International distributors usually need more than a finished video. A typical delivery package has the master picture, a version without burned-in text, separated audio so that dialogue can be replaced, the scripts, and subtitle files in the format the buyer specifies. Requirements differ between distributors, so the only reliable specification is the one you are given. What follows is a map of the usual categories, with timed text rules from a major platform as a concrete example.
The categories of deliverable
Think of the package in five groups.
| Group | What it usually contains | Why it is needed |
|---|---|---|
| Picture | Final master, plus a version without titles, captions or other burned-in text | Local teams can add their own language text |
| Audio | Full mix, plus separated stems for dialogue, music and effects | Lets a dubbing team replace dialogue and keep the rest |
| Scripts | Final dialogue list, often with timecodes, and on-screen text lists | Basis for translation, dubbing and subtitling |
| Timed text | Subtitle files in the requested format and language | Viewing in other languages, accessibility |
| Documents | Music cue sheets, credits, artwork, metadata, rights information | Compliance, catalogue entry and marketing |
Which of these a buyer wants depends on the territory and the platform. A film, a series and a short brand video each carry different expectations. Treat the table as a checklist of questions to ask rather than a fixed list.
Why separated audio matters
If dialogue, music and effects are baked into one mix, a dubbing studio cannot replace the voices without losing everything else. Separate stems let them swap the dialogue and keep the music and effects intact. Plan this at the mix stage, because rebuilding stems from a finished mix is difficult. Also confirm music and sound effects licences cover the territories and uses involved, a point explored in international distribution partnerships for digital content.
Textless and clean versions
Anything burned into the picture, such as titles, lower thirds and on-screen text, has to be remade for each language. A version without that text, plus a list of the text elements, saves a large amount of rework. This is especially important for marketing and short-form content that depends on on-screen words. See adapting video campaigns for different markets for how the creative itself may need to change.
Subtitle files: an example of how specific buyers get
Netflix publishes its timed text requirements openly, which makes a useful example of the level of detail to expect. Its general requirements say that each subtitle event must last at least 5/6 of a second and no more than 7 seconds, a subtitle can have at most two lines, text should be centre-justified and placed at the top or bottom of the screen avoiding on-screen text, and only characters on its accepted glyph list may be used. It points to its current delivery specification for file formats, and mentions TTML technical rules such as using percentage values rather than pixels.
Its subtitle timing guidelines add rules on shot changes and gaps: a minimum gap of 2 frames between subtitles at any frame rate, and a preference for gaps of either 2 frames or at least half a second. These rules belong to one platform and its language-specific guides add more. Your distributor will have its own, so use these as an illustration of the precision involved, not as a universal standard.
What to ask a distributor before you deliver
- Which file formats and codecs do you accept for picture and audio?
- Do you need textless elements and stems, and in what layout?
- Which languages do you need subtitles or dubbing for, and who produces them?
- Do you need burned-in or separate subtitles, and in which timed text format?
- What is your frame rate, loudness and quality control standard?
- What metadata, artwork and rights documents are required?
- How is delivery made, and what is the checking process?
Write the answers into a one-page delivery spec and keep it with the project.
Practical habits that avoid rework
- Name files consistently, and include language, version and frame rate in the name.
- Keep a locked final script that matches the final cut. Late edits that change dialogue break subtitle timing.
- Reserve time for the buyer’s quality control, which often returns fixes.
- Get native-speaker review for subtitles and dubbing, because literal translation misses idiom. See localisation vs translation.
Where Radiance Impact fits
Radiance Impact’s Studio handles post-production, voice and sound, and its Global division supports localisation and adaptation for new markets. See the Global division, the localisation service, or contact us to talk about preparing a delivery package.
Sources
- Timed Text Style Guide: General Requirements, Netflix Partner Help Center
- Timed Text Style Guide: Subtitle Timing Guidelines, Netflix Partner Help Center
