Client Review Portal
A Dedicated, Branded Review Environment That Makes Your Clients Look Forward to Giving Feedback
The way your clients experience the review process is the way they experience working with you. A confusing attachment, a broken WeTransfer link, a shared Dropbox folder with ambiguous file names — these do not just create friction. They communicate that the production process is disorganised, even when it is not. PlayPause Client Review Portal gives every client a clean, purpose-built environment for watching, annotating, and approving video — under your brand, with zero friction on their side. No client account required · Branded portal · Frame-accurate feedback · One-click approval · Multi-project dashboard Trusted by post-production houses, creative agencies, and media teams delivering professional review experiences to clients worldwide.
What the PlayPause Client Review Portal Is
A Purpose-Built Review Environment — Not a File Sharing Tool
Designed for reviewing video, not for storing files
A client review portal is not a shared folder. It is not a cloud storage bucket with a custom URL. It is a purpose-built environment where clients can watch the videos you have prepared for them, leave feedback precisely on the frame where their note belongs, see previous versions for comparison, and approve cuts with a formal sign-off — all without leaving the platform or reaching for their email client. PlayPause is built for this workflow from the ground up.
Every client interaction happens in one place
When a client opens the PlayPause review portal, they see the projects you have shared with them, the versions within each project, and the current review status of each. They watch, comment, and approve — all in the same browser session. The conversation about the video happens on the video, not in a separate email thread that loses context by the second reply.
The portal serves the client — the dashboard serves you
PlayPause separates the client's experience from the production team's experience. Your team sees the full project dashboard: all versions, all comments across all reviewers, approval status, audit trail, and file management. The client sees a clean review environment: the video, the comment panel, the approval button, and nothing else they do not need. Each party sees exactly what is relevant to their role.
No account required for clients to review
The most important design decision in a client review portal is how much friction stands between the client and the content. PlayPause requires none. A client opens a secure link in any browser, enters a password if you have set one, and the video is immediately ready to review. No sign-up form. No email verification. No app download. No plugin. The barrier to leaving precise, useful feedback is zero.
The Review Experience Your Clients Actually Get
A professional, polished interface from first load
The PlayPause review player is clean, fast, and designed for professional video review — not for casual streaming. Controls are minimal and purposeful. The comment panel is visible but not intrusive. The approval interface is prominent but not pressuring. Every design decision is made to communicate that this is a professional tool used by a professional production company.
Works on any device, in any browser
Clients review from wherever they are — a senior brand client watching on a MacBook in a meeting room, a creative director reviewing on an iPad on a flight, a marketing manager leaving feedback from a Windows desktop in their office. PlayPause works across all of them without any configuration, download, or compatibility check required.
Fast loading regardless of file size
PlayPause generates web-optimised proxy files for every upload automatically. The client's review player loads and streams quickly regardless of whether the source file is a 2GB ProRes master or a 500MB h.264 export. They are watching an optimised proxy. Your original file is stored untouched at full quality. Speed for the client and fidelity for the archive — both, automatically.
A Branded Portal That Represents Your Studio
Your Brand on Every Touchpoint of the Review Experience
Custom subdomain for your studio
Your PlayPause client portal can be served from a custom subdomain — for example, review.yourstudio.com — so that the URL clients receive is consistent with your studio's branding. From the moment the client receives the link, the experience is yours. The review environment carries your name, not a third-party platform's.
Studio logo in the review player
Upload your studio's logo and it appears in the review player header for every client session. Clients see your branding on the player interface, on the email notifications they receive, and on the PDF approval certificate generated when they sign off. The production company's identity is consistent across every touchpoint of the review relationship.
White-labelled client-facing communications
Notification emails sent to clients — review request notifications, reminder emails, approval confirmation emails — carry your studio's name and logo rather than PlayPause's. Clients experience the platform as a service provided by you, not as a third-party tool you are using. The vendor relationship stays invisible.
Custom project naming and organisation
Projects in the client portal are named, ordered, and described in whatever way makes sense for your client relationship. A client working on a campaign sees the cuts they care about with the names and labels your team uses with them. You control what is visible in the client portal and how it is presented — the portal reflects your organisation of the work, not a generic folder structure.
Configure the Portal for Each Client Relationship
Per-client access configuration
Each client's portal access is configured independently. What one client sees in the portal is entirely separate from what another sees. Projects, versions, comments, and approval workflows are scoped per client — a brand client reviewing a campaign cut sees only the projects you have specifically shared with them. Access is intentional and controlled, not open.
