How to Use the New Library

We're excited to announce a major upgrade to your Playbook experience! Previously, we had separate libraries for short exercises, circuits, and long videos, but now, we've merged them into one convenient tab. Say goodbye to the hassle of switching between tabs!

This consolidation simplifies the process of uploading and reusing content. Plus, in this new library, you can upload videos in bulk without the need to pre-sort them.

Here's how it works:

1. Head to the content section in the app and tap on the Library tab.


2. You can upload two types of videos: clips and long videos.

  • Clips are short portrait videos (60 seconds or less), perfect for single-movement exercises. These are optimized for the viewing experience on the consumer app, with an Instagram story-style UI, but cannot be casted.

  • Long videos are over 60 seconds, great for guided workouts, and can be viewed in both landscape and portrait mode. They can be casted to your TV.


3. Simply tap 'Upload' to add content from your device. You can select multiple files at once.


4. Edit the title, description, and thumbnail before or after uploading by tapping the pencil icon on the web app or tapping on the video on mobile. The file name on your device is the default title of the video. Note: Edits are not applied to all videos. You will need to edit videos individually.

5. On the mobile app, you can trim the video, select video quality and resolution*, and even remove the audio before uploading. These edits cannot be made after the video is uploaded.

6. Use the Search bar to search for uploaded content.

7. While we've removed sets, reps, and circuits from the Library for simplicity, you can still reuse them by copying them from the ‘edit workout’ screen and pasting them into your new workouts through the new Clipboard functionality.

  • Click here to watch a video demo of the experience.

With these upgrades, creating and managing your workout content on Playbook has never been easier! 🚀


FAQs

1. What are the best upload practices?

The best place to start your content creation process is in the Library, where you can upload all of your content. However, the fastest path could vary depending on the number of videos you're working with, the number of workouts you are creating at a time, and your video editing needs.

Use Case 1: Uploading and creating content in bulk

If you have multiple videos to edit and upload, you could use a third party tool to trim and remove/adjust audio and then upload videos in bulk using the web app or mobile app. To save time, you can update your thumbnail, title and descriptions after uploading your videos. Once your videos are uploaded and descriptions are edited, you can easily add them into new workouts you create.

*Consider optimizing your filming settings on your iPhone for background uploads, and ensuring your videos are ready to use in workouts without delay. Click here to learn more.

Use Case 2: One-off workouts

If you're creating a one-off workout or want to upload files individually, you can start on the 'Workouts' tab and access the Library directly from the Workout Builder. Then, you can upload your videos one-by-one into the Library for each exercise from there.

If you are working with short clips that are already on your iPhone and you want to remove audio and trim individual videos, you can do this using the mobile app as illustrated earlier.

However, once the video is added to the exercise template from the Library, if you wish to make any edits to the thumbnail, you must do so in the Library and then re-add the video. Title and description can be edited in the template within the workout builder; however, changes made here are not reflected in the Library, and vice versa.

2. How many videos can I upload at one time?

You can upload as many videos as you want at a time in the Library; however, the larger the files, the longer it will take for the videos to be uploaded and available for use in workouts. You would need to ensure you have enough space on your mobile device while the videos are preprocessing and uploading. You can adjust the quantity depending on your needs.

However, if you’re uploading a video within an exercise template in the workout builder, you can only upload one at a time, as there is only one video used in the exercise as illustrated above.

3. What would be the expected upload time for every 10 videos I upload at once, so I can gauge if I'm doing it correctly?

The expected upload time for 10 videos depends on factors such as the size of each video, your internet connection speed, and any preprocessing required by the platform. Without this specific information, it's challenging to give an accurate estimate. However, you can gauge if you're uploading correctly by monitoring the progress bar during the upload process and comparing it to your expectations based on the factors mentioned.


4. Are there any actions I should avoid that could interrupt the upload process and potentially cause a loss of time?

    On the mobile app, you may need to keep the app open for some time, depending on whether you choose to compress the videos on your device or not. The interface will let you know if you are required to keep the app open. For further details, we recommend reading this article for more information.

    5. Do my videos get compressed, and if so, by how much?

    We always compress videos 60 seconds and under, or less than 200 MB in size to 1080p by default. To learn more about this process, click here.


    6. Can I edit the videos after they have been uploaded?

      You can only edit the title, description and thumbnail of a video after it is uploaded. Refer to the table below to see the editing options available before and after uploading on both web and mobile platforms for short and long videos.


      7. What is the difference between the upload experience on the web app and mobile?

        Other than the different editing options illustrated above, you aren’t required to choose compression settings on the web app. Videos are compressed by default in all cases on our backend rather than on your desktop device. Therefore, you can always upload in background mode as long as you don’t close/exit your browser.

        8. What does uploading in background mode mean?

        With background mode, your phone can keep uploading videos even if you're not looking at the app or your screen is locked. It's like having a helper in your phone that works quietly in the background, sending your files to the internet while you're doing other things. So, you can start uploading something, then go back to checking messages or playing games, and the upload keeps going without any extra effort from you. As long as you don't kill the app by swiping it up, or turn off your phone, the upload will continue in the background.

          On the web app, you can minimize the upload window or switch to another tab in your browser, and the upload will continue. Just remember not to close your browser completely or kill the tab where the upload is happening.


          9. If I edit videos in the library, do they get updated in the published workouts they are being used in, and vice versa?

            No, updating videos in the library does not automatically update them in published workouts, and vice versa. To ensure consistency across your content, you would need to make the same edits separately in both places if necessary.

            10. How does it work if I want to use titles and descriptions from your database?

              When you add a video from the library into the exercise template in the workout builder, it automatically populates the title and description fields with the ones you added in the library. You can tap the title again in the workout builder, and the app will suggest exercise descriptions based on the text entered in the title input with what we have in our exercise database. You have the option to choose the description from your Library or use one from our database. As mentioned above, updating videos in the workout builder does not automatically update them in the library, and vice versa.

              11. What will happen to my content in the current Exercises and Videos Library?

              Your videos in the current libraries will be preserved and will appear in the new merged library. We will save your titles and descriptions; however, any sets, reps, and circuits will be lost. Individual exercises within circuits will be saved with their titles and descriptions, but circuit descriptions will be lost. You can utilize the copy-to-clipboard functionality mentioned above to reuse such content.

                12. What is the difference between quality and resolution?

                Resolution is a measure of the number of pixels displayed on the screen. Quality refers to the bitrate which measures the amount of data transmitted per unit of time in digital media, directly affecting the quality and fidelity of audio and video content.

                  A high-resolution and low-quality image is like having a very clear picture but with noticeable visual imperfections and reduced clarity because of the low bitrate. The image is sharp, but it doesn’t have the rich details and effects that make it look really good. You’d have faster performance but simpler graphics.