Are you looking to give your business an edge against the 2.5 million-plus currently active sellers on Amazon? Things just got a little easier, because product videos are now available to sellers on Amazon.com.

Previously, the ability to upload Amazon product videos was available only to vendors and sellers enrolled in the Amazon Brand Registry program. In June 2023, Amazon announced that you can now add videos to your listings if you've been selling on Amazon for at least three months.

The expansion of product videos for all active brand-registered and non-brand-registered sellers is a huge boost and something all sellers should be taking advantage of. Let’s review some product video basics and tips, including Amazon product video guidelines and ideas for how to make your products shine.

Who Can Upload Product Videos on Amazon?

As of June 2023, product videos are available to all US sellers and vendors. In the EU and UK Amazon locales, this feature is currently an option for vendors only. If you sell in another marketplace, we recommend regularly checking your Seller Central account for updates and checking the Inventory tab for any feature additions, regardless of whether or not there is an official announcement or update from Amazon.

At eCommerce Nurse, we frequently optimize images and product details for our wide range of clients. We recommend sellers include a product video if the feature is available to them. It has proven to increase engagement and conversion rates.

What is an Amazon Product Video?

On any Amazon product detail page, the product images appear on the left half of the page. Optimized product images are key to your success on Amazon, and so it’s no surprise that adding videos can help convert browsers into buyers even more efficiently.

Sellers can add up to nine images, but only seven images max will show in most categories. If you want to upload a product video, we recommend only uploading six images, leaving the seventh spot for your video upload. Videos may not appear on product detail pages with more than six images in the top carousel, so if you want to be sure your video appears, only upload six images and one video.

Why Use a Product Video?

Videos can be made in a variety of ways. For example, they can contain product details, show the product being used, function as a how-to for customers, or feature customer testimonials, brand information, and more.

A single video may be uploaded to multiple ASINs (up to 300 at a time in Seller Central and up to 2000 at a time in Vendor Central). This means sellers who might have limited resources can still capitalize on this feature. In this case, we’d recommend a more generic brand information video that can serve as a cost-effective means of promotion and increase engagement.

Videos are easy for customers to watch, especially when they are easily accessible on an Amazon product detail page. Rather than leaving your product to go search for external videos or reviews, a customer can now see them right on your product detail page.

Videos can contain product details, show the product being used, function as a how-to, feature customer testimonials, provide brand information, and much more.

Videos can trigger emotions in customers or tell a story. They allow brands to showcase products creatively and in a way that places them in a lifestyle situation. Videos can combine music, colors/logos, voice-overs, and even cross-over product placement. They can also feature trustworthy spokespeople, brand CEOs, and more. But, be aware there are some limits.

According to Amazon, 73% of US adults are more likely to purchase after watching a product video. Some sellers even reported a 9.7% increase in revenue after adding a video.

Amazon Product Video Guidelines

Like Amazon product copy and images, product video guidelines are also fairly strict. Violation of these guidelines will result in your video being removed, suspended access to video uploads/content tools, or termination of your entire account.

Amazon Product Video Requirements

Be aware of the guidelines and adhere to them. Some key ones to note:

Videos must be entirely in English.
Any claims you make (implied or explicit) must be supported by evidence. You may provide your personal opinion, provided it is clearly noted as such. Any claim that could reasonably be interpreted as a factual statement must be accurate and substantiated.
Any products used must be yours and you must be the brand owner.
No defamatory or derogatory statements about competitor products or brands. Statements about competing products must be factual.
Videos must not contain prices, promotion information, discount claims (including words such as “cheap,” “affordable,” “on sale,” etc.), or time-sensitive information.
No health claims, medical claims, or medical advice (see the full section on this topic in Seller Central for more information).
No controversial, political, sensitive, or sexually suggestive content.
You must not direct viewers away from Amazon.
If you mention customer reviews, you must include accurate product information that can be substantiated.
Any customer review details must be less than one year old.

The most up-to-date guidelines can be found in Seller Central.

Technical Guidelines

Before uploading, your video should be high-quality; 480p or higher is recommended. We suggest using a 16:9 aspect ratio for best results. The video must be under 5GB in file size, and it should be in .mp4 or .mov file format.

It’s important that your video looks professional. If you have issues with the content or technical requirements, you can always hire a professional company--there are many, and Amazon recommends a few specifically. Be sure to consider your brand’s tone, market, and target customer, plus any FAQs you want to address or answer.

Another thing to consider is if your product has variations, and how you will account for them in your video. Do they need separate videos? Or can all of your product information be cohesively placed in one video? Lastly, if you plan to expand to international marketplaces in the future, you will want to consider that your video may need additional localization down the line. If resources are an issue, perhaps have a video created that can be used widely (without dialogue, for example).

You also will need a thumbnail image, which displays before a customer plays the video. Don’t just use a screenshot. Ensure that your thumbnail is also high quality.

How to Upload a Product Video on Amazon

Once your video is created, it’s simple to upload and manage. You can find the video upload tool in Seller Central, under the Inventory tab. Click on Upload & Manage Videos.

Select your video or drag and drop the file to upload it to Seller Central. Enter a descriptive title for your video; less than 60 characters is recommended. Enter related product ASINs and upload a thumbnail image.

Once submitted, videos can take several hours to process and publish, and around 72 hours to appear on the product detail page.

Promote Your Products

With the option to add product videos universally available to US sellers, it is undoubtedly one of the best ways to promote your products and further optimize your listings. With the capability to upload videos across your range, you should utilize this at an individual level or even brand-wide level.

Just be sure you’re following the guidelines and getting support for any areas you are unfamiliar with. If you need assistance with listing optimization, overall marketing strategy, integrated account management, and merchandising support, or help with product images or videos, please contact eCommerce Nurse.