If you are delivering just one film to iTunes, there is a one-time charge of $1295, which covers all the encoding, chapter breaking, tagging, and general caretaking that we’ll do to usher your film to full iTunes compliance and placement in the iTunes store.
After that, there is a flat annual service fee of $79 per film. The first year’s service fee is included in your $1295.
For multiple films, contact us for discount info.
For a limited time, if you sign up to use Distribber.com for iTunes distribution, you may add Amazon Video On Demand ABSOLUTELY FREE. Otherwise, the one-time charge is $95.
For a limited time, if you sign up to use Distribber.com for iTunes distribution, you may add Netflix Watch Instantly ABSOLUTELY FREE. Otherwise, the one-time charge is $295 to negotiate a streaming license for your film and handle delivery.
iTunes and Amazon generally send your sales information and money within 45 days after the end of the month in which the sale took place. As an example, if you had sales in the month of February, the store sends your sales information and money by April 15 (45 days after the end of February).
Distribber offers 24-hour access to your sales stats and your money. No more waiting on old-model distributors for reports and checks! Just log in to your account to see the latest sales that have been reported to us by the stores, and view your cash balance. You may withdraw your funds at any time via Paypal.
On a $9.99 sale, Distribber pays you $7.00. We give you 100% of what we collect.
50-50. Again, we give you 100% of what we collect.
Unlike iTunes and Amazon VOD, Netflix’s Watch Instantly service does not pay “per turn.” Instead, they pay a license fee for your film’s Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) rights — usually for one or two years. So, Netflix can stream your film to their subscribers as often as they wish during the term of your agreement, in exchange for the license fee Netflix pays for that term.
- A hi-resolution tape, like Digibeta. You may deliver your trailer either on a master tape, or as a file on a CD.
- You can now deliver pro-res files on a hard drive too:
For SD:
- File: Pro Res 422 HQ
- 720 × 480 -aspect defined 16:9 = 853 × 480 / 4:3 = 640 × 480
- Native Frame Rate
- Film: 23.98
- Video: 29.97i
- Audio: PCM little endian
- Ch. 1 left, Ch. 2 right – Each audio channel needs to be its own track
Yes! It costs a bit more: $1595 instead of $1295. Drop us a line and we’ll get you the HD delivery spec. The first bit of info we tell HD filmmakers first is that to deliver in HD, you must have a 5.1 sound mix.
For HD:
- File: Pro Res 422 HQ
- 1920 × 1080
- Native Frame Rate
- Film: 23.98
- Video:29.97i
- Audio: Must have 8 channels of audio
- 5.1 – L, R, C, LFE, Ls, Rs / PCM Little Endian / Each audio channel needs to be its own track
- Ch. 7 stereo left, Ch. 8 stereo right / PCM Little Endian / Each audio channel needs to be its own track
Artwork can be a JPEG or TIFF. The image must be 800 × 1200 pixels.
Artwork may NOT include: credit blocks, email addresses, URLs, product tagging, or any other contact information or any pricing information.
Accepted Tapes and Formats:
HD-CAM (1080p, 1080i) Format: N/A
HDV (720p, 1080i) – Format: N/A
Digital Betacam (DigiBeta) – Format: NTSC, PAL
BetacamSX NTSC – Format: PAL
D2 – Format: NTSC
BetacamSP – Format: NTSC, PAL
U-Matic (3/4") – Format: NTSC
Betacam – NTSC, Format: PAL
1" Open Reel (Type-C) – Format: NTSC
MiniDV, DV (DV25) – Format: NTSC
DVCPro (D7) – Format: NTSC, PAL
DVCam (DV25) – Format: NTSC, PAL
- Do not use LP or SLP mode.
- All tapes must begin and end with at least 20 seconds of leader and must include timecodes.
- Timecodes must be continuous (sequential).
- For NTSC formatted tapes, the drop-frame timecode must be used (29.97 frames per second).
- Audio peaks should never exceed 0db.
- We are currently unable to accept HD-CAM SR and DLT tapes.
Yes to Amazon VOD, No to iTunes and No to Netflix Watch Instantly.
Start by submitting your film’s information in the form on the Distribber homepage and paying the fees (you get your money back if you are declined), and we’ll let you know within two weeks. Then, once your film is accepted, you can begin the deliverables process.
GENERAL
While there are some rare exceptions, your film must:
- Be no racier than an MPAA R rating (if you don’t have an actual rating, you know what an R means)
- Be longer than 50 minutes
- Be available on a high-resolution master (like DigiBeta)
- Have a trailer (either on a master tape or as a quicktime file on a CD)
- Have poster art available as a .jpeg or .tiff file without a credit block, URL, or pricing info on it
- Have some bragging rights (e.g. festival selection, awards, stars, name producers/directors, good reviews, timely subject matter)
Your film must NOT
- Be pornographic
- Be waiting to clear any licenses (music or any other)
- Be a home movie
NETFLIX WATCH INSTANTLY
To receive an offer from Netflix for their Watch Instantly service, your film must already be available in Netflix’s database. That is, if you search for your title on www.netflix.com, it is either already available on DVD, or if not, it appears as available to “Save” for the future.
Not yet, but we hope to be able to soon.
On average it takes about 6-8 weeks. Please remember, Distribber does not have control over when your film goes live — but these are averages based on long-term distribution relationships with the DSP (digital service provider).
Unfortunately no, not at this time, but we promise to cross our fingers for you.
Unfortunately there is no easy way to make changes to a film once you have paid for the delivery. We distribute your film immediately to the iTunes encoders for delivery and therefore cannot make changes to the delivered film.
So, be very careful that your information is correct!
If your film has been live on iTunes for at least twelve months then just contact us and we will process a takedown for you. For films that have not been live for at least twelve months there is an early takedown fee of $95.
There could be multiple reasons for why a film may not be live before or after the projected go live date has passed. More often than not it is because there is an open issue that needs to be resolved. If your film is not live but your go live date has passed, please contact us!
Yes! We are in discussions to add additional stores. If you represent a platform that would like to be included, please contact us at support@distribber.com
Officially, we say no, but in reality:
We promote clients’ films through our social media networks and our mailing list. We push for prominent placement on the iTunes Independent Film and Documentaries homepages, and to tie-in with other iTunes properties (film and music) when relevant.
