Launching Video-on-Demand Content (VOD)

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VOD Onboarding Overview

Watch this video for a brief walkthrough of the onboarding process for publishing VOD content on Prime Video.

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Watch this video for a brief walkthrough of the onboarding process for publishing VOD content on Prime Video.

What Is Slate?

Slate is your central hub for managing your VOD catalog on Prime Video. You will use Catalog Manager within Slate to manage your catalog day to day. There are other parts of Slate covered outside of the delivery sections.

Here is a quick overview of the Catalog Manager tabs you will use most.

You will hear from us when your Slate account is ready.

How to Access Slate

To access Slate, you need an email address linked to your Amazon account. To give other users access, go to Account Settings and select User Access and Permissions. There you can add users and set the right permission levels.

See the User Access and Permissions Support Guide for step-by-step instructions.

Bank and Tax Setup (Payees)

Before you can be paid, complete your tax interview. You must also complete your banking and tax details in the Slate portal.

Log in to Slate, and in the top-right corner select the Account Settings dropdown and select Payees, Bank and Tax. Here you will see the payee listed for your contract.

Select the more options icon next to the payee, then select Add bank and tax. Follow the on-screen prompts to enter your details. The more options icon only appears if you have the right permissions.

If you cannot see your payee or run into any issues, troubleshoot using the Slate Support Assistant. You can also reach out to Contact Us.

Quick Tip

Visit the Financial Onboarding Support Guide for more information on payment and tax setup.

Your Options

1. Direct delivery: You deliver content to Prime Video yourself.
2. Preferred Fulfillment Vendor (PFV): A certified third-party vendor delivers on your behalf. For more information, review our Preferred Vendor Services Overview.

If you choose direct delivery, we expect you to complete the relevant training for your chosen file upload method. We also recommend running a test delivery to confirm your setup.

Choosing a Preferred Fulfillment Vendor reduces launch timelines and simplifies the delivery process.

Important

Regardless of who delivers your content, you are still responsible for submitting your content rights and launch schedule. Review the content rights section of the Delivery Specifications (Step 3). Do this even if a vendor handles the rest of your delivery.

Choose Your File Upload Method

If you are delivering directly, your recommended option is Amazon S3 Push Delivery. If S3 is not an option for you, IBM Aspera on Cloud is available as an alternative.

Quick Tip

If you plan to use mRSS as a publishing tool, Amazon S3 is required. mRSS is not compatible with Aspera on Cloud.

We expect you to review Prime Video’s Delivery Specifications before you begin delivering content. These specifications define the requirements your content must meet.

The Slate Support Guide covers the following specification areas:

1. Content rights: Territory, license type, duration, and pricing for your titles.
2. Metadata: Metadata field requirements.
3. Artwork: Specifications, required types, aspect ratios, and resolution requirements.
4. Video: Main mezzanine video formatting, accepted formats, and promotional video delivery.
5. Audio: Technical guidelines, channel mapping, descriptive audio, and file validation.
6. Timed text: Captions, subtitles, frame rates, positioning, and localized language style guides.
7. Dub cards: Requirements and technical specifications.
8. Localization quality: Standards and responsible use of AI.
9. Linear and live events: Requirements, quality standards, and the downloadable linear channel ingest guide.

Important

Reviewing the delivery specifications is expected before your first delivery. This is your responsibility and helps you avoid common delivery issues.

Prime Video offers three self-service publishing tools. The right choice depends on your technical setup, content type, and catalog volume.

Review the information for your chosen tool before your first delivery.

Quick Tip

If you are unsure which tool fits your workflow, ask your Prime Video contact. They can help you decide based on your catalog size and delivery preferences.

What a Test Package May Include

If you choose to test, a comprehensive test package may include:

Quick Tip

Label test content clearly so it is easy to identify. Add the suffix “_test” to all asset and file names during test rounds.

• A movie package with an associated trailer
• A single TV series with 2 seasons, 2 episodes per season, and bonus material within a single season

Before content ingestion begins, submit your full launch catalog content rights. This allows Prime Video to track, review, and merchandise your content.

Your content rights can be submitted ahead of or alongside your initial deliveries.

Once submitted, you will begin ingesting your content. A Prime Video contact will follow up to ensure deliveries stay on track and your catalog is ready for launch.

After launching, you enter Steady State. This is the ongoing phase of your partnership. You are expected to meet Service Level Agreements, which vary by content type.

See the Service Level Agreement Support Guide for the full breakdown.