Anyone searching for how to become a model runs into the same hurdles: minimum height, clothing size, comp card, agency, casting. Those rules still apply to the runway and classic photo shoots. Next to them, however, a second route has emerged that works quite differently. Companies increasingly create ad images with AI and need real people whose face they are legally allowed to use. What counts there is not how you look on a runway but that you really exist and that you have agreed.
Why AI advertising follows different rules
Since August 2, 2026, AI-generated ads showing realistic people must be labelled in the EU. Anyone showing the face of a real person also needs that person's consent, in Germany under Section 22 KUG. Companies are therefore not looking for the most famous face but for one that comes with a contract. They need people who match their audience: young and old, athletic and relaxed, with wrinkles, tattoos or glasses. Exactly the faces that classic castings rarely feature.
Becoming a model without an agency
An agency places you with clients and earns a share of every booking. For AI campaigns that step is not needed. On FaceLedger you create a verified profile, companies find you in the search and send you a request. You decide yourself whether to accept. There is no placement commission. If you already have an agency, you can keep it. Just check whether your contract contains exclusivity for digital uses, and raise it openly.
Becoming a model without experience
You need no comp card, no portfolio and no professional shoot. Photos that show you as you look in everyday life are enough for your profile: in daylight, without heavy filters, taken with a smartphone if you like. One photo is required, up to six are possible. Each one is reviewed and approved individually. Experience in front of the camera does not matter, because the motifs are later created with AI. Pose, clothing and setting are generated anew, your face stays yours.
Becoming a model at 40, 50 or 60
Advertising speaks to every age group, and many brands want to show their customers as they really are. For AI campaigns there is therefore no upper age limit. The only limit is at the bottom: you must be an adult. Best agers are a good fit whenever companies look for credible faces for topics such as health, finance, travel or home.
How much do models earn on FaceLedger?
In the classic modelling business, fees vary widely depending on client, usage and fame. On FaceLedger the calculation is transparent. Every licence costs the company at least 900 euros net, and 65 percent of it goes to you. You see the amount in the request before you accept. The payout is initiated 14 days after you accept. How many requests you receive depends on how well your profile fits current campaigns. A complete profile with several approved photos is found more often.
How to get started
1. Register and verify your identity
Registration is free and takes a few minutes. You then verify your identity with an ID document, a live selfie and a numeric code. That way nobody else can appear with your face.
2. Upload display photos
Upload at least one photo that shows you naturally. Once your identity and photo have been reviewed, your profile goes live for verified companies.
3. Set your rules
You can block up to 25 industries, such as gambling, alcohol or politics. Erotic and pornographic content is excluded for everyone.
4. Review the request and decide
Every request states the brand, campaign, term, channels, territory and your amount. You can decline without giving a reason. If you accept, a licence agreement under German law is created for exactly this campaign. Only then do you upload the photo dataset the company may work with.
What to watch out for
Agency or platform, reputable providers do not ask you for money before you have a job. Fees for being added to a model file or a costly mandatory shoot are a warning sign. With AI offers a second question comes up: do you hand over your face once and for everything, or do you license it campaign by campaign? A contract without an end date and without a deletion obligation is not a licence. On FaceLedger every use ends with the term, after which the company must delete your dataset.
Licences are currently available for people living in Germany. You can already register from other countries. You will then be placed on the waiting list and informed as soon as your country is opened.
Every AI-generated face is a legal risk. Unless it is licensed.
Protect your identity