Creator Guide
Video Upload Requirements & Recommended Settings
Everything you need to prepare, upload, and process video on SkiveCore.
⚡ At a Glance
Container
MP4 (Recommended)
WebM, MOV, MKV also accepted
Video Codecs
H.264 / HEVC / VP9 / AV1
ProRes & DNxHD supported
Audio
AAC or Opus
Stereo · 48 kHz · 128–320 kbps
Resolution
Up to 4K UHD
SDR and HDR10 accepted
1. Supported Containers & Codecs
We recommend uploading in MP4 format with the H.264 video codec for the fastest processing and universal playback compatibility.
| Codec |
Upload Support |
Best For |
| H.264 |
Recommended |
Best compatibility, reliable playback, and fastest processing. |
| H.265 / HEVC |
Supported |
4K and HDR video from modern cameras and smartphones. |
| VP9 |
Supported |
High-efficiency web-optimized video in WebM containers. |
| AV1 |
Supported |
Modern high-efficiency open video standard. |
| ProRes / DNxHD |
Supported |
High-quality production and editing masters exported from editing suites. |
Accepted Containers: .mp4, .webm, .mov, and .mkv. (Legacy containers like .avi and .flv are also accepted and converted automatically).
2. Recommended Upload Settings
| Upload Resolution |
Recommended Bitrate |
Standard Frame Rates |
| 4K Ultra HD (2160p) |
30 – 60 Mbps |
24, 25, 30, 50, 60 fps |
| 1440p (2K) |
16 – 30 Mbps |
24, 25, 30, 50, 60 fps |
| 1080p (Full HD) |
8 – 15 Mbps |
24, 25, 30, 50, 60 fps |
| 720p (HD) |
4 – 8 Mbps |
24, 25, 30 fps |
🎵 Audio Standards
AAC or Opus • Stereo • 48 kHz sample rate • 128–320 kbps.
🎞️ Constant Frame Rate (CFR)
Always use Constant Frame Rate (CFR) rather than Variable Frame Rate (VFR) to avoid audio desync.
🎨 HDR Support
HDR10 (BT.2020 / PQ / HLG) is fully supported. Standard versions are tone-mapped automatically so colors look vibrant on all screens.
Note: SkiveCore automatically creates lower-resolution versions (such as 480p, 360p, and 240p) for adaptive streaming. Videos are never upscaled beyond their original resolution.
3. What Happens After You Upload
Why higher qualities may appear later
SkiveCore processes videos in stages so your upload becomes watchable as quickly as possible. Standard-quality versions are created first, followed by HD, 4K, and optimized formats for supported devices.
Depending on the length and resolution of the source video, additional qualities such as 1080p, 1440p, 4K, HDR, VP9, or AV1 may continue processing in the background after the video is already available. Subtitles, candidate thumbnails, and timeline preview storyboards are also generated automatically.
4. Aspect Ratios & Zaps
SkiveCore preserves your video's original aspect ratio. We don't stretch videos or permanently add black bars during transcoding.
⚡
Vertical / Zaps
9:16 (e.g. 1080×1920)
🖥️
Standard Video
16:9 widescreen
🔲
Square & Classic
1:1 and 4:3
🎬
Cinematic
21:9 and ultrawide
What are Zaps? Vertical videos (where height is greater than width) with a total duration under 60 seconds are automatically published as Zaps in the short-form mobile feed.
5. Captions, Thumbnails & Playback Features
💬 Automatic Captions
Captions are generated automatically upon upload. You can review and edit cue text in Creator Studio or upload your own .srt or .vtt files.
🖼️ Thumbnails & Storyboards
Candidate thumbnails are sampled at multiple intervals during upload, or you can upload a custom cover image. Timeline hover preview thumbnails are generated automatically.
🎧 Background Audio
SkiveCore generates audio-only streams for supported videos, allowing mobile users to listen with the screen locked or in the background without continuously downloading video data.
6. Recommended Export Settings
Click on your editing software below for recommended project export settings:
Adobe Premiere Pro & Media Encoder
- Format: H.264 (.mp4)
- Preset: Match Source - Adaptive High Bitrate
- Bitrate Encoding: VBR, 1 Pass or VBR, 2 Pass
- Target Bitrate: 12–15 Mbps (1080p) · 35–45 Mbps (4K)
- Audio Format: AAC · 48 kHz · Stereo · 192 kbps
DaVinci Resolve (Deliver Page)
- Format: MP4
- Video Codec: H.264 or H.265 (HEVC)
- Quality: Restrict to 15,000 Kb/s (1080p) · 45,000 Kb/s (4K)
- Key Frames: Automatic or every 60 frames
- Audio: AAC · 48 kHz · 192 Kb/s
Final Cut Pro
- Export Destination: Export File (Default)
- Format: Computer
- Video Codec: H.264 Better Quality
- Resolution: Match project resolution (up to 3840×2160)
- Audio: Stereo · 48 kHz
HandBrake (Free & Open Source)
- Preset: Fast 1080p30 or Production Standard
- Format: MP4 (check "Web Optimized")
- Framerate: Peak Framerate (or Constant Framerate)
- Quality: Constant Quality RF 20–22
- Audio: AAC · 192 kbps · Stereo
7. Troubleshooting Common Issues
Audio and video are out of sync (audio drift)
Cause: The video was recorded using Variable Frame Rate (VFR), which is common in smartphone video recordings and screen captures.
Fix: Re-export your video with Constant Frame Rate (CFR) enabled in your editing tool, or pass it through HandBrake with Constant Framerate selected before uploading.
Upload gets stuck at 99% or shows "Processing failed"
Cause: The file container was damaged, detached prematurely during saving, or exported without an index header.
Fix: Open your editing program, ensure export finishes completely to a local drive, test playback in a local media player, and re-upload.
Large and long-form uploads
SkiveCore supports large video files, including long-form 4K content. Upload time depends on file size and connection speed. For faster upload and processing, use H.264 or HEVC with the recommended bitrate settings.
Having trouble with an upload?
SkiveCore can automatically check your recent uploads, processing status, source format, transcoding stages, and detected errors before opening a support request.