What Is TPN Certification? A Plain-English Guide for Studios

The Short Version

TPN stands for Trusted Partner Network. It's a content security certification framework that Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros., Apple TV+, Amazon, and every major studio now require from vendors who handle their pre-release content.

If your post-production house, VFX studio, sound facility, or creative agency works with major studios or wants to — and you handle unfinished content before it's released — you need TPN certification.

This guide explains what TPN is, why it was created, and what the certification process actually involves.

Why TPN Was Created

Before TPN existed, every major studio ran its own content security audits. If you wanted to work with Netflix, Disney, and Warner Bros., each one sent its own assessment team to your facility, asked its own set of questions, and issued its own approval.

For vendors, this was expensive and redundant — answering the same basic questions three or four times a year from different studio teams. For studios, it was costly too: maintaining in-house audit teams and managing vendor relationships without a shared standard.

TPN was created to solve this. The Motion Picture Association (MPA) and the Content Delivery & Security Association (CDSA) developed a standardized content security framework — the MPA Content Security Best Practices — and built TPN as the certification system around it.

The idea: get certified once, get approved everywhere. One audit, accepted by all major buyers.

What TPN Actually Certifies

TPN certification means a third-party MPA-approved assessor has verified that your facility meets the MPA Content Security Best Practices requirements across several control domains:

Physical Security

Controlled access to facilities, secure areas for content work, visitor management, clean desk policy, secure media destruction.

Network Security

Network segmentation between content workstations and general business systems, managed firewalls, access control logging, encryption for content in transit and at rest.

System Security

Endpoint protection, software update policies, application whitelisting on content systems, system hardening.

Content Handling

Watermarking requirements, screener management, secure transfer protocols, media chain of custody documentation.

Incident Response

Written incident response plan, security awareness training for all staff, breach notification procedures.

For each domain, the MPA framework specifies required controls and provides guidance on implementation. TPN certification means an auditor has verified all required controls are present and functioning.

The Two TPN Tiers

TPN has two certification levels:

Blue Shield is a self-assessment. Your facility completes the MPA questionnaire internally and registers in the TPN Marketplace as a self-assessed vendor. No third party verifies your answers. Major studios and streaming platforms do not accept Blue Shield as sufficient for pre-release content handling.

Gold Shield is the full certification. A TPN-approved third-party assessor audits your facility in person and remotely, verifies all controls, and submits a report to TPN. Gold Shield is what Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros., Apple TV+, and Amazon require. It must be renewed annually.

If you're pursuing studio or streamer relationships, Gold Shield is the only tier that matters.

Who Needs TPN Certification

Any facility in the media supply chain that handles pre-release content for major studios or streaming platforms:

The key question: does your facility receive, process, store, or transmit content before it's publicly released? If yes, you need TPN.

The Certification Timeline

Week 1–2: Gap Assessment

Map your current state against the MPA framework. This produces a gap report showing what controls you have, what you're missing, and what it will take to close each gap.

Weeks 3–8: Remediation

Implement missing controls. Network changes, access control configuration, physical security upgrades, and policy documentation. Documentation is usually the most time-consuming part — the MPA requires written policies covering dozens of areas.

Week 9–10: Pre-Audit Readiness

A mock assessment before the real audit. Catch remaining gaps and prepare staff for assessor interviews. Skipping this step is the most common reason facilities fail their first audit.

Weeks 11–12: Third-Party Audit

The formal assessment by an MPA-approved TPN assessor. On-site and remote review of controls, documentation review, staff interviews. Typically 1–3 days for a mid-sized facility.

Post-Audit: Gold Shield Listed

The assessor submits their report to TPN. Once approved, your Gold Shield listing appears in the TPN Marketplace. Studios can verify your status directly.

Total timeline for most facilities: 60–120 days depending on starting posture.

How Much Does TPN Certification Cost?

Costs vary significantly based on facility size and how many controls you're starting with. Rough ranges:

The total investment for initial Gold Shield certification typically runs $35,000–$150,000 for mid-sized facilities. Larger facilities or those starting from a weak security baseline can exceed this.

The investment pays for itself quickly when you consider that Gold Shield opens the door to studio and streamer relationships that are often worth multiples of the certification cost.

Getting Started

The right first step is a gap assessment — understanding where you stand against the MPA framework before committing to a remediation timeline or budget.

A gap assessment gives you a clear picture of what you have, what you're missing, and what it will realistically cost to close the gap. From there, you can scope the remediation, set a timeline, and engage a TPN-approved assessor.

Clouds Agency provides TPN gap assessments and end-to-end Gold Shield certification consulting for studios, post houses, and creative agencies in Los Angeles. If you're ready to get started, reach out here.