scorsesefan
Veteran
The following message was posted to my Amazon Prime Direct dashboard:
"Content submission notice
At this time, we're no longer accepting unsolicited licensing submissions via Prime Video Direct for non-fiction and short form content. We’ll notify you if these categories become available for consideration."
This is a big deal to me and many other filmmakers. Amazon is one of the few streaming platforms that accepts unsolicited content, while others (Netflix, Hulu, etc.) require representation or an expensive aggregator to submit your work.
Over the last few years Amazon has cut their royalty rates to creators, but even at the reduced rates I was able to earn a few thousand dollars on my titles. More importantly, Prime Direct gives creators access to a massive global audience for their content. In my case a documentary about an elementary school besieged by a rash of mysterious illnesses and deaths found its way to hundreds of thousands of viewers instead of the hundreds that probably would have watched it without Prime's huge reach. The documentary has spurred debate and change within the affected community and many communities around the country with similar issues.
It's not clear why Amazon has implemented this policy or how long it will continue. Inquiries have been met with boilerplate responses, which for anyone who has had to deal with them is, unfortunately, typical. One theory is that they're being more stringent about the quality of their content. Understandable, but Amazon isn't exactly a bastion of high quality products, is it? And Amazon DOES have a fairly stringent set of technical requirements that have to be met for submissions. Another is that Amazon is concerned about conspiracy-laden documentaries. Okay, but why not handle that on a case by case basis instead of shutting the doors completely?
Whatever the reason, Amazon has locked out hundreds, if not thousands, of content creators who have helped build their extensive streaming catalog from the ground up. Prime Direct is one of the few gate-keeper free, reasonably democratic global streaming services available to us creators to reach our audience and make a few bucks in the process.
https://www.cined.com/can-you-still-submit-to-amazon-prime-video-direct-that-depends/
"Content submission notice
At this time, we're no longer accepting unsolicited licensing submissions via Prime Video Direct for non-fiction and short form content. We’ll notify you if these categories become available for consideration."
This is a big deal to me and many other filmmakers. Amazon is one of the few streaming platforms that accepts unsolicited content, while others (Netflix, Hulu, etc.) require representation or an expensive aggregator to submit your work.
Over the last few years Amazon has cut their royalty rates to creators, but even at the reduced rates I was able to earn a few thousand dollars on my titles. More importantly, Prime Direct gives creators access to a massive global audience for their content. In my case a documentary about an elementary school besieged by a rash of mysterious illnesses and deaths found its way to hundreds of thousands of viewers instead of the hundreds that probably would have watched it without Prime's huge reach. The documentary has spurred debate and change within the affected community and many communities around the country with similar issues.
It's not clear why Amazon has implemented this policy or how long it will continue. Inquiries have been met with boilerplate responses, which for anyone who has had to deal with them is, unfortunately, typical. One theory is that they're being more stringent about the quality of their content. Understandable, but Amazon isn't exactly a bastion of high quality products, is it? And Amazon DOES have a fairly stringent set of technical requirements that have to be met for submissions. Another is that Amazon is concerned about conspiracy-laden documentaries. Okay, but why not handle that on a case by case basis instead of shutting the doors completely?
Whatever the reason, Amazon has locked out hundreds, if not thousands, of content creators who have helped build their extensive streaming catalog from the ground up. Prime Direct is one of the few gate-keeper free, reasonably democratic global streaming services available to us creators to reach our audience and make a few bucks in the process.
https://www.cined.com/can-you-still-submit-to-amazon-prime-video-direct-that-depends/
