Frequently Asked Questions

Adding Photos and Video to My Account

• What formats of video, music and photo files can I upload into my SpotMixer account?

  The following are our supported file formats:

  Video: MPEG (.mpg or .mpeg) and MPEG 4 (.mp4), QuickTime (.mov), Audio Video Interleave (.avi), Windows Media Video (.wmv) version 9 or earlier
  Images: JPEG (.jpg or .jpeg), PNG (.png), BMP (.bmp), GIF (.gif)
  Music: MP3 (.mp3), MPEG 4 audio or unprotected AAC (.m4a)
  
  

  If your content is not in one of the supported file formats, you will need software to convert the file format. While we cannot make a specific software title recommendation, a quick internet search should give you plenty of options.

  If you have difficulty uploading one of these file formats, please first make sure that the filename ends with one of the appropriate file extensions above (for instance, a digital photo should be called filename.jpg or filename.jpeg).

• What resolution of digital photos should I use?

  In general, the higher the resolution used, the better the output quality will be. Photos used in Video Ads for online viewing should be at least 640 x 480 pixels. For Video Ads distributed to television, photos should be at least 1536 x 1024 pixels. You can check this information for your images by right-clicking on the image in Windows and selecting "Properties" from the drop-down menu. Select the "Summary" tab, and click the "Advanced" button. In Mac OS X, you can select the image and choose "Get Info" from the File menu.

• My photos aren't JPEG files. How do I convert them?

  There are many programs available that can perform this file format conversion. You can search online for programs to do this, or some computers have either Windows Picture and Fax Viewer (on Microsoft Windows operating systems) or Preview (on Macintosh OS X) pre-installed. Open the photo in either application, and re-save the photo in the "JPEG" file format.

• My photos are prints, not digital photos. How do I convert them so I can add them to my account?

  If you have a scanner, you can scan the photos at home yourself. If you do so, we recommend that you scan at a resolution of 300 DPI or higher for the best results.

• How do I upload multiple photo and video files at once?

  On the "Add Photos and Video" page select the "Add More Images or Video" button. Next select the "Select Files..." button. You can then select multiple photos and video clips to upload. If you would like to add more items, click the "Add More" button and select additional files. When you have all of the images you would like, click "Upload." You can add more content at any time by clicking on the "Add Images and Video" link when previewing your project.

• How do I upload photo and video files?

  Once you have selected your Video Ad template, you will be on the "Add Photos and Video" step. Click the button to "Add Images and Video" then select "Select Files". Select your photos from your computer hard drive. Once you have selected your photos, you can upload or add more. You can also add images or videos that you have in other Video Ads or from our large library of stock content.

• My video isn't a .MPG, .MOV, or .AVI file. How do I convert it?

  Some computers come with software pre-installed that can convert video to the correct format, such as Windows Movie Maker or Mac's iMovie. There are also many programs available online that can convert various video formats into MPG, MOV, or AVI format. Try searching online for a program that can help you do this.

• My video is on tapes. How do I get the video onto my computer so I can upload it?

  If your video is digital (for example mini DV or Digital 8 tapes), you can capture your video and save it on your computer yourself. You will need a video capture program to do this. Most PCs come with a program called Windows Movie Maker and Macs come with iMovie. These will allow you to capture a video tape to your computer. Just follow the instructions from these applications to capture your video. When you do so, make sure to import and save the file as a MPG, AVI, or MOV file so that you can upload the file to your account later. Please refer to both your camera's manual and your video capture program's manual for more specific instructions.

• Why can't I get my video or photos to upload?

  It can take a while for photos and video to upload, especially if you have a slower connection to the internet, or if the files that you're trying to upload are particularly large. It can take up to one minute to upload one megabyte of content, so please allow plenty of time for large files or a lot of files to upload.

  Check to make sure that you're using a supported browser. We recommend that you use the latest version of Firefox or Internet Explorer. The latest version of Firefox can be downloaded at http://www.getfirefox.com and the latest version of Internet Explorer can be downloaded at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/default.mspx.

  Also, check to make sure that you're trying to upload the correct type of file.

  Make sure the filename ends with the appropriate file extension above (for example, a digital photo should be called "filename.JPG" or "filename.JPEG").

  If you still are experiencing problems, please contact us at Help@SpotMixer.com for further assistance.

• On the upload page, I was asked to upgrade my version of Flash. I did, so how come nothing happens when I try to upload?

  After upgrading your version the Flash plug in, make sure you close your browser and then open it again.