Uploading and processing
Import a video from YouTube
Paste a YouTube link instead of uploading a file: which videos can be imported, the rights confirmation and the limits.
Updated
Instead of uploading a file, you can paste a link to a YouTube video and Reeltopus downloads it for you. This article covers which videos can be imported, the rights confirmation and what to do when an import fails.
When it's available
Import from YouTube isn't switched on for every account. If you see Or paste a YouTube link below the upload box at /app, you can use it. If you don't see it, download the video and upload the file instead.
Owners, admins and editors can import. Viewers and clients can't.
How to import
- Paste the link into Or paste a YouTube link. Links to watch pages, youtu.be, Shorts, live and embed pages all work. Extras in the link, like a start time or playlist, are ignored.
- Tick the rights box (see below).
- Optionally pick the Spoken language.
- Press Import. The button says Checking video… while Reeltopus looks the video up.
If the video can be imported, the project page opens and says it's downloading your video from YouTube. The page updates by itself. Once the download is done, processing starts as it does for an upload.
Confirm your rights
Before you can press Import, you have to tick: "I own this video or have the rights to clip and repost it." Only import videos you made or have permission to use. You confirm this each time you import, and Reeltopus records it.
Which videos work
| Video | Can it be imported? |
|---|---|
| Public videos up to 4 hours | Yes |
| Unlisted videos | Yes |
| Longer than 4 hours | No. Upload the file instead. |
| Live streams | Not while live. Import after the stream ends. |
| Premieres that haven't started | Not yet. Try again once it's up. |
| Private videos | No. Make it public or unlisted, or upload the file. |
| Members-only videos | No. Upload the file instead. |
| Age-restricted videos | No. Upload the file instead. |
Playlists and channel links don't work. Paste a link to one video.
Hours
Hours are held for the video's length as soon as the import starts, before anything downloads. If you don't have enough, the app tells you how much the video needs and how much you have left. Imports count at the standard rate. The back-catalog half rate is only on the upload box. See Hours and usage.
If the import fails, every held hour goes back to your balance.
Limits
- A workspace can have up to 3 imports downloading at once. If you see "A few imports are already running," wait for one to finish.
- A workspace can start up to 20 imports an hour.
- On the Free plan, imports and uploads share a monthly limit per network.
When an import fails
The project page shows why. Common messages:
- "YouTube didn't let us download this video right now." Try again later, or download it and upload the file.
- "This video is unavailable." It may have been removed, or the link is wrong.
- "This video isn't available in our region." Download it and upload the file.
- "This video changed after you added it." It went live, or got longer, after you pasted the link.
- "This video is too large to import." Download it and upload the file.
For anything else, see Upload or processing failed.