Host your videos directly within the SamCart courses app!
Note: this article contains videos that utilize a previous navigation bar design. Most functions have remained unchanged, but you can always reference this guide which covers the update and differences.
You asked, and we answered. Hosting videos directly within the SamCart courses app has been one of our most requested features, and now it's here, free for all current plans.
Now, you can do away with the external video hosting accounts, and focus on making your courses and hosting all content directly from the SamCart Courses App. If preferred, you can still seamlessly link to videos hosted elsewhere (see our Linking a Video to Your Course article for more information).
This article will cover how to upload your videos, as well as video specifications such as size limitations and supported file types.
Upload a Video to Your Course
Videos can be uploaded to the Course Thumbnail, or within a content block (the Content Builder for a course, lesson, or worksheet.)
For the Course Thumbnail, you'll see the options to Select/Upload Video or Add Video via URL. Choose Select/Upload Video.
For the Content Builder, select the blue +Add Content button, then Add Video and Select/Upload Video.
This will open the Media Library modal. From here, you can Upload Video, or select an existing one. You'll only need to upload your video once to the Media Library, then can use it multiple times. There is no limit to how many videos you can upload!
Upload Video
First, select Upload Video.
Then, you will be prompted to choose a video. Either Drag & Drop the video file directly, or click Select File to open your computer's file browser. Note: Only one file can be uploaded at a time.
Select an Existing Video
To navigate within the Media Library, use the Search and Sort features to quickly find content. Searches include both video Titles and Descriptions.
To select a video that has already been uploaded, simply click on it within the Media Library.
You'll then see the Video Details panel where you can edit the Title and Description of the selected video. By default, the Title will be set to the video's file name.
Delete Video
To delete a video from your Media Library, select the red trash icon in the top-right of the Video Details panel of the selected video (as shown above). Then, select Delete Permanently to permanently delete the video from the Media Library.
Video Specifications
In order to maximize performance and reduce risk of upload errors, we recommend the following video parameters:
- File Type: MP4 (recommended)
- Codec: h.264/AVC (required)
- Resolution: between 640px and 3840px wide
- Bitrate: 5,000-8,000 kbps (recommended)
- Framerate: constant, 15-60 frames per second
- Aspect ratio: any, but wider = higher quality. 16:9 recommended (for example, 1080 x 1920px)
File Size
The maximum file size for a video upload is 4GB. If your video exceeds this size, we recommend either using a third party video compression tool to reduce the file size, or hosting your video externally and linking the video to your course (see our Linking a Video to Your Course article for more information).
Alternatively, a common way to reduce the size of a media file is to reduce its bitrate. The bitrate should be between 5,000-8,000 kbps and no higher than 10,000.
File Type
All supported file types include:
- MOV
- MPG
- FLV
- F4V
- MP4
- M4V
- ASF
- WMV
- VOB
- MOD
- 3GP
- MKV
- DIVX
- XVID
- WEBM
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: My video meets all of the specifications but is still not uploading. What should I do?
A: Try clearing your cache/cookies and then re-uploading!