In Mediaflow, you upload and categorize your files into folders. Before you start uploading, it's helpful to plan your folder structure and understand how folders function in Mediaflow. Once that's clear, uploading files is simple—just drag and drop.
Upload files to folders
In the Media Bank, click the Upload button to see the various upload options available.
For most file formats, a preview appears as a thumbnail, and the file format is also visible. Thumbnails for files show directly in the file view immediately after upload, with the thumbnail images appearing a second or two later. Videos may take a bit longer to process before they can be previewed, typically ranging from about ten seconds to ten minutes, depending on the size.
If you do not have permission to upload to the current folder, or if you try to upload an image to a search result, the uploaded files will be stored in the My Files folder instead. Videos may need additional time to process before they can be previewed. First, a low-resolution version is created for the preview, followed by a high-resolution HD version (1080p). When a play icon appears on the thumbnail, the video is ready to watch. When the HD icon shows, the video can be viewed in HD quality.
When you upload files in Mediaflow, it can take a few seconds for them to become available for preview. The upload process involves the following steps:
- Thumbnail images are generated to help you quickly find the correct file based on content.
- Mediaflow checks if the files already exist.
- The file metadata is read.
- Color profiles are extracted and saved.
- Faces are detected and matched (in the GDPR module).
- Video files are optimized for streaming.
ℹ️ High-resolution originals
We recommend uploading only high-resolution, uncropped images. This simplifies navigating through your files and also conserves storage space. With the download preset feature, you can quickly create variants of your originals based on their intended use when needed.
Drag & drop
The easiest way to upload files to Mediaflow is to drag and drop them directly into the file view of a specific folder, either from your desktop or from File Explorer on a PC or the Finder on a Mac. This method allows you to upload one or more files at once. Alternatively, you can click the 'Add' button located in the toolbar above the File View.
Browse files
By clicking on Add > Upload files, you can select files from your hard drive that you want to upload.
Uploading via FTP
It is also possible to upload files to Mediaflow using FTP. This method is often helpful during the initial setup in Mediaflow if you need to transfer a large number of files or an existing folder structure from another media bank. Your FTP details can be found at the top of the file view, under Add > Upload using FTP.
Some web browsers have a built-in FTP client, but it offers limited configuration options, and the upload may fail. Therefore, we recommend using a dedicated FTP client. We suggest the free client FileZilla.
Please note that SFTP is not supported at this time.
Configuring FileZilla for Import
Once you've downloaded and launched the program, you'll need to:
1. Configure settings
Under Edit > Settings, you will find all settings. It is important to set "Maximum simultaneous transfers" to 1, as higher values may cause errors during transfers.
2. Create a New Connection to Mediaflow
Select File - Site Manager. Click on "New site" and enter the details from your Mediaflow account. In the "Charset" tab, set it to "Force UTF-8". If you don't configure this, your folders and filenames may change during import.
Then, click "Connect" to connect to Mediaflow's server. If the connection is successful, it will be indicated in the message box at the top. Drag folders from the left side (files on your computer) to the right side (files in Mediaflow). Logs of all transferred files will appear in the message box at the top. Note that you cannot drag and drop files directly to the root of your Mediaflow account. You must enter a folder, even if it is just one level in.
ℹ️ Imported Folders with Files Cannot Be Deleted
When importing a folder structure, remember that folders cannot be deleted from Mediaflow if they contain files. For example, do not import a large number of folders with files just for testing, as deleting them later will take time.
Link a video from Youtube or Vimeo
As an alternative to uploading video files to Mediaflow, you can instead link videos to Mediaflow from YouTube and Vimeo. Click on the Upload button in the toolbar above the File View, then select Link to YouTube video, where you can paste the direct link to your video. The video will then be available as a regular file in the File View.
ℹ️ Limitations of Video Linking
When linking a video instead of uploading it to Mediaflow, there are some limitations to keep in mind:
The video is not stored in Mediaflow, meaning it relies on YouTube or Vimeo's availability.
You cannot download or edit the linked video within Mediaflow.
The video is played using the external platform’s video player, which may include ads or platform-specific restrictions.
For more advanced video management, consider using Mediaflow as your Online Video Platform.