How To Sell Your Independent Film On Amazon?

Get Your Film on Amazon Video

How Does Amazon Video Direct Work?

At the beginning of last year, Amazon has taken on YouTube by offering a new video platform where anyone can post videos and get paid for it. Amazon Video Direct allows filmmakers, content creators, and companies to upload their videos for the millions of members of Amazon’s Prime Video service to watch. Amazon will pay you 50% of the retail price for every purchase, rental, and subscription fee.

Unlike YouTube, you can only upload high-definition videos to Amazon Video Direct.

Here’s how to sell your film on Amazon Video Direct:

Create an Account: First thing first, you need to sign up for an account if you want to use Amazon Video Direct to sell your videos.’
Upload Your Film: As mentioned above, make sure it’s in HD format.
Trailer: Don’t forget to create and upload an HD trailer for your movie.
Artwork: Amazon requires two posters in 16:9 and 3:4 ratio. You will also have to upload a 16:9 background image.
Metadata: Provide detailed information, such as movie title, author, cast, producers, etc.
Setup Payment and Banking Information: Amazon will pay royalties into your bank account automatically.
Making Your Film Available on Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video is a subscription-based service where members can watch unlimited content. What makes Prime different from other services is that it pays content creators and filmmakers per stream. Unlike Netflix, where you get a one-time licensing fee regardless of the success of your content, on Amazon Prime, the more views you get, the more money you make.

To get your video onto Amazon Prime, you will need to deliver the video in ProRes 422 HQ format (what the professionals use). You can use Amazon Video Direct and select the option to make your video available on Prime. After you’ve uploaded your file, artwork, and trailer, Amazon will review your submission.

Once your film is live on Amazon Prime, you need to promote it. One effective tactic that almost everyone is ignoring is to ask the cast and crew members to share it with their friends.

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