MAS-Compliant Video Production in Singapore

What does MAS-compliant video production mean in Singapore?

MAS-compliant video production is video produced for a Singapore financial institution under a workflow that meets the Monetary Authority of Singapore's expectations for marketing communications, disclosures, and record-keeping. In practice that means named compliance approvers in the workflow, version control on every edit, a clear audit trail, locked disclosure copy, and a final approved master that matches what was actually published. The technical production is the same as any corporate video. The workflow around it is what makes it MAS-compliant.

Which MAS guidelines apply to video?

The two most relevant sets of guidelines for marketing video are the MAS Notice on the Provision of Financial Advisory Service (FAA-N03) and the MAS Guidelines on Fair Dealing (FSG-G04), along with general advertising standards across the Banking Act, Insurance Act, and Securities and Futures Act depending on the product. For investment products in particular, video used in retail-facing marketing falls under the same disclosure and balanced-view standards as written collateral. The compliance team owns interpretation. The video workflow has to support whatever they sign off on.

What is different about a MAS-compliant video workflow?

Three things sit on top of a standard production workflow.

1. Named compliance approver in the project chain

Every video has one named compliance approver, sometimes a second for specific products. They sit in the workflow alongside brand and the marketing owner, not bolted on at the end. They see the script before the shoot, see the rough cut after the first edit, and sign off on the final master. Scripts approved by compliance go to shoot with a version stamp. Changes after that need re-approval.

2. Version control with audit trail

Every edit is versioned. Every comment is logged with timestamp and approver name. The final master is locked, signed off, and stored with the approved version of the script, the disclosure copy, and the compliance sign-off. If MAS or internal audit asks what was approved and what was published, the answer is in the audit trail without having to reconstruct it from email threads.

3. Disclosure copy locked, not redrawn

The on-screen and voiceover disclosure copy comes from compliance. Production does not edit it, paraphrase it, or shorten it to fit. The brief includes the disclosure as locked copy, the script flows around it, and any change to disclosure timing or framing goes back to compliance before edit.

What kinds of video need this workflow?

Most marketing video produced for a regulated FS entity in Singapore. The level of intensity scales with how retail-facing the product is.

• Investment product marketing video (highest intensity): Mutual funds, unit trusts, structured products, robo-advisory promotion. Disclosure, balanced view, risk warnings. Full workflow.
• Insurance product video: Life, health, general. Suitability and disclosure standards. Full workflow.
• Retail banking product video: Credit cards, savings accounts, mortgages. Disclosure on rates, fees, eligibility. Full workflow.
• Corporate brand and reputation video: Anthem films, recruitment, sustainability. Lighter compliance touch but still through brand and legal.
• Internal training and L&D: Usually internal-only, lighter touch, but the same version control still applies for record-keeping.
• Investor relations and capital markets video: Earnings calls, AGMs, IR explainers. Separate disclosure regime under SFA. Full workflow.

How long does compliance review add to a Singapore FS video?

Compliance review adds 5 to 15 working days to a video project on average, depending on the institution and the product. The biggest variable is the number of review cycles, not the time per cycle. One properly briefed compliance review takes 1 to 3 days. Three rounds of "we forgot to mention this" review takes 3 weeks. The workflow trick is front-loading compliance into the brief and the script, so the rough cut review is the last cycle, not the first.

For teams running on a subscription production model with compliance baked into the workflow, end-to-end timelines for a MAS-compliant marketing video typically land at 10 to 14 working days from brief to delivered master. Project-based teams without that workflow average 4 to 8 weeks.

The 6-step MAS-compliant video production workflow

Step 1: Brief sign-off (brand, marketing owner, compliance)

The brief is approved by all three before scripting starts. The compliance contact is named on the brief. Disclosure copy is attached. This single step prevents about 80% of late-stage rework.

Step 2: Script approval with locked disclosure

Script goes to compliance for review with the disclosure copy embedded as locked copy. Comments come back marked up. Script is finalized and stamped with a version. Shoot does not happen until the script is stamped.

Step 3: Shoot to approved script

Crew shoots to the approved script. Any on-the-day script changes are flagged immediately to the marketing owner, who decides whether to call compliance or shoot the original version as well as a fallback.

