Cameo lets you hire celebrities to create personalized videos for any occasion – here’s a full breakdown of how the service works

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• Cameo is an online service that lets people hire celebrities to create personalized videos.
• Thousands of actors, artists, and influencers have set their own rates for a Cameo video appearance.
• Cameo video prices range from as low as $1 to as high as $1,500, depending on the celebrity.

Personalized Message (small)

Cameo lets everyday people hire actors, athletes, artists, and celebrities of all types to create personalized video messages for any occasion. For example, you can hire celebrity chef Alton Brown to give a personal pep talk to a friend or hire their favorite actor to leave them a video message as a specific movie character.

Viral Cameo videos have shown just how versatile the service can be; Carole Baskin, the big-cat rights activist who rose to fame with the Netflix docuseries “Tiger King,” has been seen singing 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” as a Cameo request.

Baskin was among Cameo’s most requested stars last year, alongside Snoop Dogg, Brett Favre, and “The Office” actor Brian Baumgartner. Baumgartner earned more than $1 million from Cameo in 2020, according to Cameo CEO Steven Galanis.

Thousands of celebrities and social media influencers are available for Cameo videos – they set their own price and still have final say over whether or not they complete user requests. Prices start as low as $1 to $5 for less recognizable online talent while stars with more name recognition, like Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas, Grammy award-winning artist Chaka Khan, and venture capitalist Kevin O’Leary, charge anywhere from $650 to $1,500 for a Cameo video.

For talent big and small, Cameo gives people a way to make money directly from their celebrity, and the service puts fans directly in touch with the artists they appreciate.

How does Cameo work?

To request a Cameo, you’ll need to make an account and visit the Cameo Marketplace through the Cameo website or app, where you can sort the thousands of available celebrities based on category. Once you’ve chosen your celebrity, you’ll fill out a request form where you describe what you want your Cameo talent to do, in a maximum of 250 characters. Cameo accepts direct payment via credit card – US residents using iOS can also purchase “Cameo credits” to store in your account and exchange for videos later.

Once the request is completed, the Cameo talent has seven days to accept or deny the project. If accepted, the celebrity will record the video and Cameo will send a link to the video to the phone numbers and email addresses listed with the request. Users can download the video to keep forever and share however they like.

If the hired talent doesn’t fulfill the request within a week, all charges will be restored to the buyer’s wallet.

Some Cameo celebrities also offer live Zoom calls, though you can expect them to be more expensive than a standard Cameo video with the same talent. The Cameo app gives you the ability to chat with talent via direct messages as well. Chatting is a cheaper option if you just want to ask a celebrity a question or send a quick shout-out.

Business Cameos

Cameo offers a separate service for businesses looking to promote a product, or have a celebrity appear for a virtual event. Business Cameos have an average price of $1,000 but come with a different license for promotional and commercial use.

It’s important to note that Business Cameos are only licensed for use for 30 days after they are created. Cameo says businesses must contact the company directly to extend the license beyond thirty days. Cameo Live sessions are also available for businesses and virtual events, with a starting price of $10,000.

Companies looking to book services on Cameo can browse the marketplace on their own, or they can choose to partner with Cameo for access to their VIP service. This VIP service includes a dedicated customer success representative, prioritization for your request, and a waiving of the 5% service fee. For more information about the VIP service, companies must book a call with Cameo.

Any products being sent to a celebrity for promotional purposes must be cleared through the Cameo request process in advance, and the talent is allowed to provide their honest opinion of any product they’re asked to endorse.

Cameo also says that promotional videos cannot be edited, to avoid celebrity videos being used out of context. VIP service members can speak with their customer representative for a potential do-over if the celebrity says the wrong name or doesn’t meet expectations. Companies who choose to book through self-service have fewer options for rectification and can reach out via email to the customer service team. Unfortunately, there are no refunds or reshoots for Promotional Cameo videos if you’re unsatisfied with the final result, so be careful before you commit.

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