A method and apparatus for providing an improved workflow for digital watermarking during a production process. The invention provides a content tracking authority facility that forms a centralized location for storing and distributing watermarks and locations within a payload to place the watermarks. All post-production facilities that are involved in processing a particular payload (e.g., any content that can be watermarked, including video content) connect to the content tracking authority facility to receive watermarks for the content they are processing as well as locations within the content to use to place the watermark.