Hide internal versions from the client view
Your team's internal rough cuts, technical passes, and work-in-progress versions live in the same PlayPause project as the client-facing cuts — but they are not exposed in the client portal unless you deliberately share them. The client sees a curated selection of versions. Your team works with the full project history. The same project, two different views.
Configurable branding per client project
For agencies managing multiple brand clients, configure different branding elements per project or per client relationship. A project shared with Brand A can carry Brand A's colour scheme and project name in the review environment. A project shared with Brand B uses Brand B's. The portal adapts to the relationship, not the other way around.
How Clients Give Feedback in the Portal
Frame-Accurate Comments — No Account, No Friction
Click on any frame to leave a note
A client pauses the video at any moment and clicks to leave a comment. The comment is instantly pinned to that exact frame number — visible in the comment panel and as a marker on the timeline. There is no approximation, no 'around the 1-minute mark,' no screenshot-and-email required. The note is on the frame where the issue is.
Draw directly on the frame to show what they mean
Clients can draw on the paused frame using PlayPause's annotation tools — arrows, circles, freehand drawing — to point to the exact element they are commenting on. A brand client who wants a logo repositioned draws a box around the current position and an arrow to where it should be. The message is unambiguous. The editor receives a marked frame, not a description.
Reply to notes from the production team
When your team replies to a client's comment — to clarify, to confirm a change was made, to ask for more detail — the client sees the reply threaded directly under their original note in the comment panel. The conversation stays attached to the timecode it concerns. No separate email thread. No lost context. Every exchange on every note is preserved in the project record.
See the production team's responses in real time
When a producer or editor marks a comment as resolved or adds a reply, the client sees the update the next time they open the portal or refresh the comment panel. Changes in the review status are visible to both sides without requiring either party to send a notification email — the portal is the communication channel, not an additional one.
Version Comparison in the Client View
Clients can see which version they are reviewing
Every version shared with a client is clearly identified in the portal — version number, upload date, and a description you provide. Clients know they are looking at V3, what changed in V3 relative to V2, and when it was shared. There is no ambiguity about which cut they are reviewing and whether they are on the latest version.
Side-by-side version comparison
When a new version is uploaded following a round of client feedback, the client can compare the new version with the previous one directly in the portal. They play a specific section in both versions simultaneously and see whether their note was addressed. No separate download, no side-by-side window management — the comparison is built into the portal.
Comment history persists across versions
Notes left on V2 remain attached to V2 in the project history. When the client opens V3, they see V3's clean comment panel — but they can navigate back to V2's record at any time to see the full context of what was discussed. The portal preserves the complete feedback history across every version, from first rough cut to approved master.
Formal Approval in the Client Review Portal
One-Click Sign-Off With a Documented Record
The approval button is prominent and unambiguous
When a client has finished their review and is ready to approve, the approval button is clearly present in the portal interface. One click initiates the approval. The client confirms their identity and the approval is recorded. There is no ambiguity about what approving means, no unsigned email that could be disputed later, no missing sign-off that holds up delivery.
Timestamped approval record
Every approval in PlayPause is recorded with the approver's name, their email address, the version they approved, the date, and the exact time. The record is permanent and cannot be altered. If a client claims they never approved a version six months later, the record shows the name, the email, the version reference, and the timestamp. The approval is documented.
PDF approval certificate generated automatically
PlayPause generates a PDF approval certificate for every sign-off: the project name, the version number, the approver's details, and the approval timestamp. The certificate is available to download immediately and is stored in the project record permanently. Include it in your delivery package. Share it with a broadcaster as evidence of client sign-off. Retain it for your compliance archive.
Multi-stage approval workflows
For productions that require approval from multiple stakeholders — creative director, legal team, brand client, executive sponsor — configure a multi-stage approval chain within the portal. Each approver is notified in sequence. The next stage is not available until the previous stage is complete. The approval is structured, tracked, and documented across every stage.
Manage Approvals Across Multiple Clients and Projects
Approval status visible on the production dashboard
Your team's PlayPause dashboard shows the approval status of every version across every active project: approved, pending, in review, changes requested. At a glance, producers see which projects are awaiting client sign-off, which have been approved, and which have notes requiring a new version. The status is live and does not require chasing the client for an update.
