Applies to: Multicast Video. Not sure which panel you have? See Which radio or video panel do I have?

FTP is the best way to upload large videos (over 1024 MB, the browser limit) or many videos at once, e.g. whole series or your archive of shows. If the connection drops, the FTP software resumes where it stopped, whereas a browser upload starts from the beginning.

The process has two parts:

1. You upload the files with FTP software, such as the free FileZilla.
2. You add them to the panel with the Import button. Only after Import do they appear under Videos and can go into a playlist.

Which files are accepted

• MP4 only (.mp4 extension). You can upload other files via FTP, but only MP4 files can be imported. Convert MKV, M4V, AVI, MOV etc. to MP4 first.
• There is no per-file size limit, as long as the file fits in your package's space.
• The same encoding recommendations (H.264/AAC, resolution, fps) apply as for browser uploads. See Uploading videos, section "What encoding the file should have".

Your FTP details

Go to Account → FTP Access. The FTP Files page opens. In the right-hand column, in the FTP Connection card, you'll find:

The same card is also on the Upload page. You can also see FTP details on the Dashboard (FTP Access card) and in Settings (FTP Access card). To connect, use the details on the FTP Files page.

New FTP password: Settings → FTP Access card → Regenerate and confirming in the window creates a new FTP password and the old one stops working. Don't click the button unless you really mean it; afterwards you need to enter the new password in FileZilla. Your panel password doesn't change. See Account settings.

Connecting with FileZilla

1. Download and install FileZilla Client (free, from filezilla-project.org). Make sure you download the Client, not the Server.
2. Open it and go to File → Site Manager → New site. Give it a name, e.g. "My channel".
3. Fill in:
   • Protocol: FTP - File Transfer Protocol
   • Host: the Host from the panel
   • Port: the Port from the panel (usually 21)
   • Encryption: "Require explicit FTP over TLS", for a secure connection
   • Logon Type: Normal
   • User and Password: from the panel. Use the copy buttons to avoid typos.
4. Click Connect. If it asks about an insecure connection or a certificate, accept.
5. On the right you see your channel's space. The folders here are the same folders you see on the Videos page.
6. If you like, create a folder (right-click → Create directory), e.g. "Movies", and open it.
7. Drag the videos from the left (your computer) to the right. The progress shows at the bottom. Wait until all files have finished transferring.

You can upload either to the main space (root) or to any sub-folder. The space you upload counts towards your package limit.

Adding to the panel (Import)

Files uploaded via FTP are not yet videos of your channel. For them to appear under Videos and go into playlists, import them:

1. Go to Account → FTP Access. The FTP Files page shows your files and folders.
2. Folders show how many files they contain and how many are to import. Click Open to go into a folder. To go back, use the path above the list ("FTP Root > ...").
3. Next to each MP4 file there's an Import button, or a green Imported label if it has already been added.
4. Import in one of three ways:
   • One file: click Import on its row and confirm.
   • Everything in the folder: click Import All and confirm.
   • Selected files: tick the files (or click Select videos to tick all videos) and click the Import button in the selection bar.
5. You'll see "Video added and will be optimized soon" or, for several at once, how many were added and how many failed. After a bulk import, the panel takes you to the Videos page.
6. Wait for the videos to go through Optimizing and become Ready. Then add them to a playlist (see Playlists).

Important: Import All imports the videos in the folder you're currently viewing, and the list shows up to 50 files per page. If you have several folders or more than 50 files, open each folder and page (Next) and click Import All again, until nothing is left "to import".

Imported videos stay in the folder where you uploaded them and appear under Videos in the same folder. The title is the file name without .mp4; you can change it later under Videos → ⋮ → Edit. If you have the watermark switched on under Watermark Settings, it is applied to imported videos too (see Watermark and logo blur).

Tip: on the Videos page, an orange number next to each folder shows how many of its files haven't been imported yet.

What else you can do on the FTP Files page

• New Folder: type a name (e.g. "movies") and confirm. The characters / \ < > : " | ? * are not allowed.
• Download files to your computer: the download icon on each file, or tick several and click Download selected. A single file downloads as it is; several download together as a ZIP file.
• Upload: takes you to the Upload page for browser uploads.
• Refresh button (↻): reloads the list, e.g. after a transfer in FileZilla finishes.

Don't delete, rename or move videos via FTP

Once a file has been imported, the panel tracks it by its name and location. If you delete, rename or move it with FileZilla or on the FTP Files page:

• the video still appears under Videos and in your playlists, but it doesn't play, because its file is no longer there;
• it still counts towards your package's number of videos.

So:

• To delete videos, always use the Videos page (⋮ → Delete). That removes the file, the thumbnail and the entry from all playlists together.
• To move a video to another folder, use Videos → ⋮ → Move.
• To change the title, use Videos → ⋮ → Edit.

See Managing videos. Use FTP for uploading and for downloading copies.

Files that were never imported (e.g. uploaded by mistake) can safely be deleted from FileZilla or the FTP Files page, because they aren't linked to any video in the panel.

Messages / Common problems