Buyers license what they can quickly understand and safely clear. A well-packaged catalogue answers two questions on one page per title: what is this, and exactly which rights are available where. Clean metadata, stable identifiers, a clear chain of title and a ready delivery folder shorten negotiations and make your content easier to trust, particularly with overseas partners who cannot easily check details themselves.
Think in two layers: content and rights
Every title in a catalogue has descriptive information and rights information. Buyers need both, and they need them to agree.
| Layer | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Descriptive | Title, synopsis, genre, runtime, language, format, credits, versions, artwork |
| Rights | Who owns what, which territories, media, languages and time periods are available, exclusivity, existing licences |
| Technical | Files, codecs, subtitles, music cue sheets, closed captions |
| Commercial | Preferred deal type and screening contacts (never invent terms you have not decided) |
Descriptive metadata buyers expect
- A one-line logline and a short synopsis, in the buyer’s working language where possible.
- Format and runtime, including episode counts for series.
- Original language, available subtitle and dub languages.
- Principal credits and any talent restrictions.
- Content descriptors and suitability notes, since classification rules vary between territories.
- Stills, posters and a trailer or sample reel with clear usage permission.
- Any awards or festival history, stated only if it is true and can be shown.
Use stable identifiers
If the same work appears under different names across systems, records get duplicated and errors multiply. Industry identifiers solve this. EIDR, the Entertainment ID Registry, is an independent non-profit registry that supplies a persistent, globally unique identifier for an audiovisual work at a particular level, such as the original title, an edit or a localised version, so related versions stay connected. It carries no ownership or rights information, and its metadata is limited to what is needed to de-duplicate records (EIDR FAQ). ISAN, the International Standard Audiovisual Number, is an ISO standard (ISO 15706) that identifies the work itself rather than a format or its rights holders. It is a 24-character hexadecimal number with root, episode and version sections, and versions such as a dubbed edit are linked to the root number (ISAN).
You do not need both for a small catalogue, and registration terms and costs differ, so check each organisation before committing. The practical point is to keep one internal ID per title and version, and map any external IDs to it.
Rights metadata: the part that closes deals
For every title, record at least:
- Rights holder(s): the legal entity, not a brand name.
- Territory: countries or regions available, and any already licensed.
- Media and platform: for example broadcast, streaming, educational, in-flight, or online short-form.
- Term: start and end dates, or “to be negotiated”.
- Language and version: which cuts, dubs and subtitles may be licensed.
- Exclusivity: whether you can license the same right to more than one buyer.
- Encumbrances: existing licences, holdbacks, reversion dates or guild obligations.
- Third-party clearances: music, footage, fonts, artwork, locations and talent.
Keep this in a structured sheet or database, not scattered across emails. Update it the moment a licence is signed so you never offer a right you have already sold. For the underlying concepts, see international content licensing: a practical introduction and the overview of international contracts and IP. This is general information, not legal advice, and licensing contracts should be reviewed by a qualified professional.
Chain of title
A buyer will ask how you came to hold the rights. Assemble a chain of title folder per title:
- Agreements with writers, directors, performers and crew confirming assignment or licence of their contributions.
- Music licences, covering the media and territories you intend to offer.
- Releases for people and locations.
- Any AI tool terms relevant to generated material, plus your own notes on what was generated. Ownership of AI output can be unsettled, so read who owns AI-generated video before packaging it as a rights-clean asset.
- A short statement of who holds each right today.
Gaps do not always kill a deal, but undisclosed gaps do.
The catalogue sheet
Give buyers a one-page sheet per title and a summary spreadsheet for the whole catalogue.
One-page title sheet
- Title, ID, logline, format and runtime.
- Key artwork and a link to a sample.
- Rights available at a glance (territories and media).
- Languages and delivery materials available.
- Contact for enquiries.
Catalogue spreadsheet
One row per title and version, with columns for each field above, filters for territory and media, and a “last updated” date.
Delivery materials
Prepare before buyers ask:
- Final master and approved compressed screeners.
- Subtitle and caption files, with language tags.
- Music cue sheet.
- Artwork in several ratios, plus a trailer.
- Technical specification sheet.
- Credits list and legal notices.
Buyers and platforms often have their own specifications, so treat your package as a base that can be adapted. See building international distribution partnerships for how deliverables fit the wider relationship.
Presentation tips
- Lead with a short list of your strongest titles, not the entire archive.
- Group by theme or buyer need rather than by production date.
- Use consistent naming and ratios across artwork.
- Offer private screening links with expiry, instead of public uploads.
- Say plainly what is not available.
Pre-send checklist
- Rights holder names match the contracts.
- Territories and media are not already licensed elsewhere.
- Music and third-party clearances cover the offered scope.
- Identifiers are consistent across sheet, files and artwork.
- Descriptions are accurate and no claims are invented.
- Sample links work and have appropriate access controls.
Where Radiance Impact fits
Radiance Impact’s Global division supports content licensing preparation and localisation for international audiences. Explore Global Expansion and Content Licensing or contact us to talk through your catalogue.
Sources
- EIDR FAQ, EIDR
- The ISAN standard, ISAN International Agency
