How to Get Approved for MSN & Yahoo Syndication

MSN and Yahoo syndication represent one of the most overlooked passive revenue streams for video publishers. If you're already producing video content, syndicating to these platforms can add 15-30% to your total video revenue—without creating new content.

This guide walks through the entire process: from application to approval, feed setup, and revenue tracking.

What Is Video Syndication?

Video syndication means licensing your existing content to platforms like MSN and Yahoo, who republish your videos on their sites and share advertising revenue with you. Your videos reach millions of viewers on national platforms, and you earn money every time someone watches.

The key advantage: you've already created the content. Syndication converts existing videos into new revenue without additional production work.

Step 1: Check Eligibility Requirements

Before applying, ensure your content meets platform requirements:

• Original content: You must own the rights to your videos
• Consistent publishing: At least 10-20 videos published in the last 90 days
• Quality standards: Minimum 720p resolution, professional production quality
• Safe content: No explicit material, violence, or controversial topics
• Proper metadata: Clear titles, descriptions, and thumbnails

Step 2: Apply to Syndication Partners

Both MSN and Yahoo have application processes managed through their content partner programs:

MSN Content Partner Program

1. Visit the MSN Content Partner portal
2. Provide company details, content samples, and traffic statistics
3. Submit 10-15 example videos showing your typical content
4. Wait 2-4 weeks for review

Yahoo Publisher Network

1. Apply through Yahoo's Creator Program
2. Demonstrate consistent publishing schedule
3. Show audience metrics from your existing channels
4. Approval typically takes 3-6 weeks

Step 3: Set Up Compliant MRSS Feeds

Once approved, you need to provide MRSS (Media RSS) feeds that partners can pull from automatically. This is where most publishers struggle—creating compliant feeds that meet technical specifications.

VideoNest's MRSS Feed Management handles this automatically:

• Pre-built templates for MSN and Yahoo with all required fields
• Automatic validation against partner requirements
• Auto-updating feeds as new videos are published
• Compliance checks to catch errors before they affect revenue

Required feed elements include:

• Video title, description, and duration
• High-resolution thumbnail (min 1280x720px)
• Publication date and last modified timestamp
• Content category and keywords
• Video file URL in multiple formats
• Rights and licensing information

Step 4: Choose Which Videos to Syndicate

Not all content performs equally on syndication platforms. Best practices:

• Evergreen content: Tutorials, how-tos, explainers that remain relevant
• News and trending topics: Timely content when you can publish quickly
• High-quality production: Professional editing, clear audio, good lighting
• Clear value: Content that answers questions or entertains

Avoid syndicating:

• Branded content with heavy sponsor integration
• Videos shorter than 60 seconds (most platforms have minimums)
• Content with music licensing issues
• Clickbait or misleading thumbnails

Step 5: Monitor Performance & Revenue

Once your feed is live, partners will begin pulling videos automatically. Track performance through:

• View counts per platform: See which videos perform on MSN vs Yahoo
• Revenue per video: Identify top-earning content
• Feed health: Monitor for errors or rejected videos
• Approval rates: Track which content gets published

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Incomplete metadata: Missing descriptions or thumbnails will get videos rejected
• Poor feed formatting: XML errors break feeds entirely
• Ignoring content guidelines: Violating partner policies gets your account suspended
• Publishing too slowly: Partners prefer feeds with consistent new content
• Not testing feeds: Always validate feeds before submitting to partners