<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2016-01-29</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000800458</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>RENTRAK CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>RENT</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0000806968</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>WPP plc</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>27 FARM STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>LONDON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>X0</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>W1J 5RJ</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription>UNITED KINGDOM</rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001626653</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>WPP Luxembourg Gamma Three S.a.r.l.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>124 BOULEVARD DE LA PETRUSSE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>LUXEMBOURG</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>N4</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>L-2330</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription>LUXEMBOURG</rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2016-01-29</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>3037889</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Footnote</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">These shares were disposed of on January 28, 2016 upon the completion of, and as a result of, the merger of Rentrak Corporation (&quot;Rentrak&quot;) into Rum Acquisition Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of comScore, Inc. (&quot;Merger Sub&quot;, and such merger, the &quot;Merger&quot;), pursuant to the Merger Agreement dated September 29, 2015 among Rentrak, Merger Sub and comScore, Inc.  Upon completion of the Merger, each of the disposed shares was converted into the right to receive 1.1500 shares of comScore, Inc. common stock.  On January 29, 2016, the effective date of the Merger, the closing price of Rentrak's common stock was $44.47 per share.  As a result of the completion of the merger, WPP plc and WPP Luxembourg Gamma Three S.a r.l. (&quot;Lux Gamma Three&quot;) ceased to be beneficial owners of more than ten percent of the shares outstanding of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of Rentrak.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The disposed shares were owned directly by Lux Gamma Three, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of WPP plc that WPP plc owns indirectly through a series of intervening holding companies.  WPP plc was an indirect beneficial owner of the reported securities.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>WPP plc, By: /s/ Paul Richardson, Global Finance Director</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2016-01-29</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>WPP Luxembourg Gamma Three S.a r.l., By:  /s/ Anne Ehrismann, Manager</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2016-01-29</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>By: /s/ Thierry Lenders, Manager</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2016-01-29</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
