That’s why CAPIC has launched the 2025 Licensing & Production Fee Survey — to gather current, real-world data from professionals across Canada and ensure that our Licensing Fee Schedule continues to reflect today’s creative landscape.
A Tool for Transparency and Fairness
The Licensing Fee Schedule has long served as a trusted reference for photographers, illustrators, and clients alike. It offers a foundation for transparent, ethical negotiations — one that acknowledges both the creative and commercial value of professional image-making.
However, pricing structures in our industry don’t stand still. The ways images are commissioned, distributed, and used have changed dramatically since the last major update. From global social campaigns and influencer partnerships to evolving usage rights in AI and digital media, the market now includes new factors that can significantly affect the value of creative work.
By updating the Fee Schedule, we ensure that this essential tool continues to provide accurate, credible guidance that reflects today’s realities — not yesterday’s.
Why Your Input Matters
The success of this initiative depends on the insight and experience of working professionals. Every response to CAPIC’s 2025 survey adds depth and accuracy to our collective understanding of current practices in pricing, licensing, and production.
Your contribution helps:
Establish a reliable baseline for rates across different specialties and project scales
Advocate for fair compensation within the industry
Educate clients and emerging professionals on the true value of creative work
Strengthen CAPIC’s ongoing efforts in copyright advocacy and professional standards
An Industry Snapshot — Powered by Its Community
When the updated Licensing Fee Schedule is published, it will stand as more than a guide to pricing. It will represent a snapshot of Canada’s image-creation industry in 2025 — a reflection of how professionals are adapting, innovating, and sustaining their practice in a fast-changing world.
It will also reaffirm CAPIC’s role as a collective voice for image creators, dedicated to supporting ethical business practices, professional education, and the economic sustainability of our community.
How to Participate
The 2025 Licensing & Production Fee Survey is open now.
It takes approximately 13–20 minutes to complete, and all participants are entered to win gift cards from our sponsors — Vistek, Image Salon, and CAPIC.
By sharing your experience, you’re helping shape a fairer and more informed future for everyone who creates, licenses, and commissions images in Canada.