Corporate video delivery formats: what to ask your production company for

When I wrap a corporate video project, the part that raises the most questions is almost never the shoot. It's the delivery. The client receives a file via WeTransfer and doesn't know whether that's everything or whether something is still to come.

I've spent years delivering pieces for LinkedIn, corporate websites, reception screens and internal presentations. Each channel requires a different format, and if it isn't discussed before the shoot, you end up re-exporting weeks later. This is what I ask for myself when I wrap a project, and what I recommend asking for if you're on the other side.

What it is and why it matters

A delivery format isn't just the final file that arrives by email. It includes the resolution, the codec, the aspect ratio, whether subtitles are burned in or supplied as a separate file, and exactly which usage rights that file covers.

It matters because if it isn't put in writing before filming, the problem shows up at the end of the project: the master is in 1080p when 4K was needed for a trade show screen, or the vertical version for Instagram wasn't included in the quote and has to be negotiated separately with the project already closed.

This doesn't depend on the size of the project. A three-minute video for a corporate website needs the same questions as a thirty-second one for social media: what resolution, what formats and what can be reused later without reshooting.

How to do it well

The master: resolution and codec

I always ask for the master in the highest resolution it was shot in, usually 4K on a Sony A7S III or similar, even if the final use is 1080p on the web. It serves as a source file if, a year from now, you need to cut a new piece without reshooting. For the master I usually deliver ProRes or a high-bitrate H.264; for web distribution, 1080p H.264 at a bitrate between 8 and 12 Mbps gives good results without being too heavy.

Vertical versions and cutdowns for social media

If the video is going to LinkedIn, Instagram or Stories, I make it clear from the script stage that there will be 9:16 and 1:1 versions. Cropping a horizontal shot to vertical after the shoot almost always hurts the composition: the person ends up off-center or the logo falls out of frame. The right approach is to plan the vertical crop during the shoot, leaving room on either side of the shot.

Subtitles, music and usage rights

I deliver subtitles in two formats: burned in for direct distribution on social media, and as a separate .srt file in case they need to be translated or edited without re-exporting the video. For music, I put in writing which license covers the track — a song licensed through a platform like Epidemic Sound isn't the same as a composition with exclusively assigned rights. And I always clarify whether the price includes the full video or only short cutdowns for social media, which is one of the most common points of confusion in a quote.

Common mistakes

• Accepting only the final file without asking for the master in the highest resolution shot.
• Not specifying vertical formats before the shoot, and ending up paying for them separately later.
• Assuming subtitles are included without confirming it in the quote.
• Not asking about the license for the video's background music.
• Receiving the file without a clear name or version number, which makes it hard to find months later.
• Not asking for the loose b-roll so it can be reused in future pieces.

Frequently asked questions

If you're about to finalize a corporate video and want to be clear on which formats you need before filming, get in touch via /en/contacto and we'll put it in writing in the quote, with no surprises at delivery.