diff --git a/react/components/Preview.jsx b/react/components/Preview.jsx
index da800820..8b246fdd 100644
--- a/react/components/Preview.jsx
+++ b/react/components/Preview.jsx
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ class Preview extends React.Component {
       this.previewFile(this.props.file);
     }
   }
-  componentWillReceiveProps ({ file }) {
-    console.log('Preview will receive props');
-    this.previewFile(file);
+  componentWillReceiveProps (newProps) {
+    console.log('Preview will receive props', newProps);
+    this.previewFile(newProps.file);
   }
   previewFile (file) {
     console.log('previewFile', file)
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class Preview extends React.Component {
         that.setState({previewSource: previewReader.result});
       };
     } else {
-      that.setState({previewSource: '/assets/img/video_thumb_default.png'});
+      that.setState({previewSource: (this.props.thumbnail || '/assets/img/video_thumb_default.png')});
     }
   }
   render () {
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ class Preview extends React.Component {
 
 const mapStateToProps = state => {
   return {
-    file: state.file,
+    file     : state.file,
+    thumbnail: state.metadata.thumbnail,
   };
 };
 
diff --git a/react/components/PublishForm.jsx b/react/components/PublishForm.jsx
index 5a87b66e..8f3a5884 100644
--- a/react/components/PublishForm.jsx
+++ b/react/components/PublishForm.jsx
@@ -41,12 +41,11 @@ class PublishForm extends React.Component {
 
         </div>
         <div className="column column--5 column--sml-10" >
+
           <div className="row row--padded">
-
             <PreviewDropzone />
-            { (this.props.fileType === 'video/mp4') && <PublishThumbnailInput /> }
-
           </div>
+
         </div>
         <div className="column column--5 column--sml-10 align-content-top">
           <div id="publish-active-area" className="row row--padded">
@@ -63,6 +62,8 @@ class PublishForm extends React.Component {
               <ChannelSelector />
             </div>
 
+            { (this.props.fileType === 'video/mp4') && <PublishThumbnailInput /> }
+
             <div className="row row--padded row--no-top row--no-bottom row--wide">
               <PublishMetadataInputs />
             </div>
@@ -89,9 +90,8 @@ class PublishForm extends React.Component {
 
 const mapStateToProps = state => {
   return {
-    fileType : state.file.type,
-    claim    : state.claim,
-    thumbnail: state.thumbnail,
+    fileType: state.file.type,
+    claim   : state.claim,
   };
 };
 
diff --git a/react/components/PublishMetadataInputs.jsx b/react/components/PublishMetadataInputs.jsx
index 7cf51502..d8b405dc 100644
--- a/react/components/PublishMetadataInputs.jsx
+++ b/react/components/PublishMetadataInputs.jsx
@@ -2,6 +2,14 @@ import React from 'react';
 import { connect } from 'react-redux';
 import { updateMetadata } from '../actions';
 
+/*
+  const textarea = document.getElementById('publish-description');
+  const limit = 200;
+  textarea.oninput = () => {
+  textarea.style.height = '';
+  textarea.style.height = Math.min(textarea.scrollHeight, limit) + 'px';
+*/
+
 class MetadataInputs extends React.Component {
   constructor (props) {
     super(props);
diff --git a/react/components/PublishThumbnailInput.jsx b/react/components/PublishThumbnailInput.jsx
index 1f578b00..77c11042 100644
--- a/react/components/PublishThumbnailInput.jsx
+++ b/react/components/PublishThumbnailInput.jsx
@@ -1,13 +1,86 @@
 import React from 'react';
+import { connect } from 'react-redux';
+import { updateMetadata } from '../actions';
 
 class ThumbnailInput extends React.Component {
+  constructor (props) {
+    super(props);
+    this.state = {
+      videoPreviewSrc: null,
+    }
+    this.urlIsAnImage = this.urlIsAnImage.bind(this);
+    this.testImage = this.testImage.bind(this);
+    this.updateVideoThumb = this.updateVideoThumb.bind(this);
+  }
+  urlIsAnImage (url) {
+    return (url.match(/\.(jpeg|jpg|gif|png)$/) != null);
+  }
+  testImage (url, timeoutT) {
+    return new Promise(function (resolve, reject) {
+      const timeout = timeoutT || 5000;
+      let timer;
+      let img = new Image();
+      img.onerror = img.onabort = function () {
+        clearTimeout(timer);
+        reject('error');
+      };
+      img.onload = function () {
+        clearTimeout(timer);
+        resolve('success');
+      };
+      timer = setTimeout(function () {
+        // reset .src to invalid URL so it stops previous
+        // loading, but doesn't trigger new load
+        img.src = '//!!!!/test.jpg';
+        reject('timeout');
+      }, timeout);
+      img.src = url;
+    });
+  }
+  updateVideoThumb (event) {
+    var imageUrl = event.target.value;
+    const that = this;
+    if (this.urlIsAnImage(imageUrl)) {
+      this.testImage(imageUrl, 3000)
+        .then(function (result) {
+          if (result === 'success') {
+            that.props.onThumbnailChange('thumbnail', imageUrl);
+          } else if (result === 'timeout') {
+            console.log('could not resolve the provided thumbnail image url');
+          }
+        })
+        .catch(error => {
+          console.log('encountered an error loading thumbnail image url:', error);
+        });
+    }
+  }
   render () {
     return (
-      <div>
-        <h3>thumbnail component</h3>
+      <div className="row row--padded row--wide row--no-top" id="publish-thumbnail">
+        <div className="column column--3 column--sml-10">
+          <label className="label">Thumbnail:</label>
+        </div><div className="column column--6 column--sml-10">
+          <div className="input-text--primary">
+            <input type="text" id="claim-thumbnail-input" className="input-text input-text--full-width" placeholder="https://spee.ch/xyz/example.jpg" value={this.props.thumbnail} onInput={this.updateVideoThumb} />
+          </div>
+        </div>
       </div>
     );
   }
 }
 
