Retainer

A Retainer is a recurring fee paid to a creator, consultant, or service provider to secure their availability and services over a defined period — typically monthly or quarterly. Unlike project-based fees, a retainer provides predictable, recurring income for the creator and guaranteed access for the client. In the creator economy, retainers are common in content strategy consulting, social media management, and ongoing brand ambassador relationships. Retainer agreements should clearly define the scope of services included, the number of deliverables per period, response time expectations, and the process for requesting work beyond the retainer scope.