SUBMISSION GUIDELINES INTRO
Sony Music Entertainment (SME) accepts a variety of archival-ready formats for ingestion but requires that the media be submitted as its native source (original frame rate and resolution) and adheres to international standards. Please also note that submission of content that does not meet SME’s preferred file specs will most likely result in a processing delay.
Masters that have been standards-converted (PAL to or from NTSC) by conventional 4-field linear conversion equipment are NOT acceptable. Please provide masters in the native frame rate / resolution in which the content was produced.
Video DVDs and compressed codecs such as H.264 are NOT considered a broadcast-ready or master format, and are not acceptable. In the event that a submission to SME does not pass our QC, you will be notified and offered a chance to replace said material prior to delivery.
ASSET FORMATS
Preferred formats:
- SDR- Apple ProRes 422 HQ, PCM Audio 16 or 24 bit.
- HDR- HDR10 PQ, Rec. 2020 P3 constrained, 4K resolution ProRes 4444 or 4444 XQ 12-bit
(Dolby Vision – P3, D65, ST.2084 UHD resolution – Long Form only, see details below) - Files should be in QuickTime .mov wrapper.
- Tape captures- we recommend using the native edit-master tape for SD sources (see details below) or HDCAM/ HDCAM-SR for HD sources.
VIDEO SPECIFICATIONS
We accept NTSC or PAL SD, HD, 2k, and 4k standards in native size, native frame rate, native field mode, standard SDR color space, and HDR10 PQ HDR color space.
| Standard | Resolution (W x H) | Frame Rates | Color Space |
|---|---|---|---|
| HDR (HDR10 PQ) | 4K/UHD resolution recommended | Native to source, progressive fields only | Rec. 2020 |
| 4K | 4096 x 2160 4096 x 2304 3840 x 2160 2160 x 3840 (Vertical/Portrait) |
30 / 29.97 / 25 / 24 / 23.98 fps progressive fields only |
Rec. 709 |
| 2K | 2560 x 1440 2048 x 1152 |
30 / 29.97 / 25 / 24 / 23.98 fps progressive fields only |
Rec. 709 |
| HD | 1920 x 1080 1280 x 720 1080 x 1920 (Vertical/Portrait) |
30 / 29.97 / 25 / 24 / 23.98 fps progressive fields supported for all resolutions, interlaced supported for 1080 only |
Rec. 709 |
| SD | 720 x 486 720 x 480 720 x 576 |
29.97i fps (Lower Field First) 29.97i fps (Lower Field First) 25i / 25p fps |
Rec. 601 |
The above expects square pixel aspect ratio (PAR) for HD, FHD, 2K, 4K resolutions, and non-square PAR matching the appropriate standard (NTSC/PAL) for SD resolutions. QuickTime standards for proper flagging of pasp atoms is required.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
FIELD MODES
All 2K and 4K video sources should be made progressive field for ingestion, even if the native camera/ edit master was interlaced. We cannot ingest interlaced 2K/ 4K. If we receive a 2K or 4K source that is interlaced, we will reprocess the video as progressive to ensure it can be registered into the system. We can archive the original interlaced master, by request.
3200×1800 RESOLUTIONS
Special consideration for video sources finished at 3200×1800 (aka 3.2K). This resolution is established as a camera spec that is meant to be finished at 4K UHD (3840×2160). We suggest the content creators finish their edit master following this approach, along with meeting the other video specs under the 4K section above. If GMP receives a video at 3200×1800 we will upscale it to the UHD spec to ensure it can be registered into the system.
HDR SUPPORT
HDR sources for Short Form Video are currently not delivered through the supply chain. GMP can assist with manual delivery of a Program Only SFV (no excess black slug at head or tail) at the above HDR spec to any partner via Account Management. GMP will confirm the HDR spec and do a general QC check. We can also Archive the source for future use/ backfill. Support of HDR via the formal supply chain delivery is in the works.
DOLBY VISION
Support of Dolby Vision for Long Form Video as 4K UHD only and must adhere to HDR10, Rec. 2020, P3 constrained, D65, ST.2084. Additionally, we require Dolby Vision CM XML v4.0 be supplied with the video meeting the following- cut-accurate L1 data minimum, mastered with a professional display set to 1000-nit, P3, D65, ST.2084, FULL, checked for 100-nit display. We also recommend adding to the xml, or supply to us as text, the HDR10 MAXCLL and MAXFALL values.
DOLBY ATMOS
Dolby Atmos audio is supported for Long Form Videos only as ADM BWF, and they will receive a general QC check for content and quality. Contact GMP for manual delivery options.
AUDIO SPECIFICATIONS
Audio provided should preserve the best possible quality from the original recording or mix. For most mastered materials this means high quality stereo with optimized levels, or individual surround tracks for long form masters. Optimized stereo levels should be peak minimum -3 dbfs up to max 0 dbfs, but not over.
| Stereo | 5.1 Audio Configuration |
|---|---|
| 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. |
|
SHORTFORM VIDEO REQUIREMENTS
Shortform videos are a type of product configuration usually reserved for promotional material including, but not limited to, Music Videos, Behind The Scenes, Promo Reels, Short Films, and Commercial Trailers or TV Spots.
Shortform videos have content considerations known as “attributes” which relate to the commercial and promotion aspect of this asset type. To help expedite delivery please note the following requirements below.
The following issues have a conditional pass but MIGHT be rejected by Select Partners such as iTunes and Vevo:
- 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 with Select Partners such as iTunes and Vevo (unless pre-approved):
- Release Dates (including Coming Soon and Out Now)
- Chyrons / Lower Third Graphics aka MTV-style credits
- 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.)
For more details please see the Quality Check & Attributes Guide.
Each Short Form Video master requires at least one representative image known as a Video Screen Capture (VSC). For more details please see the VSC Page.
