Export, Delivery & Platform Specifications

Why Export Settings Matter

Every video project ends with an export. The choices you make at that final stage determine whether your work looks professional on a broadcast monitor, plays smoothly on YouTube, or survives in a client archive for a decade. A file perfectly edited in Adobe Premiere Pro is still just a project file until Media Encoder renders it into a deliverable that another device, platform, or person can actually use. Selecting the wrong codec, container, or resolution wastes time, costs clients money, and can disqualify work from broadcast or streaming platforms entirely.

The Role of Adobe Media Encoder

Adobe Media Encoder (AME) is a dedicated rendering application that sits alongside Premiere Pro and After Effects. You send sequences to its queue and AME handles encoding independently, freeing you to keep editing. Key concepts:

• Queue and Watch Folders – You can add multiple sequences and assign a different preset to each, then start them all in one batch run.
• Presets – Saved groups of settings (codec, bitrate, frame size, frame rate, audio) that you can create, rename, and share across a team.
• Source matching – The "Match Source" option reads the sequence settings and applies them automatically; useful for archive masters but not always appropriate for platform-specific deliverables.

Five Delivery Destinations

1. Broadcast (Television)

Broadcast deliverables in the United States typically follow standards set by the broadcaster or cable network. Common requirements include:

• Container: MXF (Material Exchange Format) or QuickTime MOV, depending on the facility
• Codec: DNxHD, Apple ProRes 422, or IMX — all high-quality intermediate codecs with low compression
• Resolution: 1920 × 1080 (HD) at either 29.97 fps or 23.976 fps; 4K UHD at 3840 × 2160 is increasingly required
• Audio: 48 kHz, 24-bit, delivered on discrete tracks; loudness normalized to –24 LKFS per ATSC A/85 guidance
• Closed captions and slates are usually required; confirm with the station's technical specification sheet before delivery

2. YouTube

YouTube accepts a wide range of formats and re-encodes everything after upload. Best upload format per YouTube's published documentation:

• Container: MP4
• Codec: H.264 or H.265/HEVC; for highest quality uploads, VP9 or even ProRes are accepted
• Resolution: Up to 3840 × 2160 (4K); 1920 × 1080 is the standard HD upload
• Frame rate: Match the source (24, 25, 29.97, 30, 60 fps all accepted)
• Audio: AAC-LC, 192 kbps stereo or 5.1 surround; sample rate 48 kHz
• Upload a high-bitrate master so YouTube's compression has quality to work with

3. Instagram

Instagram enforces strict file limits and aspect ratios:

• Container: MP4
• Codec: H.264
• Resolution Feed video: 1080 × 1080 (square) or 1080 × 1350 (portrait 4:5); Reels: 1080 × 1920 (9:16)
• Frame rate: 23–60 fps; 30 fps is the safe standard
• Audio: AAC stereo, 128 kbps minimum
• File size: Under 4 GB; duration limits vary by content type — verify in current platform documentation before delivery

4. Client Archive (Master File)

The archive master preserves the full quality of the edit for future re-delivery or re-editing:

• Container: MOV or MXF
• Codec: Apple ProRes 4444 or ProRes 422 HQ; DNxHR for Windows-centric workflows
• Resolution: Full native resolution of the project
• Frame rate: Match project
• Audio: PCM/LPCM uncompressed, 48 kHz, 24-bit
• File size will be large — plan storage accordingly; label clearly with project name, date, and version

5. Web Streaming (HTML5 / OTT)

Streaming services and embedded web players typically use adaptive bitrate (ABR) delivery, but a single-file web deliverable is still common:

• Container: MP4
• Codec: H.264 (Baseline or Main profile for broad device compatibility)
• Resolution: 1280 × 720 or 1920 × 1080 depending on audience bandwidth
• Bitrate: 5–8 Mbps for 1080p is a common starting point; confirm with platform
• Audio: AAC stereo, 48 kHz, 192 kbps

Verifying Your Deliverables

After export, inspect every file using a media analysis tool such as MediaInfo (free, open source). MediaInfo displays codec, container, resolution, frame rate, bit depth, audio channels, sample rate, and total duration. Compare the output to the client requirements sheet line by line before you send anything. A mismatch in audio channel count or frame rate can cause a file to be rejected outright.

Workplace Safety and File Handling

Digital media work is low-hazard, but good practices prevent costly losses:

• Ergonomics: Adjust your chair, monitor height, and keyboard position before long rendering sessions. Take regular breaks to prevent repetitive strain.
• Electrical safety: Do not overload power strips running workstations and external drives. Use surge-protected strips.
• Data safety: Always export to a second drive separate from your project source drive. Confirm your backup copy before archiving or deleting source files. Treat a client's media with the same care as physical property — never share proprietary footage outside the agreed delivery.

Delivery Memos

A delivery memo is a brief professional document that tells the client what they received and what to do with it. Use plain language — assume the client does not know what a codec is. Identify each file, its intended use, and any limits (for example, "the Instagram version is cropped to vertical — the full-frame version is in your archive folder"). Clear communication prevents re-work and builds trust.