Approval deadline management
Set an approval deadline on any version shared with a client. The client sees the deadline in the portal. If the deadline passes without an approval or a rejection, PlayPause sends an automated reminder. The production team is notified of the missed deadline. The workflow continues — but the record shows when the delay occurred and on whose part.
Changes requested — structured rejection
If a client is not ready to approve, they can submit a 'changes requested' status rather than a binary reject. The changes-requested action prompts them to ensure they have left comments on the version before submitting — making sure the production team has specific, frame-accurate notes to work from, not a vague rejection without context.
Multi-Project Client Dashboard
Clients With Multiple Active Projects See Everything in One Place
A single portal for all active projects
A brand client working with your studio on multiple simultaneous productions — a product launch film, an internal communications piece, and a series of social assets — sees all of them in a single portal view. Each project shows its current status, the most recent version, and any outstanding feedback or approval actions. The client has a single URL, a single login context, and a single place to manage all active creative work.
Project status at a glance
The multi-project dashboard shows each project's current state: in review, awaiting your team's response, approved, or delivered. Clients know without opening each project whether action is required from them, whether a new version is available, or whether the project is closed. The portal respects their time by surfacing the relevant information without requiring them to navigate into every project to check its status.
Notification preferences per client
Configure what notifications each client receives: an email when a new version is shared for review, a reminder when a deadline is approaching, a confirmation when their approval is recorded. Clients receive the notifications that help them manage their review responsibility without being overwhelmed with system alerts for events that do not require their attention.
Access history per client
Your team's dashboard shows a complete access history for each client: which versions they have opened, how long they watched, whether they left comments, and whether they have approved. If a client claims they never received a version, the access log shows when the link was opened, from which device, and for how long. The record is unambiguous.
The Client Review Portal for Every Relationship in Post-Production
The Same Portal — Configured for Different Client Types
Brand clients and marketing teams
Brand clients reviewing campaign content — commercial spots, brand films, product videos — typically have multiple stakeholders involved at different stages: marketing managers, creative directors, legal reviewers, and executive sponsors. The PlayPause portal accommodates all of them in a structured approval workflow, with each stakeholder reviewing and signing off at their designated stage without stepping on each other's access.
Advertising agencies acting as an intermediary
When a post-production house works through an agency rather than directly with the end brand, the portal serves two relationships simultaneously. The agency gets their own portal view to review and approve before the brand sees anything. The brand gets a separate portal view once the agency has signed off. Both relationships are managed through the same project, with carefully controlled visibility at each stage.
Broadcast and streaming platform delivery
When delivering content to a broadcaster or streaming platform for editorial approval or technical compliance review, the portal provides a professional delivery environment that matches the expectations of the receiving organisation. The reviewer receives a link to a clean, branded portal rather than a file download or a consumer-grade sharing link. The review experience communicates the production quality of the content.
Independent directors and creative collaborators
Directors reviewing a cut from a remote location — a different city, a different time zone, a different production context — open the portal on any device and see exactly what they need: the current version, the production team's latest notes, and the comment panel ready for their input. No phone call required to establish what version they should be looking at.
Legal and compliance reviewers
Legal teams reviewing pre-clearance content or compliance submissions work within a time-bounded review window defined by the project's delivery schedule. The portal provides them with the exact version under review, the ability to leave timestamped comments on the specific frames requiring attention, and a formal approval mechanism that generates a documented sign-off record consistent with legal review requirements.
The Client Review Portal Across Every Type of Production
Commercial and Advertising Production
Commercial campaigns involve multiple review rounds across creative agencies, brand clients, and legal teams — each with different priorities, different deadlines, and different levels of familiarity with post-production workflow. The PlayPause client review portal gives each stakeholder a clean, professional interface for their specific role. The creative director gets the full annotated review experience. Legal gets a timestamped sign-off mechanism. The brand client gets a branded portal that reflects the agency's professionalism.
Long-Form Narrative and Documentary
Documentary and narrative feature productions maintain long-term client relationships across months of post-production. The PlayPause portal preserves the complete version history and feedback record for the duration of the project — so a director reviewing version 14 can look back at the notes on version 6 without any manual record-keeping. The client relationship is documented automatically across the full production lifecycle.
Episodic Television
Showrunner and network note sessions for episodic content involve structured review rounds on multiple episodes simultaneously. The multi-project dashboard lets a showrunner or network executive manage approval status across an entire season from a single portal view. Notes are organised by episode, by version, and by reviewer — without the episodes bleeding into each other's feedback records.
