Guide · For freelance videographers
How to get clear client feedback on video edits.
Most revision headaches don't come from picky clients. They come from feedback that's vague, scattered across apps, or coming from three people at once. Here's a simple process that fixes most of it, especially when you deliver every month on a retainer.
Send one link, not files
Attachments, Drive folders and WeTransfer links scatter the conversation. Your client watches one file in their email, replies about another in a text, and nobody's sure which version they mean.
Give each client one place for their videos, ideally the same link every month. Feedback stays next to the video it belongs to, and new versions replace old ones instead of piling up.
Ask for notes on the exact moment
“Can you change the part near the end?” costs you a round of guessing. A note tied to a timestamp costs nothing to act on.
Ask your client to pause where they want a change and write the note there. A review tool that pins notes to the frame makes this the default instead of a favour you have to ask for.
Tell them what to look at
Clients give better notes when they know what's open for discussion. Send a line or two with each edit: what you'd like eyes on (shot order, on-screen text, music) and what's locked from the brief (brand colours, length, the logo end card).
Get notes in one batch from one person
Notes trickling in over three days, from the owner, the manager and whoever runs their socials, are how one round turns into five. Ask for all notes at once, and agree on one person who gives final sign-off. Others can comment, but one person decides.
Set revision rounds up front
Put the number of revision rounds in your retainer agreement, for example two rounds per video, with extra rounds billed or rolled into next month. Mention it again when you send the edit. It's much easier to point to an agreement than to negotiate in the moment.
Get approval in writing, for each version
A thumbs-up emoji is easy to forget and hard to point to later. When a video's done, get a clear approval for that specific version, with a name and a date. If they ask for changes after approving, that's a new round, and the record shows it.
Relayyed saves this automatically. See how approvals work.
A message to send with your next edit
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and adjust the revision rounds to match your agreement.
Hi [name], this month's videos are ready for you: [link] When you watch, pause on anything you'd like changed and leave a note right there, so I know exactly which moment you mean. It helps most to send all your notes in one go. Things to look at: the order of the shots, the text on screen, and the music. The [logo/colours/length] are locked from the brief. Your retainer includes two rounds of changes per video. When a video's good to go, hit Approve and you can download the final. Thanks!
The short version
- One link per client, the same every month.
- Notes pinned to the exact moment.
- Say what's open for feedback and what's locked.
- All notes at once, one person signs off.
- Revision rounds agreed up front.
- Written approval for each version.
Relayyed does most of this for you.
Free for 14 days, no card needed. Then CA$19 a month, with unlimited clients.