Step 4: Rough cut for compliance review

First cut goes to compliance with marked-up disclosure timings, captions, and any product claims highlighted. One round of marked-up feedback is the goal. Two rounds is acceptable. Three rounds means the brief was off.

Step 5: Final master locked and signed off

Compliance signs off on the final master. The version, the date, the approver name, and the file hash are recorded against the project. This is the audit trail.

Step 6: Publication and archive

The approved master is published. The locked file, the approved script, and the compliance sign-off are stored together for record-keeping. Any future repurposing (cutdowns, social edits, multilingual versions) re-enters the workflow at step 2 with the original master as the source.

Multilingual MAS-compliant video for SEA

If the video is going out across Bahasa, Mandarin, Vietnamese, or Thai versions, each language version is technically a separate piece of regulated marketing. Each needs its own compliance sign-off. The disclosure copy must be translated by a qualified translator, then reviewed by a native-language compliance contact. Subtitled and dubbed versions both count.

Build this into the brief from day one. Most Singapore FS marketing teams underestimate this and add 2 to 4 weeks to the timeline because the multilingual compliance step was an afterthought.

Common things that break MAS-compliant video workflows

• Off-script answers from on-camera talent. A senior executive answering a question with off-the-cuff product detail is a compliance hazard. Brief talent on what is and is not in the script.
• Reused B-roll with old product claims. A shot from a 2023 campaign that mentioned a discontinued product offering. Tag B-roll with the campaign and date it came from.
• Music or visual assets without commercial rights. Compliance is not just about regulatory text. Stock and music licensing audit trails matter too.
• Social cutdowns that drop the disclosure. A 60 second hero cut to a 15 second LinkedIn version that no longer contains the rate disclaimer. The cutdown is a separate piece of regulated marketing.
• Translated disclosures done by the production team, not compliance. Translation of disclosure copy needs a qualified translator and a native-language compliance review.

What to look for in a MAS-compliant video production partner

• Workflow with named compliance approver as a default field, not bolted on.
• Version control on every edit with audit trail.
• Experience with Singapore banks, insurers, or asset managers (ask for examples).
• Multilingual workflow with separate compliance step per language.
• Locked file delivery with version stamp.
• Clear contract on who owns raw footage and what happens to it after delivery.
• Reasonable rates for re-versioning - because regulated content gets re-cut often.

This is the workflow we run on the Singapore financial services video production page for clients across MAS-regulated banks, insurers, and asset managers.

Frequently asked questions

What is MAS-compliant video production?

Video produced for a Singapore financial institution under a workflow that meets MAS expectations for marketing communications. Named compliance approver, version control on every edit, locked disclosure copy, audit trail, and a final approved master archived with the sign-off. The technical production is standard. The workflow around it is what makes it MAS-compliant.

How long does a MAS-compliant video take to produce in Singapore?

10 to 14 working days from brief to delivered master on a subscription production model with compliance baked into the workflow. 4 to 8 weeks on a project-based agency without that workflow. The biggest variable is the number of compliance review cycles, not the time per cycle.

Do MAS-compliant videos cost more to produce?

The base production cost is the same. The added cost is workflow overhead - compliance review time, version control, audit trail, separate sign-off per language. Most providers built for FS include this in the base price. Providers retrofitting it add 10% to 25% on top.

Who needs MAS-compliant video production in Singapore?

Any entity regulated under MAS for marketing communications: banks, insurers, asset managers, robo-advisors, securities firms, capital markets services license holders. The intensity of the workflow scales with how retail-facing the product is.

Can the same workflow handle HKMA, SFC, or APRA?

Mostly, yes. The structural elements (named approver, version control, audit trail, locked disclosure) translate across regulators. Specific disclosure language and product-claim rules differ. The same Singapore-based team can typically run HKMA or APRA work with the right approver contact in the workflow.

Where to go next

For the full Singapore FS service offering, see the Singapore financial services video production page. For broader context on Singapore video production, the Singapore hub covers the wider service range. For animation specifically (which sidesteps on-camera talent risk), see our piece on why FSI marketing teams are bringing animation in-house.