You finished your film. Here is how independent films actually reach Tubi, Amazon and Roku: deliverables, deal terms, timelines and how you get paid.
You finished your film. On most major streaming services you cannot upload it yourself. Tubi, Amazon, Roku and the rest ingest titles from approved distributors and content partners, so your first real decision is who delivers your film and who reports your money. This guide covers what a distributor does, what the deal terms mean, what you deliver, how long it takes and how you get paid.
In most cases, no. The major ad supported services do not generally accept direct submissions from individual filmmakers. They take titles through approved distributors and content partners already connected to their delivery and reporting systems, and direct submission paths for new independent titles are limited. Platforms cannot quality check, caption and account to thousands of filmmakers individually, so they consolidate that work with fewer delivery partners.
A distributor holds the platform relationships, prepares your film to each platform's technical standard, delivers it, then collects and reports the revenue. On one title that means:
An aggregator handles delivery: you supply the files and they push them to platforms, and the work after that stays with you. A sales agent represents your film to buyers and markets for a commission on deals they close. A distributor covers placement, delivery, scheduling, collections and reporting, and stays with the title for the length of the term.
Most independent films earn on AVOD, and AVOD does not pay per view. It pays on impressions multiplied by CPM, meaning the advertising impressions your film generates and the rate advertisers pay per thousand of them. A film with strong completion and repeat viewing earns more than one people abandon early, because ads served is the number that matters.
You send the trailer and core metadata: title, runtime, genre, synopsis, cast and where the film has already played. You do not need the full master to start. Mann Robinson Distribution reviews the submission and comes back to you with next steps.
A distributor evaluates the film for platform fit, not just quality. Genre, runtime, cast, artwork and release history all affect which services will take it.
You sign the agreement, complete tax paperwork and get access to your filmmaker portal. Anything the distributor will front on your behalf should be priced and agreed in writing before you sign.
You upload the master and supporting materials, the distributor runs quality control, corrects what fails, and delivers to each platform. This is where timelines tend to slip, usually because a deliverable is missing rather than because a platform said no.
The title goes live and daily performance data starts flowing into your portal. Earnings accrue by quarter and pay on a fixed calendar.
Expect to be asked for most of the following:
If artwork or captions are missing, ask Mann Robinson Distribution about having them produced as part of onboarding. Any cost and how it is handled should be set out in writing before the work starts.
The standard Mann Robinson Distribution fee is 20 percent of gross, and some deals differ by agreement. Of gross means the fee is calculated on the revenue platforms report, before anything else, so the fee comes off a single reported number that you can check. Minimum guarantees are available on select titles through TIVI, which is a conversation about your specific film rather than a blanket promise.
Payment is quarterly. Platforms report on their own lag, the quarter closes, accounting reconciles it, and the money goes out. In practice a film that launches in the first quarter pays in roughly the first week of July. Your payment history by quarter sits in the portal alongside the performance data. Knowing the calendar in advance tells you when to expect money and when something has gone wrong.
Yes. You keep 100 percent ownership of your film, your copyright and your intellectual property. What you grant is the right to license the film to networks and platforms on your behalf. The Mann Robinson Distribution agreement is an exclusive two year term. A defined term is the point, because you know exactly what you have committed to and exactly when it ends before you sign anything.
Plan on roughly 90 days from signing to going live. Platform review and publication scheduling both take time, and missing deliverables extend the window, which is why deliverables are worth getting right early. Release date planning is available on qualifying projects through TIVI. Everywhere else a release is a window rather than a fixed day.
Ask to see the reporting before you sign. Every filmmaker at Mann Robinson Distribution gets a private portal with impressions, CPM and earnings for each service carrying the film, plus payment history by quarter. Transparency means opening the dashboard on any day and seeing what the film did yesterday, at the level of each individual platform.
Self-distribution is a real option. It is also a job: platform access, technical specifications, artwork and captions, ingest and scheduling, reports across multiple portals, and reconciling the money yourself. If you would rather spend that time making the next film, hire a distributor.
Yes, provided you know which networks currently carry it and no exclusive commitment is still in force. Unreleased films are simpler to place, but a released title with clean rights works.
Series are in scope, along with films, television shows, sitcoms and reality series. For short films and other formats, ask before you submit and we will tell you what we can place.
Territory is defined in your agreement. Ask about the specific rights you are being asked to grant before you sign, and get the answer in writing.
Submit while the festival run is still going. Time from signing to going live is roughly 90 days, so starting early protects your release timing.
If your film is finished, submit it at mannrobinsondistribution.com/submit. Tell us the title, the runtime, the genre and where the film has played so far. You can also reach us at distribution@mannrobinsonstudios.com.