Bulk Video Upload Optimization Settings

There are two ways you can upload short-form videos in bulk on the mobile app:

  1. Skip pre-processing

  2. Pre-process videos on device

Both have different trade-offs that affect your user experience and varying capabilities as the videos are being uploaded.

What is pre-processing?

Pre-processing refers to encoding video files (shot on your iPhone or other device) and compressing them into a format that is suitable for delivery over the internet. Pre-processing can be done by your iPhone device or handled by us (Playbook) once the video has been uploaded.

What are the trade-offs?

If you opt to skip pre-processing, by default:

  • Videos are directly uploaded to our server.

  • You do not need to wait for the pre-processing step to finish. As such, you do not need to keep the Creator app open during the pre-processing step.

  • However, you will experience longer upload times.

    • This is because the video files are not optimally compressed and will be a larger file size. More data to be uploaded!

  • You will also experience longer times for the video file to be available for use (i.e. added to a workout).

    • This is because encoding & compression of the video file needs to be done on our backend and it typically takes 3-4x longer.

If you choose to pre-process videos on the device:

  • Videos will be encoded and compressed by your device. During this time, you will NOT be able to leave the Creator app. It must be kept open.

  • Once all videos have been pre-processed, uploading begins and the app can be moved into the background (if needed).

  • As a result, uploads will be faster due to smaller video file sizes.

  • As a result, your video will be available for use much sooner.

    • This is because encoding & compression have already been done on the device so processing on the backend is much quicker.


Note: We always compress short videos, 60 seconds and under, or less than 200 MB in size to 1080p by default (unless you choose a lower quality). However, the quality at which users view your higher resolution, long videos depends on their internet connection.

How can I make videos available sooner while uploading in background mode?

Follow these steps to optimize your filming settings on iPhone:

1. Open your iPhone settings and tap 'Camera'.


    2. Choose 'Record video' and select '1080p HD at 30fps'.

    3. Scroll down and turn off 'HDR Video'.


    4. Go back to camera settings and tap 'Formats'.


    5. Select 'Most Compatible'.

    These adjustments ensure your videos are captured efficiently, reducing pre-processing time on the device and allowing you to close the app faster, making your videos available for use in no time!