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Podcast Producer Retainer Payment Agreement

This Podcast Producer Retainer Payment Agreement (the "Agreement") is entered into by and between the freelance audio professional and/or production agency (the "Producer") and the individual or business entity hiring their services (the "Client").

1. Monthly Retainer & Recurring Payments

The Client agrees to engage the Producer on a recurring monthly retainer basis. The Client shall pay a monthly retainer fee of $[Amount] (the "Retainer Fee") in advance. The first payment is due prior to the commencement of any work, and subsequent payments will be auto-billed and processed on the [Day, e.g., 1st] of each consecutive calendar month.

No production, audio editing, show notes preparation, or platform management will begin or continue in any billing cycle until the Retainer Fee has been paid in full via the MicroFreelanceHub payment portal.

2. Included Services & Deliverables

The monthly Retainer Fee covers the production of up to [Number, e.g., 4] podcast episodes per billing cycle. Each episode package includes:

• Editing and mastering of up to [Number, e.g., 45] minutes of raw audio file length (with a maximum raw tape ratio of 2:1).
• Vocal leveling, background noise reduction, and integration of standard intro/outro/music tracks.
• ID3 metadata tagging and file delivery in MP3 format.
• Drafting of basic show notes, including guest bio and links (up to 200 words).
• Uploading of the finalized master file to the Client’s host platform (e.g., Libsyn, Spotify for Podcasters) and scheduling.

3. Payment Due Date & Late Fees

Payment of the monthly Retainer Fee is due on or before the first day of each billing cycle. If payment is not received within three (3) business days of the due date, all active production work, file hosting uploads, and guest booking communications will be paused immediately. A late fee of 5% of the outstanding balance will be applied to payments delayed by more than five (5) business days.

4. Review & Approval Workflow

To maintain a consistent release schedule, the Client and Producer agree to the following workflow:

• Draft Delivery: The Producer will deliver the first draft of an episode audio file to the Client within [Number, e.g., 5] business days of receiving all complete raw assets.
• Client Review Window: The Client has forty-eight (48) hours from draft delivery to request edits. Feedback must be submitted via the designated approval channel.
• Deemed Approval: If no revision requests are received within forty-eight (48) hours, the draft will be deemed approved, finalized, and scheduled for distribution.
• Revision Limits: The Retainer Fee includes up to [Number, e.g., 2] rounds of minor structural or audio level edits. Major content changes or re-editing due to host script changes will incur additional fees.

5. Unused Time & Episode Expiration

The monthly retainer covers availability and dedicated studio space. Unused episode allocations or production hours do not roll over to the following month. Any unused episodes at the end of a billing cycle are forfeit. The Client cannot accumulate or "hoard" episode credits to request bulk editing in a single week.

6. Additional Work & Rush Fees

Any work requested outside the scope of the Included Services will be billed at an out-of-scope rate of $[Amount] per hour, approved by the Client before work begins. Raw files delivered to the Producer less than seventy-two (72) hours before their scheduled release time will be subject to an automatic $[Amount] or [Percentage]% Rush Surcharge.

7. Pause & Cancellation Terms

Either party may terminate or pause this retainer agreement by providing at least thirty (30) days' written notice prior to the next billing cycle. If the Client cancels or pauses mid-cycle, no pro-rated refunds will be issued for that month's Retainer Fee, and the Producer will complete any pending episodes covered by that cycle's payment.