Delivery timelines for transactional movie content

Movies are due four weeks before the sales start date. After delivery, movies go through Quality Control (QC) to find and resolve any potential issues. The movie’s metadata goes through a final review to ensure it is correct and complies with Apple standards. It typically takes four weeks for a movie to go live, though the timeline for individual content may vary.

Below is a timeline that outlines what happens over this four-week process.

If you’re including iTunes Extras content for your movie, follow these deadlines:

New releases

• Six weeks before release. Deliver your movie and the required language components for each territory.
• Four weeks before release. Deliver your Extras package for each territory.
• Two weeks before release. Approve your Extras, so we can review it. You can review your Extras on Apple TV or iPad with Apple Partner Media Review. You can approve your Extras in iTunes Connect or Apple Partner Media Review.

Catalog titles

If your movie is already available, you only need to worry about the time it takes to deliver Extras content and get it approved. For these movies, Extras become available on your release date if they’ve already been approved by our QC team. If you don’t provide a specific release date in your metadata, your Extras content will be available as soon as they’re approved by our QC team.

If you need to target a specific street date, set a release date in the metadata for your Extras content, then use the following deadlines:

• Four weeks before release. Deliver your Extras package for each territory.
• Two weeks before release. Approve your content for review by Apple. This gives our QC team enough time to review your work.