Harvest
Time Tracking
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Time Tracking App for Media

Harvest is a time tracking app that helps media professionals recover up to 30% of lost billable revenue by offering flexible billing and detailed reporting.

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How much revenue is your team leaving on the table?

Most agencies run at 55-60% utilization. Even a small improvement means significant revenue. See what closing the gap looks like for your team.

Number of people who track billable time
$
Blended rate across roles (junior, senior, lead)
55%
Percentage of total hours that are billable. Industry average is 55-60%.
75%
A realistic target for service businesses is 70-80%.
Monthly revenue gap $0
Revenue at current utilization $0/mo
Revenue at target utilization $0/mo
Extra billable hours needed per person/day 0h
Annual revenue opportunity $0

Start tracking team utilization

Walk through the entire flow below. Start a timer, check your reports, and create a real invoice — all in three clicks.

Go ahead — start tracking!

One click and you're timing. Try it right here: start a timer, add an entry, edit the details. This is exactly how it feels in Harvest.

  • One-click timer from browser, desktop & mobile
  • Works inside Jira, Asana, Trello, GitHub & 50+ tools
  • Duration or start/end — your call
  • Day, week & calendar views to stay on top of it all
  • Friendly reminders so no hour gets left behind
Acme Corp
Website Redesign
Homepage layout revisions
1:24:09
Content Strategy
Blog calendar planning
1:30:00
SEO Audit
Technical audit report
0:45:00
Brand Guidelines
Color system documentation
2:15:00
Logo Concepts
Initial sketches round 1
1:00:00
Today's total 6:54:09

The Critical Role of Time Tracking in Media Production

Time tracking is crucial for media professionals, as agencies without effective systems can lose 15-30% of their billable revenue due to unbilled hours. This loss not only affects profitability but also the ability to meet key financial benchmarks, which only 35% of agencies currently achieve. By implementing a robust time tracking system, such as Harvest, media teams can significantly improve their financial accuracy, reducing the 80% of timesheets that require corrections.

Moreover, media professionals can enhance their project management capabilities by utilizing tools that offer insights into project durations, resource allocation, and budget adherence. Video professionals, for instance, have been able to recover an average of 12 or more unbilled hours monthly, potentially increasing studio revenue by $600-$2,400 per editor. Harvest's detailed reporting features enable teams to identify these opportunities and optimize their workflows effectively.

Essential Features for Media-Specific Time Tracking Applications

When evaluating time tracking apps for media, it's essential to prioritize features that cater specifically to the industry's needs. Automated and manual tracking capabilities allow for seamless logging of both online and offline activities, ensuring comprehensive time capture. A critical feature is deep integration with creative software like Adobe Creative Suite, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve, which Harvest currently lacks but compensates with flexible project-based billing and invoicing.

Harvest enables media professionals to assign time to specific projects, categorize billable and non-billable hours, and set variable rates for accurate client billing. Its comprehensive reporting and analytics tools provide valuable insights into time usage, project profitability, and client ROI, aiding in strategic decision-making. Additionally, Harvest supports resource and workflow management, helping teams monitor capacity and identify bottlenecks in their creative pipelines.

Best Practices for Implementing Time Tracking in Media Workflows

Implementing time tracking in media workflows requires careful consideration of the tools and processes that will best support creative environments. Trust-based tools like Harvest, which prioritize ease of use, are preferable over surveillance-heavy options that might hinder creativity. Integrating time tracking with existing project management platforms, such as Trello or Asana, can streamline data flow and reduce administrative tasks.

Defining clear billing structures, such as hourly or day rates for different roles, ensures fair compensation and consistent client billing. Regularly reviewing and adjusting these structures based on time tracking data can help refine project estimates and optimize workflows. Harvest provides mobile accessibility, allowing professionals to track time on the go, which is particularly beneficial for those working remotely or on location.

Navigating Free and Budget-Friendly Time Tracking Options

For media professionals seeking budget-friendly solutions, many free time tracking tools offer core functionalities like automated tracking and basic timesheets. However, these often lack advanced features such as deep integrations with media tools or comprehensive reporting. Harvest offers a free 30-day trial, allowing users to experience its full range of features without commitment.

While free tools might seem appealing, it's crucial to evaluate their limitations against the cost savings they offer. The ROI from accurate billing and increased efficiency, as demonstrated by Harvest's capabilities, can quickly justify the subscription cost. For example, accurate invoicing from Harvest can potentially cover years of subscription fees with revenue from just one properly priced project.

Harvest Time Tracking for Media

See how Harvest helps media professionals track time across projects, manage billable hours, and optimize efficiency with detailed reports.

Harvest time tracking app dashboard for media professionals

Time Tracking App for Media FAQs

  • Media professionals can track billable hours by using time tracking tools that allow for project-based tracking and categorization by media type. Harvest supports this with flexible billing rates and detailed reporting features, ensuring accurate billing and optimized workflows.

  • Key features to look for include automated and manual tracking, integration with creative software, project-based billing, and comprehensive reporting capabilities. Harvest provides project-based time tracking and allows for customizable billing rates, making it a strong choice for media professionals.

  • Time tracking improves productivity by identifying bottlenecks, optimizing workflows, and ensuring accurate billing. Tools like Harvest offer detailed reports that provide insights into time usage and project profitability, helping teams make informed decisions to enhance efficiency.

  • Yes, there are free options available that offer basic functionalities like automated tracking and timesheets. However, these may lack advanced features needed for media-specific requirements. Harvest offers a free 30-day trial with full feature access, allowing media professionals to evaluate its suitability.

  • Harvest does not directly integrate with Adobe Creative Suite, but it compensates with robust project-based billing and reporting features that help manage media projects effectively, ensuring accurate time tracking and billing.

  • Yes, Harvest allows users to track time spent on various tasks, which can be categorized by media format. This ensures accurate billing for video, audio, and graphic projects, helping media professionals efficiently manage their workloads.

  • Harvest supports project-based billing by allowing media professionals to assign time to specific projects and set variable rates for different media types. Its detailed reporting features also help analyze project profitability and client ROI.