Aggregator Delivery Workflow

Updated

An aggregator takes your master and supporting assets, checks them, and delivers them to streaming and VOD platforms. Here is who is operating, what Filmhub's published spec asks for, and how to size and upload the files.

Aggregators in 2026

Checked against each company's own site in October 2026. Aggregators change hands and terms often, so read the current agreement and spec before you sign or export. The Apple TV and Prime Video delivery guide explains how Apple and Amazon take titles through aggregators.

Filmhub

Operating

Self-serve aggregator that publishes its full delivery spec in its help center (summarized below).

Bitmax

Operating

Prepares and delivers titles to TVOD, AVOD and SVOD platforms, including QC and fixes to meet each platform's spec. No public spec sheet: specs come during onboarding.

Quiver

Changed

Quiver's site now sends new film and TV submissions to Premiere Digital's aggregation service and no longer takes short films.

Distribber

Closed

Shut its offices in September 2019 owing filmmakers money. Older guides still list it.

FilmTrack, also listed in some older guides, is rights and royalty management software, not an aggregator.

Example Spec: Filmhub

Filmhub publishes its requirements in full, so it makes a useful reference. Other aggregators and platforms differ in the details.

Video codec
ProRes 422 or 422 HQ preferred (LT and Proxy rejected); DNxHR SQ and up; DNxHD 145 and up for 1080p
H.264 / H.265
Accepted at no less than 15 Mbit/s for HD and 50 Mbit/s for UHD
Resolution
Native source resolution, at least 640 px wide; no upscaling, letterboxing or pillarboxing
Frame rate
Original rate: 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94 or 60; progressive, square pixels
Audio
5.1 or 7.1 recommended, stereo accepted; PCM at 48 kHz/16-bit or better; levels around −24 LUFS
Captions
English SDH required for every title, as SRT (SCC only if it is the sole source)
Artwork
2:3 at 1400×2100, 3:4 at 1575×2100 and 16:9 at 1920×1080, with the title; JPEG or PNG
Program file
No bars, slate, tone or timecode track; start and end on black, 2 seconds at most either side

Extras some platforms ask for

Filmhub notes that some channels need extra assets, such as a trailer or 16:9 textless key art. Its spec also says that for Amazon Prime Video the main video must open with a title card that matches the title name. A textless version of the film, M&E tracks and music cue sheets are common in distributor deals but are not part of Filmhub's base requirements; the distribution deliverables guide covers what distributors ask for.

Delivery Workflow

1

Export the Master

Export a fresh file from the finished project at its native resolution and frame rate. Don't re-encode an existing compressed file.

ProRes 422 HQ is accepted everywhere Filmhub's pages mention ProRes
Keep the original frame rate and square pixels
Remove bars, slate, tone and the timecode track
Start and end the program on black
The numbers

Size in GB = Mbit/s × seconds ÷ 8,000. A 90-minute feature in ProRes 422 HQ is about 119 GB at 1080p 23.976 (176 Mbit/s) and about 477 GB at UHD 24p (707 Mbit/s), using Apple's target rates.

2

Captions, Artwork and Trailer

Most rejections are for the supporting assets, not the picture. Build them to the spec, not from memory.

English SDH captions as SRT, with sound cues in brackets
Key art at every required aspect ratio, title legible at thumbnail size
A trailer that matches the main video's aspect ratio and audio layout
Synopses, cast and crew, and genre metadata
The numbers

Filmhub caption limits: 43 characters a line, two lines, no more than 25 characters a second, each caption on screen for 0.6 to 8 seconds.

3

Quality Control

Watch the whole file before upload. The aggregator's QC, and each platform's, will.

Check sync and levels from first frame to last
Look for burned-in watermarks, URLs or temp graphics
Check captions against picture and audio
Generate checksums (MD5 or SHA-256) to confirm the upload arrived intact
The numbers

Filmhub asks for captions to appear and disappear within 0.5 seconds of the audio they describe.

4

Upload and Submit

Upload the master and assets, fill in the metadata, and respond to QC notes.

Upload over a wired connection and leave time for retries
Submit metadata and artwork through the aggregator's dashboard
Fix and resubmit anything QC flags
Keep the master and a copy of every asset you sent
The numbers

Upload time in seconds = GB × 8,000 ÷ upload Mbit/s. 100 GB at 100 Mbit/s is 8,000 seconds, about 2.2 hours at full speed.

What Most Aggregators Expect

Video

  • Mezzanine codec: ProRes 422 HQ, ProRes 422 or DNxHR
  • Native resolution: don't upscale to reach 4K
  • Progressive, square pixels, original frame rate
  • No letterbox or pillarbox bars added to fill a frame

Audio

  • 48 kHz PCM, the safest choice for a master
  • 5.1 or 7.1 if you have it, plus stereo
  • No clipping, dropouts or phase problems
  • Some platforms and distributors also ask for M&E or stems; check before you finish the mix

Captions and Subtitles

  • English SDH captions for every title
  • SRT is the most widely accepted format; the caption and subtitle formats guide compares it with the others
  • No full burned-in subtitles on the main video
  • Forced (burned-in) subtitles only for foreign-language lines

File Size and Upload Time

90-minute feature

  • • ProRes 422 HQ, 1080p 23.976 (176 Mbit/s): ~119 GB
  • • ProRes 422, 1080p 23.976 (117 Mbit/s): ~79 GB
  • • ProRes 422 HQ, UHD 24p (707 Mbit/s): ~477 GB
  • • H.264 HD at Filmhub's 15 Mbit/s minimum: ~10 GB
  • • H.264 UHD at Filmhub's 50 Mbit/s minimum: ~34 GB
  • • Size from any bitrate: the free bitrate calculator works it out in your browser; more rates in the storage planning guide

Upload time at full speed

  • • 50 GB at 100 Mbit/s: ~1.1 hours
  • • 100 GB at 100 Mbit/s: ~2.2 hours
  • • 200 GB at 100 Mbit/s: ~4.4 hours
  • • 50 GB at 50 Mbit/s: ~2.2 hours
  • • 100 GB at 50 Mbit/s: ~4.4 hours
  • • Real uploads run slower; plan overnight for large masters. The free upload time calculator works it out for your line