Corporate and Internal Communications Video
Corporate clients reviewing internal communications content — leadership messages, training videos, brand films — are often not experienced video reviewers. The PlayPause portal is designed to be usable by anyone, without training or production context. A CEO reviewing their own message to the company clicks on the frame where they want a cut, types their note, and submits. The portal does not assume production knowledge.
Post-Production Facility Serving Multiple Agencies
A post-production facility working with ten different agencies simultaneously uses the PlayPause client review portal to give each agency a completely separate, independently branded review environment. Each agency's clients see only their projects. Each agency's branding is reflected in their portal. The facility manages all of them from a single internal dashboard — one system, configured to look and feel like ten separate ones.
The Client Review Portal Connects to Your Existing Stack
The portal is not an island. Client review events — link opens, comments, approvals — flow into your notification tools, your project management systems, and your delivery records. Slack · Email notifications · Google Drive · Dropbox · Premiere Pro · Webhooks / API · Zapier · SSO / SAML (Enterprise)
How To Start
- Free trial and demo. Try PlayPause free for 14 days. Book a walkthrough and we will set up your first client portal together — configure your branding, share your first version, and walk your team through the client experience from first link to final approval.
- Configure your workspace branding. Upload your studio logo, set your custom subdomain, and configure the notification templates your clients will receive. The entire branded environment is set up in the workspace settings — no development work, no third-party configuration required.
- Share your first version with a client. Upload a cut, generate a review link, and send it to your client. They open it in any browser — no account required. The portal loads immediately with your branding, the video ready to play, and the comment panel open. Their first review session can begin within thirty seconds of receiving the link.
- Manage the review from your dashboard. See when the client opened the link, how long they watched, and what comments they left — all from the PlayPause production dashboard. When they approve, the certificate is generated automatically and stored in the project record.
Client Review Portal Feature Highlights
| No client account required — link, open, review, approve in any browserBranded portal with custom subdomain, studio logo, and white-labelled notificationsPer-client access configuration — each client sees only their own projectsFrame-accurate comments — notes pinned to the exact timecode they referenceOn-screen drawing and annotation tools — arrows, circles, freehand for visual feedbackThreaded replies — conversations stay attached to the frame they concernVersion comparison — side-by-side comparison of current and previous cutsComment history preserved across all versions for the full project lifecycleOne-click approval with timestamped record and auto-generated PDF certificateMulti-stage approval workflows — sequential sign-off across multiple stakeholdersChanges-requested workflow — structured rejection that ensures notes are left before submissionApproval deadline management with automated reminder notificationsMulti-project dashboard — one portal view for all active client projectsPer-viewer access log — who opened the link, when, and how long they watchedInternal version visibility control — hide rough cuts from the client viewPassword protection, expiring links, and watermarking on every share link |
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PlayPause Client Review Portal vs. The Old Way
See how the PlayPause client review portal compares to the methods most production teams use for client review — and what those methods cannot provide.
| Capability | PlayPause.io | Email + PDF | Generic file sharing |
|---|---|---|---|
| No client account required for reviewing | ✓ Yes | ~ Email only | ✗ Often required |
| Frame-accurate comments on the video | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| On-screen annotation and drawing tools | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Branded portal with custom subdomain | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| One-click formal approval with PDF certificate | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Multi-stage approval workflow | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ~ Workaround |
| Version comparison in the client view | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Comment history across all versions | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ~ Limited |
| Multi-project client dashboard | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ~ Limited |
| Per-viewer access log and open tracking | ✓ Full log | ~ Read receipt | ✗ No |
| Password, expiry, and watermarking on links | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ~ Limited |
| White-labelled client-facing notifications | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✗ No |
"Before PlayPause, our clients were emailing us notes that said things like 'the bit in the middle' or 'around 45 seconds.' Our editors spent half their time working out what the note referred to. Now every note is on the frame. Our clients love the experience because it is simpler than email. Our editors love it because the notes are actually useful." — Executive Producer, boutique commercial post-production company
FAQ — More About the PlayPause Client Review Portal
