This guide will show you how to upload a video to the web, whether you're using a site like YouTube or uploading video to your own personal web site. Once you understand the process, it's easy to upload a video to the web.
Upload a Video, Step 1: Choose a Hosting Site
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Before you upload a video, you'll need to decide where to host your videos online. YouTube is the most popular choice, and there are many other similar free video sharing sites.
To choose a video hosting site, you'll need to consider the technical features and social applications like sharing and commenting.
If you want to upload a video to your own web site, it's best to use a content delivery network, which hosts and streams your videos for a fee. Most CDNs also offer customized video players and content management systems for scheduling video publication.
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Upload a Video, Step 2: Compress Your Video
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Before you upload a video, you'll have to convert it to a format that's acceptable to the video hosting site that you've chosen. Most hosting sites only accept certain video formats, and many limit the file size the length of the videos you upload.
Many video editing programs offer customizable export settings so you can control the size and the format of the final video. You can also use video compression software to convert your videos to an online format.
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Upload a Video, Step 3: Connect to the Web
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Most video sharing web sites and content delivery networks have a built-in interface that makes it easy to find and upload a video from your computer. It's best to have a high-speed internet connection when you upload a video. Otherwise, expect to be waiting a long time while your video uploads.