Client-provided video guidelines for In-Market Video campaigns

March 19, 2026

If you’re running an In-Market Video (IMV) campaign with Cars Commerce, you have the option to provide your own video creative through the Client-Provided Videos service tier. This tier supports up to two (2) videos per month supplied directly by you. Submitting your own creative allows you to test brand messaging and compare its performance against future campaign options.

In this article, you’ll learn how to prepare your video file for submission, meet required technical specifications, follow deadline guidance, and understand limitations of the client-provided video process.

Why run your own creative?

Using your own creative is a great way to:

Test how your existing messaging resonates with verified in-market shoppers
Build performance benchmarks over a 30–90 day period
Inform your next round of creative decisions based on real campaign results

Video requirements

To be eligible for syndication, videos must meet the following requirements:

Length

15 or 30 seconds for all placements (Standard, Skippable, and Connected TV)

File Format & Quality

File type: .mp4
Resolution: Minimum 1920×1080
Frame rate: 29.97 or 23.98 fps
Audio: 48kHz
Bitrate: 15–30 Mbps
Max file size: 10GB

Note: YouTube links are not accepted due to quality limitations. Instead, upload your original video file. Google Drive links with “anyone with the link can view/download” access are acceptable.

Submission deadlines

To ensure your campaign launches on time, videos must be submitted and approved before the applicable monthly deadline:

New IMV customers (creative approval needed by end of day):

January 23
February 20
March 20
April 17
May 22
June 19
July 17
August 21
September 15
October 20
November 17
December 15

Existing IMV customers (creative approval needed by 12 PM CDT):

January 24
February 21
March 21
April 18
May 23
June 20
July 18
August 22
September 16
October 21
November 18
December 16

Turnaround times

Once your video is submitted and approved, your campaign typically launches within 3–7 business days:

Onboarding: 1–2 business days
Video processing: 1–3 business days
Media trafficking: 1–2 business days

Important limitations

Please review these restrictions before submitting:

No edits or cutdowns: Videos must be final and ready to run as-is. Cars Commerce cannot modify videos due to legal and licensing limitations involving your production partner, OEM, or featured talent.
No translation: Client-provided videos will not be translated into other languages. (Translation is available for Campaign Library templates only.)
Co-op requirements: If you are a Dealer Inspire Media Services IMV customer, co-op approval is typically required. Contact the Co-op & Compliance Team for guidance.