PSEUDO VIDEO REQUIREMENTS
A Pseudo Video (also known as Cover Audio) is defined as a still image with an audio bed made into a playable video. Within the linear video the still image can fade in/ out or be a hard cut from/ to black, it can also dissolve between several still images, but it cannot move/ slide/ pan/ zoom as this would be considered animation/ motion graphics and would be defined as a standard Music Video.
When providing elements to SME for pseudo video creation please deliver the following:
- Art- JPEG .jpg full quality, RGB
- 1080×1080 pixels (for square covers) or 1920×1080 (for full video frame)
- Audio- WAV .wav 16 bit 48kHz Stereo
If providing SME a finished pseudo video please deliver in the following format:
- QuickTime (.mov)
- Video- ProRes 422 LT, 1920×1080, 23.98 fps progressive fields
- Audio- PCM, 16 bit, 48kHz, Stereo
Allow 3 seconds of black at head and tail (color bars, countdown clock, C-lines…. are NOT required)
The provided image element should adhere to Video Screen Capture (VSC) submission requirements. For more details please see the VSC Page.
LONGFORM VIDEO REQUIREMENTS
A new, dedicated page for Longform Video section is coming soon. In the interim please reach out to your GMP representative for details.
No advertising, release date, physical product tags (i.e. DVD, album, concerts, promotions). Must be a clean feature asset. No head/ tail slug longer than 3 seconds. No Bumpers. No URLs.
The Longform Video Package should contain the below.
Trailers:
- No FBI warning or MPAA ratings cards.
- Cannot have inactive pixels, and must be the same aspect ratio as the feature.
- No Release Date tagging or voice over
- No Physical Product tagging
- If trailer is a continuous clip from the feature, it must have duration between 30 seconds and 5 minutes
- If trailer is edited (traditional trailer), there is no time limit on duration.
- No URLs
- No DVD references, images or voice over
- No Nudity / Profanity
Chapter Timings & Stills:
- Chapter timings should be delivered as a Cue Sheet including each Chapter Title, and Chapter start/ end timecodes.
- All Chapter timings must be provided using SMPTE time code.
- Time codes from DVDs are not acceptable.
- Each Chapter must be accompanied with a full resolution, full quality RGB JPEG.
- Each still must come from the actual film it represents.
Closed Captioning & Subtitles:
- Closed Captioning is required for all English language content.
- Preferred file type for Captions is .scc
- Foreign language Subtitles may be required for some territories.
- Preferred file type for Subtitles is .itt
Poster Art Profile:
- Please see the Poster Art page
For more details please see the Quality Check & Attributes Guide.
COMMON CAUSES FOR REJECTION
- Apple ProRes 422, Apple ProRes 422 (LT), H.264 and MP4 are NOT acceptable codecs for full-motion video (ProRes 422 (LT) is acceptable for Pseudo Videos). Video codec must be “Apple ProRes 422 (HQ)” in a QuickTime container (.mov).
- If both the L and R audio are identical, it is DUAL CHANNEL MONO and will fail. Audio must be in true STEREO.
- Videos that have a 23.98 frame rate with repeated frames, dropped frames and/or interlacing are not acceptable. Videos with a 23.98 frame rate must be fully progressive/ PSF.
- Audio with a sample rate of 44.1kHz is NOT supported. It must be 48 kHz, even for editorial audio replacements.
- AAC audio or other lossy codecs are NOT supported. It must be Linear PCM codec.
- Poor audio/video sync is not acceptable. Audio/video must be properly SYNCED on all video content.
- 4:1 CADENCE is a failure point for Long Form content and a QC issue for video in general. See Video Conversion Issues below for more detail.
***This is a list of the most common quality control issues, but videos may be failed for reasons not stated above***
VIDEO CONVERSION ISSUES
4:1 Cadence has 4 progressive frames of video, and every 5th frame is a repeat of the 4th frame. There should be no repeated frames at all. This issue is often the result of a 23.98 frame video being converted to 29.97 incorrectly. When done correctly, you will see 3 unique progressive frames followed by 2 interlaced frames. Content should be kept native to the frame rate at which it was shot. This also can occur when interlaced content is tagged as progressive.
SHORTFORM VIDEO TIMELINE RECOMMENDATION
• At minimum we require 3 seconds of black/ silence at the head and tail of any program.
• To expedite asset ingest, please adhere to the below linear timeline, noting the following: timecode should start at “zero” (00:00:00:00); the C-line is entirely optional and is considered antiquated in the digital age; 3 second slugs are required for SFV, but the spec differs for LFV and broadcast. See appropriate section in the guide for details.
MONO AUDIO ISSUES
Dual mono occurs when both the Left and Right channels are identical to each other.
Audio should be checked on an audiometer as QuickTime will falsely define anything with two audio channels as “stereo.” See the below examples of audiometer tools that display stereo images- the amorphous squiggles indicate stereo, a mono mix would show as a solid vertical line.
Regardless of your chosen NLE, you should be able to assign left audio to left channel and right audio to right channel where a true stereo recording/ mix is present. Un-panned/ unassigned channels will act as null stereo- effectively mono even though there are two channels.
Please see the Mono Audio page.
FILE NAMING CONVENTION
File names should not contain spaces or special characters, but should use Camel Case, underscores and dashes, and include Artist, Title, Version, Identifier (such as Product ID or ISRC if known), format details, as follows:
BillyJoel_MovingOut_clean_G00123456789_1080p_2398_stereo.mov
CLOSED CAPTIONS & SUBTITLES
We accept SCC and TTML formats for Closed Captioning, and SRT in UTF-8 for Subtitles. Please adhere to professional standards in formatting the caption text. See more details below.
Please see the Closed Captions page.