“Avails.”
A summary of available titles that distributors send to streaming companies and other buyers.
You make these reports all the time.
Your summary typically includes key information such as the title of the film or TV show, its rights availability in different territories, and the time period during which these rights are available. Sometimes they’re easy to build, but other times they can take a while. At the end of the day, avails efficiently communicate your catalog's licensing opportunities, allowing streaming platforms and other content buyers to quickly assess and select titles for their audiences.
You build avails, they build avails, everyone builds avails. But most build them wrong.
Here’s why they often suck
The process of sending avails can be cumbersome in many ways. When was the last time you sent one and thought “wow that was easy, let’s do it again”?
Firstly, the task can be exceptionally time-consuming, as it requires compiling detailed information across a large number of titles. This information often includes specific rights available, territorial restrictions, and availability dates, which can vary widely across different titles. Oftentimes this data lives in silos and can take quite a bit of effort to locate each puzzle piece and assemble it all into an acceptable format.
Secondly, ensuring accuracy is a significant challenge. With the vast amount of data involved, there's a high risk of errors, which can lead to missed opportunities or contractual issues. Double checking how up to date your source data is becomes even more nightmarish if there are multiple team members concurrently working on the same tracking documents. Issues like version control, or locally saved files can throw an unexpected wrench into your operational workflow.
Lastly, the process can be frustrating due to the need for frequent updates. Title availability can change rapidly, requiring constant updates to reflect current offerings. This need for sustained vigilance and modification adds to your workload and can feel never-ending.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. However, this is a painful approach to avails that you don’t have to accept and live with.
Automating Avails for Scale
At Molten Cloud, we make avails easier. Every day, our customers gain back time of day and peace of mind by automating avails that are built for scale. Here’s how:
We offer three distinct types of avails, each designed to cater to specific needs and scenarios. The first type is the Standard Avail. It is the traditional format, functioning like a snapshot that's frozen in time, and is typically sent via email to recipients as a PDF or . This format offers a straightforward, static presentation of available titles, with as much (or little) granularity as you’d like.
The second type, the QR Report, allows for a more tailored approach. You can specify groups of territories, creating multiple PDFs based on these territorial divisions. This format is particularly advantageous for film markets, offering a unique and customized presentation of available content. The QR codes open to live, up-to-date filtered views based on your criteria.
The third type is Dynamic Templates. These are akin to live documents – links can be shared similarly to screeners, or directly to recipients for access. Dynamic Templates react to changes, updating in real time. This feature is particularly useful for distributors who need to regularly run avails reports, ensuring the latest information is always presented. Additionally, these templates are mobile-friendly, enhancing accessibility and ease of use for recipients on the go. If you find yourself building the same avails reports over and over, this is for you.
If you’re interested to see it in action, download a sample here.