-module.exports = ThumbnailInput;
+const mapStateToProps = state => {
+  return {
+    thumbnail: state.metadata.thumbnail,
+  };
+};
+
+const mapDispatchToProps = dispatch => {
+  return {
+    onThumbnailChange: (name, value) => {
+      dispatch(updateMetadata(name, value));
+    },
+  };
+};
+
+export default connect(mapStateToProps, mapDispatchToProps)(ThumbnailInput);
diff --git a/views/partials/publishForm-Channel.handlebars b/views/partials/publishForm-Channel.handlebars
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29b..00000000
diff --git a/views/partials/publishForm-Details.handlebars b/views/partials/publishForm-Details.handlebars
deleted file mode 100644
index d5bca747..00000000
--- a/views/partials/publishForm-Details.handlebars
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,50 +0,0 @@
-<div class="row row--padded row--no-top row--no-bottom row--wide">
-    <div class="column column--10">
-        <a class="label link--primary" id="publish-details-toggle" href="#" onclick="toggleSection(event)" data-open="false" data-openlabel="[less]" data-closedlabel="[more]" data-slaveelementid="publish-details">[more]</a>
-    </div>
-</div>
-
-<div id="publish-details" hidden="true" class="row row--padded row--wide">
-
-    <!-- description input -->
-    <div class="row row--no-top">
-        <div class="column column--3 column--med-10 align-content-top">
-            <label for="publish-license" class="label">Description:</label>
-        </div><div class="column column--7 column--sml-10">
-            <textarea rows="1" id="publish-description" class="textarea textarea--primary textarea--full-width" placeholder="Optional description"></textarea>
-        </div>
-    </div>
-
-    <div class="row row--no-top">
-        <div class="column column--3 column--med-10">
-            <label for="publish-license" class="label">License:</label>
-        </div><div class="column column--7 column--sml-10">
-            <select type="text" id="publish-license" class="select select--primary">
-                <option value=" ">Unspecified</option>
-                <option value="Public Domain">Public Domain</option>
-                <option value="Creative Commons">Creative Commons</option>
-            </select>
-        </div>
-    </div>
-
-    <div class="row row--no-top">
-        <div class="column column--3">
-            <label for="publish-nsfw" class="label">Mature:</label>
-        </div><div class="column column--7">
-            <input class="input-checkbox" type="checkbox" id="publish-nsfw">
-        </div>
-    </div>
-
-</div>
-
-<script type="text/javascript">
-    const textarea = document.getElementById('publish-description');
-    const limit = 200;
-    textarea.oninput = () => {
-        textarea.style.height = '';
-        textarea.style.height = Math.min(textarea.scrollHeight, limit) + 'px';
-    }
-</script>
-
-
-
diff --git a/views/partials/publishForm-Thumbnail.handlebars b/views/partials/publishForm-Thumbnail.handlebars
index 3d582159..435020b3 100644
--- a/views/partials/publishForm-Thumbnail.handlebars
+++ b/views/partials/publishForm-Thumbnail.handlebars
@@ -1,56 +1,5 @@
-<div class="row row--padded row--wide row--no-top" id="publish-thumbnail" hidden="true">
-    <div class="column column--3 column--sml-10">
-        <label class="label">Thumbnail:</label>
-    </div><div class="column column--6 column--sml-10">
-        <div class="input-text--primary">
-            <input type="text" id="claim-thumbnail-input" class="input-text input-text--full-width" placeholder="https://spee.ch/xyz/example.jpg" value="" oninput="updateVideoThumb(event)">
-        </div>
-    </div>
 
-</div>
 
 <script type="text/javascript">
-    function urlIsAnImage(url) {
-        return(url.match(/\.(jpeg|jpg|gif|png)$/) != null);
-    }
 
-    function testImage(url, timeoutT) {
-        return new Promise(function (resolve, reject) {
-            var timeout = timeoutT || 5000;
-            var timer, img = new Image();
-            img.onerror = img.onabort = function () {
-                clearTimeout(timer);
-                reject("error");
-            };
-            img.onload = function () {
-                clearTimeout(timer);
-                resolve("success");
-            };
-            timer = setTimeout(function () {
-                // reset .src to invalid URL so it stops previous
-                // loading, but doesn't trigger new load
-                img.src = "//!!!!/test.jpg";
-                reject("timeout");
-            }, timeout);
-            img.src = url;
-        });
-    }
-
-    function updateVideoThumb(event){
-        var videoPreview = document.getElementById('asset-preview');
-        var imageUrl = event.target.value;
-        if (urlIsAnImage(imageUrl)){
-            testImage(imageUrl, 3000)
-                .then(function(result) {
-                    if (result === 'success'){
-                        videoPreview.src = imageUrl;
-                    } else if (result === 'timeout') {
-                        console.log('could not resolve the provided thumbnail image url');
-                    }
-                })
-                .catch(function(error) {
-                    console.log('encountered an error loading thumbnail image url.')
-                })
-        }
-    }
-</script>
\ No newline at end of file
+</script>