"Auto Ident" IMF Delivery in Backlot

Please note: To the extent the Netflix deliverables list requires Licensor to deliver files to Netflix without any Netflix-branded pre-roll or bumper or any other Netflix logo, such format requirement for delivery to Netflix shall in no way alter or change any terms of the license agreement for the Series, including without limitation, terms regarding Netflix's credit entitlements on the Series, or Licensor's obligations to include Netflix credits and branding in connection with Licensor's exploitation of the Series. Please contact Netflix for all appropriate logos to include in connection with Licensor's exploitation of the Series.

What is the "Auto Ident" delivery workflow?

In simple terms "Auto Ident" means external partners are not responsible for delivering content with the Netflix branding or "ident" added to the head and tail of the program.

In 2017 we changed our Netflix ident workflow from a partner-based model (partner includes the Ident in the delivered IMF) to an automated, Netflix-based model (Ident is added to our encoded streams), now known as ‘Auto Ident’.

How does it work?

The implementation of the "Auto Ident" delivery workflow requires action from Netflix Launch Management. Source requests in Backlot are package-tagged as "Auto Ident".
The presence of an "Auto Ident" package-tag indicates that the Fulfillment Partner must deliver an IMF source without the ident and we will apply our branding internally. This package tag acts as the trigger or signal which notifies our internal, downstream ingest and encoding processes to apply our branding to a clean, ident-less source delivered through Backlot. This workflow does NOT support ProRes deliveries.

Where do I find the "Auto Ident" tag in Backlot?

There are two ways to identify if your source requests have the "Auto Ident" package tag.

From the main Backlot dashboard, customize your column view to reveal Tags.

The tag is applied at the package level, so all Source Requests within a single Package ID will contain the "Auto Ident" tag.

The tag is viewable within the Source Request Details page, within the Overview section.

Why did we change the workflow around idents?

Previously for all branded content, we required Fulfillment Partners to follow a precise specification for placement, adding the Netflix ident at the head and tail of content. Unfortunately, the ident had often been flagged during QC when unauthorized changes were made - color shifts, changing the audio mix, cutting out frames, etc. Historically, ident issues had accounted for 25% of QC failures, resulting in multiple redeliveries and QC costs. Moving to the “Auto Ident” workflow means the assets will be delivered "clean" which helps reduce QC issues along with reduced storage costs and flexibility for ident updates.