1. Submission Methods

Depending on your project's scale, there are two primary routes:

Prime Video Direct (PVD): This is portal for independent filmmakers and small studios. You retain control over your title’s availability and earn royalties based on hours streamed.
Amazon MGM Studios: This route is for "Originals." It typically requires submission through a licensed literary agent or a recognized production company. Unsolicited scripts or finished films are rarely accepted through this channel directly.

2. Technical Video Specifications

Amazon maintains rigorous quality standards to ensure content plays seamlessly across 4K, HDR, and mobile devices.

Resolution: Minimum 1920x1080 (HD), though 3840x2160 (4K/UHD) is preferred for premium placement.
Frame Rates: Content must be delivered in its native frame rate (e.g., 23.976 fps, 24 fps, 25 fps, or 29.97 fps).
File Format: High-quality mezzanine files are required. Common accepted codecs include:
- ProRes 422 HQ
- MPEG-2 Transport Stream
Aspect Ratio: Standard 1.78:1 (16:9) is the norm; however, theatrical ratios like 2.39:1 are accepted if they include the appropriate letterboxing or are delivered as "active pixel" files.

Amazon requires professional-grade audio mixing to meet consumer hardware standards.

Configurations: Stereo (2.0) is mandatory; 5.1 Surround Sound is highly recommended for feature films.
Loudness: Audio must be normalized. Amazon typically follows the ITU-R BS.1770 standard, requiring a target loudness of -24 LKFS/LUFS (+/- 2 dB).
Sample Rate: 48 kHz at 16-bit or 24-bit depth.

Incomplete metadata is the most common reason for submission rejection.

Subtitles/Captions: Closed Captions (CC) are mandatory for all titles in the United States and many other territories. Amazon adheres to a maximum reading speed of 20 characters per second (CPS) for adult content and allows a minimum duration of 1 second per subtitle (Díaz-Cintas & Remael, 2021).
Art Assets:
- Poster Art: 3:4 aspect ratio (minimum 1200x1600).
- Title Treatment: 16:9 transparent PNG files for overlaying on UI backgrounds.
Synopsis: You must provide both a "Short Synopsis" (under 400 characters) and a "Long Synopsis."

Rights: You must hold all worldwide (or territory-specific) distribution rights, including music sync licenses and "Life Story" rights if the work is a docudrama (Jensen & Baker Botts, 2023).
Prohibited Content: Amazon prohibits content that promotes illegal acts, excessive graphic violence without artistic merit, or copyright infringement.
Quality Control (QC): Every submission undergoes a manual or automated QC process. Common failures include "ghosting," interlacing artifacts, or audio/video sync issues.