Partner Video Distribution
Music Video Content Requirements
Partner Pricing
Fee per video per DSP:
H.264 (HD) - Facebook, Spotify, Tidal, Vevo
$35
H.264 (4K) - Facebook, Spotify, Tidal, Vevo:
$45
ProRes (HD)- Apple Music, Amazon Music:
$65
ProRes (4K) - Apple Music, Amazon Music:
$85
The following issues can be approved but MIGHT be rejected by DSPs (e.g. VEVO/Apple Music):
- Hash tags
- Scrolling credits accompanying music and visuals
- The following displayed for no more than 3 seconds at end of video:
Album Single Pack Shots (Cover Art)
Logos: Record Label, Management, Production Company, Charitable Foundation
The following issues WILL FAIL at Apple Music. They will also FAIL at Vevo (unless pre-approved):
- Release Dates (including Coming Soon and Out Now)
- Logo Bugs / Chyrons / Lower Third Graphics
- Burned in Logos
- Brand or Product Logos
- Digital/Physical retail or DSP callouts/buttons
- URLs / Twitter Handles / Instagram Handles
- Text credits on a static screen with no music (i.e. title cards.)
- Missing black frame at the beginning and end of the video
Facebook, Spotify, TIDAL & VEVO
All videos must begin and end with at least one black frame for VEVO. Re: VEVO, please see above for possible rejections and avoid them in your video.
Video Specifications
- Compression Type: H.264
- File Format: .mp4
- Dimensions: 1920x1080 (preferred)
- Frame Rate: Native (No less than 23.98)
- Bit Rate: 20mbps (Minimum 7500 kb/s, if necessary)
- File must be de‐Interlaced (Please, no Interlacing)
- Multi-pass encoding is preferred
- Do not use frame re-ordering in your encoding settings
- Do not include front or end slates, title or end cards, etc.
Audio Specifications
- Format: AAC
- Channels: Stereo (L R)
- Sample Rate: 44.100 kHz
- Bit Rate: 320 kbps CBR
Important Vevo Channel Creation Information
- Vevo Channel requests for new artists and/or artists needing a Vevo Channel created should be submitted three weeks out from the video release date.
- While compound artists will be credited, the video can only be associated to a single artist's Vevo channel.
- Artist profile photo must be at least 5000 x 5000 px at 72 dpi.
Amazon & Apple Music
All videos must begin and end with at least one black frame for iTunes/Apple. In addition, videos that begin with or contain empty edits will be blocked; the file can contain an empty edit in its edit list only if it is the last edit. Please see the beginning of this document for possible rejections and avoid them in your video.
Accepted Delivery Formats
Apple ProRes 4444 (.mov file container)
Digital Betacam
Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) (.mov file container)
HDCAM 4:2:2
Video Specifications
Standard
Resolution
Frame Rates
Color Space
4K
4096 x 2304
29.97p / 25p / 24p / 23.98p
ITU-R BT.2020
4096 x 2048
29.97p / 25p / 24p / 23.98p
4096 x 2160
29.97p / 25p / 24p / 23.98p
4096 x 1714
29.97p / 25p / 24p / 23.98p
3996 x 2160
29.97p / 25p / 24p / 23.98p
3840 x 2160
29.97p / 25p / 24p / 23.98p
HD
1920 x 1080
29.97i / 29.97p /25i / 25p / 24p / 23.98p
ITU-R BT.709
1280 x 720
29.97p / 25p / 24p / 23.98p
SD
720 x 486
29.97i (Lower Field First)
ITU-R BT.601
720 x 480
29.97i
720 x 576
25i / 25p
Audio Specifications
Stereo
5.1 Audio (+LT/RT)
Audio Codec: Linear PCM Format: Big Endian or Little Endian
Sample Depth: 16-bit or 24-bit
Sample Size: 48kHz
Audio must be stereo paired
Audio Track 1: Ch.1 Left (Front)
Audio Track 2: Ch.2 Right (Front)
Audio Track 3: Ch.3 Center
Audio Track 4: Ch.4 LFE
Audio Track 5: Ch.5 Left Surround
Audio Track 6: Ch.6 Right Surround
Audio Track 7: Ch.7 & 8 Left Total / Right Total (Stereo Pair)
Any external audio provided for an editorial session MUST be 48kHz .wav / .aiff audio file. 44.1kHz audio will NOT be accepted
Audio levels should remain constant at -6db as much as possible. Please prevent audio levels going below -12db
If you are unsure of the specifications of your video file, use the Probe feature (Release Editor > Tracks) to view the full specifications of the video and audio and compare to the above.
Artwork for Music Video Releases
Unlike audio releases, cover art for music video releases requires 16:9 aspect ratio, with minimum dimensions of 1920x1080 pixels @ 300dpi.
The artwork must be created with a still image thumbnail from the video itself. The thumbnail image must not include any black bars or framing. For full details about proper image formatting, please review Apple's guidelines at the link below:
https://help.apple.com/itc/videoaudioassetguide/#/itc0e49b485c
Asset Ingestion
Before uploading a music video, the video and thumbnail files must be organized in an individual folder for the product. The file choreography should appear as follows:
My Video — Product folder (folder name will be set as the product title)
- My Video.mov — Video file (file name will be set as track title)
- thumbnail.jpg — Thumbnail cover art
Files can be uploaded to Unchained via the following link:
https://www.dropbox.com/request/UsNpgbdL5bzLHH02hzSq
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