Requirements before you can submit
The release the video belongs to must already be Live or Distributing — you can't attach a video submission to a release that's still in Draft or Pending, since the video is tied to an already-processing or already-released audio release.
Submitting a video
- Go to Video in your dashboard.
- Select the release the video belongs to from your existing catalog.
- Provide a link to the video file.
- Select the video type (official music video, lyric video, visualizer, etc.).
- Fill in relevant metadata: age restriction if applicable, whether it's a cover version, and reference ISRC/UPC if the video corresponds to a specific track release.
- Submit.
Delivery time
Video delivery typically takes 7–14 days — meaningfully longer than audio-only distribution, since video processing and the additional platforms involved (see Vevo below) have their own separate pipelines. Plan video submissions well ahead of any release-day plans that depend on the video being live.
How Vevo fits in
Official videos can also be routed through Vevo, which extends distribution beyond YouTube itself to connected-TV apps and Vevo's own web presence — giving the video reach on screens and platforms a standalone YouTube upload wouldn't reach. See "Requesting a VEVO channel for your videos" for the specific requirements Vevo distribution needs beyond a standard video submission.
What video submission doesn't cover
Video submission is for official visual content tied to a release. It's separate from YouTube Content ID (which protects your audio wherever it's used across YouTube, video or not) — you may want both for the same release: Content ID to protect the underlying track everywhere, and an official video submission to get your actual video content properly distributed and monetized.