Delivery is a checklist, not a mood: the project ends when the client has the full agreed file set, a delivery note that tells them what they are looking at, an approval record they can find again, and an archive that survives the next "can you resend that?" — twelve items across four phases. Skipping any one of them produces the same set of familiar fires: the re-export at 9pm, the "which file is the master?", the scope dispute with no receipt. Here is the checklist.
Phase A — Final QA (before you call it final)
- One full watch-through at delivery quality — not scrubbing, playing, start to finish, on the file you will send. The export you checked at minute two is not the file at minute six.
- Watch captions against audio line by line; burned-in captions get a spelling pass and a safe-margin check on the vertical cut (the caption review workflow catches most of this earlier).
- Audio sanity pass on two devices — headphones and phone speaker. If broadcast is in scope, run the agreed loudness spec (EBU R128 / ATSC A/85 territory is where those conversations live) rather than trusting the edit-suite mix.
- Filenames match the deliverables matrix from the proposal — clean names, no "FINAL_v9" (the file naming conventions post has the pattern).
Phase B — The complete file set
Pull the set from the deliverables matrix, not from memory:
- The master in the agreed codec (the review exports that got approved are not the master — review export vs delivery master explains the difference).
- Every cutdown and variant from the matrix: 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, durations matching.
- Captions as specified: burned-in where agreed, sidecar SRT/VTT where agreed.
- Source assets if contracted (project files, licensed music licenses list, graphics) — or a one-line statement of where they live and what reuse costs, so the "send me the logo" thread never happens.
Phase C — The handoff
Deliver through the same controlled channel you reviewed through, and close the loop in writing:
- Download-enabled links with controls still on — password or at minimum expiry and download logging, so the final files move without entering the wild (the large-file sharing guide covers the mechanics, review link security covers the defaults).
- The approval record: the version that was approved, by whom, on what date. This is your scope-dispute insurance; a review tool with version history produces it automatically.
- A delivery email that maps the files — copyable skeleton below.
- State the link lifetime ("downloads stay live until [DATE]") so the archive conversation starts now, not in month six.
Phase D — Archive
- Archive the project in one place — masters, project files, assets, and the review history — with fields/metadata attached (client, year, deliverable type) so search works in two years.
- Record what was handed over vs retained — the disposition note is what makes next year's "can you re-cut this?" a quote instead of an excavation.
- Expire or read-only the review links on your schedule — links that quietly live forever are the slow leak (see the security post for defaults).
- Then offboard properly — the client offboarding checklist takes over where this one ends: access cleanup, testimonials, and keeping the door open.
What breaks when you skip a phase
| Skipped | How it bites you |
|---|---|
| Final QA watch-through | The 9pm re-export, the apology email, and a client who checks your next delivery frame by frame |
| File set vs matrix | "Where's the square version?" — scope creep with a calendar, in week two |
| Approval record | The round-five "we approved a different concept" conversation, with no receipt |
| Link lifetime note | The month-six "can you resend everything" — plus links nobody controls anymore |
| Archive | Every future re-edit starts with an excavation fee you cannot bill for |
Delivery is also marketing: a clean handoff with an approval trail is the story the client retells when someone asks who made their video. If your publishing step lives in the same pipeline, approved cuts can even go straight to scheduling (approve-then-publish) — the last manual hop removed.
FAQ
What files should a video delivery include?
Exactly what the deliverables matrix in your proposal named: the delivery master in the agreed codec, every contracted cutdown and aspect variant, captions in the agreed form (burned-in and/or sidecar), and any contracted source assets or a written statement of where they live. If it was not in the matrix, it is new scope, not a delivery gap.
How long should delivery links stay active?
Long enough to be convenient, short enough to be safe: two to four weeks is the common window, stated explicitly in the delivery email with the archive date that follows. Links with downloads enabled should never quietly live forever — expiry plus an archived master gives the client the same outcome with less leak surface.
Should I send the master or the review export?
The master. Review exports are optimized for streaming playback (compressed, often capped resolution); the delivery master is the agreed archival-grade file. They are two different exports on purpose — the review export exists to get notes, the master exists to last.
What do I do with review links after delivery?
Set them read-only or expire them on a schedule, and keep the approval history exported or archived. The version thread on the approved cut is your scope-dispute insurance; the live link itself should not outlive the project by default.