Do my clients need to create a PlayPause account to use the portal? No. Clients receive a link, click it, and the portal loads in their browser — no account, no sign-up form, no email verification, no app download. If you have set a password on the link, they enter that. Then they watch, comment, and approve. The zero-friction access experience is a core design principle of the portal. Can I show different clients different versions of the same project? Yes. Each review link is scoped to a specific version and shares only that version with the recipient. Create separate links for different recipients, each pointing to the version appropriate for their stage in the approval process. Your internal team link can show all versions. The client link shows only the versions you have chosen to share with them. Can multiple clients be reviewing simultaneously? Yes. Multiple clients can be active on the same version at the same time, each leaving their own comments. Comments are attributed clearly to each reviewer so the production team can distinguish between the agency's notes, the brand client's notes, and the legal team's notes — all on the same timeline. What does the approval PDF certificate include? The certificate includes the project name, the version number and description, the approver's name and email address, the approval timestamp (date and time to the minute), and a unique reference number for the approval record. It is generated automatically immediately on approval and is available to download from the project record at any time. Can I prevent clients from downloading the video file? Yes. Download permissions are set independently of viewing permissions on each link. A client can have full viewing access to a version in the portal with no ability to download the underlying file. Access control and download control are separate settings. Can I brand the portal with my client's brand rather than my studio's brand? Yes. For agencies managing end-client relationships, portal branding can be configured per-project. A project shared with Brand A can carry Brand A's identity in the review environment. A project shared with Brand B uses Brand B's. The branding configuration is set at the project level. What happens when a client submits a 'changes requested' status? PlayPause prompts the client to ensure they have left comments before submitting a changes-requested status. The submission triggers a notification to the production team with the status and a link to the comments the client has left. The production team can action the notes and upload a new version, which begins the next review round. Can I set a deadline for client feedback or approval? Yes. Set an approval deadline on any version shared with a client. The client sees the deadline in the portal. As the deadline approaches, PlayPause sends automated reminders. If the deadline passes without action, the production team is notified. The deadline and all reminder events are logged in the project record. How is the client's comment history preserved across multiple versions? Comments from each version stay attached to that version in the project history. When a new version is uploaded, it starts with a clean comment panel — but the client and production team can navigate back to any previous version's record at any time. The full feedback history across every version is preserved for the lifetime of the project. Is the portal GDPR-compliant? Yes. PlayPause processes and stores data in accordance with GDPR. Client data — access logs, comments, approval records — is handled under the terms of your data processing agreement with PlayPause. Enterprise customers can configure data residency to ensure all data is stored within their required region.
Need More From PlayPause?
Approvals
The client review portal is the interface. Approvals are the formal mechanism. Multi-stage sign-off chains, locked approval records, PDF certificates, and audit trails are all part of the PlayPause approvals layer — accessible through the same portal experience.
Sharing and Security
Every link shared through the client review portal carries PlayPause's full security stack. Password protection, expiring links, domain restrictions, and dynamic watermarking are all available per link. The portal experience is clean and frictionless for the client. The security is comprehensive and configurable for you.
Version Control
The portal's version comparison and version history are powered by PlayPause's version control layer. Every version uploaded is stored, labelled, and accessible from the project record indefinitely. The client portal surfaces the versions you choose to share — the complete version history stays in your production dashboard.
Ready to Give Your Clients a Review Experience That Reflects Your Work?
The quality of your production and the quality of your client's review experience should match. Try PlayPause free for 14 days and replace the email attachment with a review portal that makes the feedback process as professional as the work inside it. No credit card required. Trial ends automatically. Your branded portal live in under 10 minutes. Support from day one · All formats accepted · No client account required · GDPR-ready
The coded toolkit behind every review
Organized workspaces
Keep every client, project, and round in its own clean space.
Version stacks
Stack every cut and compare two versions side by side, frame by frame.
Secure sharing
Expiring, password-protected, domain-restricted links with watermarking.
One review link
Send a single link — no downloads, no logins, no feedback lost in email.
Built into PlayPause
Frame-accurate comments
Pin notes and drawings to an exact frame, with threaded replies and @mentions.
Version compare
Stack cuts and scrub two versions side-by-side, frame by frame.
Approval locks
Lock a version as approved so there's never ambiguity about what's final.
Secure sharing
Password-protected, expiring, domain-restricted links with watermarking.
Camera-to-Cloud
Send proxies from set and start reviewing dailies before the crew wraps.
Integrations
Premiere & After Effects panels, plus Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zapier.
Ship your next cut with fewer rounds
Collaborate in real time, lock approvals, and deliver with confidence — starting today.
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