Professional delivery is about producing high-quality masters and the specific formats that broadcasters, finishing houses, and other applications require. Where web delivery favours small, compatible files, professional delivery favours quality and interoperability.
Note: Many professional and broadcast codecs and interchange formats require a Pro licence. The Export panel only offers the formats your plan includes.
A master is a high-quality file you keep as the definitive version and make other deliverables from. Use a high-quality intermediate codec rather than a heavily compressed web codec:
Broadcast delivery often calls for specific wrappers and codecs, commonly MXF-wrapped media to a broadcaster's spec. Always work to the delivery specification you've been given - codec, resolution, frame rate, and audio layout are usually all defined. Use settings that match the spec so every deliverable is consistent (see Export overview).
For finishing, VFX, or grading in another application, you may deliver an image sequence - one file per frame (such as numbered TIFF, PNG, or EXR). Image sequences preserve maximum quality and, with EXR, high dynamic range. They round-trip naturally with Lightworks, which can also import numbered image sequences (see Importing media).
Stems are separate audio deliverables - for example dialogue, music, and effects exported as individual tracks or mixes - so sound can be re-balanced downstream. Use the mixer's routing and mixes to organise your audio for stem delivery (see The audio mixer). For audio-only delivery, the WAV export renders your LR mix as a stereo track or as mono tracks. For a full audio post round-trip, AAF, OMF, and Reaper interchange carry the edit to dedicated audio applications.
To move your edit (not the media) to another system - a grading or audio-finishing application, or another editor - export an interchange file:
Interchange describes the edit and references media, so the receiving system relinks to the actual files. Effects and transitions rarely translate perfectly between applications, so always check the result on the far side.
Once delivered, archive the project and its masters so you can remake or revise later. A Lightworks archive can include the project and selected media; store masters and archives safely and in more than one place (see Archiving and restoring work).
Tip: Deliver a high-quality master first, then make every other version - web, social, review - from that master. One good master is worth more than a dozen re-renders from the timeline.