Trying to insert an MP4 video into Storyline, but receive an error message that states it is not a supported format.

Jan 30, 2018

Hello!

I've made a couple of attempts to insert an MP4 video file that is definitely an mp4 file, and Storyline gives me an error message that states, "...does not appear to be a supported video format. Please select a video from one of the supported formats.

I have confirmed from your documentation that MP4 is supported and all other formats are converted to MP4. 

Any suggestions on why this error is occurring will be appreciated.

32 Replies
Alyssa Gomez

Hi Martin,

Thanks for sharing the MP4 file with me! I got the same error message when I tried importing it into Storyline. Then, I trimmed the videos into three separate clips, and the import worked. So as you guessed, I'm thinking the large video file was the cause of the problem here.

To keep your file size smaller, have you considered hosting this video on YouTube or Vimeo, then embedding it on the slide as a Web Object

Courtney Saphier

Hi Alyssa,

I'm also currently having the same issue. I'm trying to upload a video that is an mp4, but the file size is pretty small (21 kb) . I tried opening a different mp4 of a similar size (22kb) and it worked just fine.

Hosting this video on Youtube is not an option for me, as most users do not have access to youtube through the company firewall.

Rachel Crabtree

Is the file size the issue?  I am also having a similar issue - some .mp4 files insert fine, while others report "format not supported".  The original file was a .wmv (1289MB) and I used Adobe media encoder to reduce the HD size and convert to .mp4.  No dice!

Glad to hear there are others out there with a similar issue that means there is likely a solution out here on the net lurking too ;)

Gerry Wasiluk

One of the tricks that I've found that SOMETIMES works is to first bring a WMV or MOV into Replay and then output the MP4 from there.  Then insert the Replay-generated MP4 into Storyline.

A side benefit to this:  The MP4 generated from SL when publishing is then usually smaller (size-wise) then if I put the MOV or WMV into SL directly (if it accepted it).

(However, if I put an existing MP4 first into Reply and then generate a new MP4 and then bring that new MP4 into SL, the MP4 that SL then produces at publishing is usually larger than the original MP4.  Go figure.  :) )

Rachel Crabtree

Hi Gerry,

Sorry I'm not sure what you mean by "Replay".  The .wmv and .mp4 files are external to Storyline.  Likely the original movie editor used was Avid or Premiere, not sure so I can't verify the original export settings. 

For whatever reason Storyline 360 won't insert either file and instead the error reads "not supported format".

Do you mean replay the video while Articulate grabs a screen of the movie?  Or use "replay converter" (I can't download or install on this computer)?

 

Any clarification would be appreciated - thanks :) :)  

Leslie McKerchie

Hi Rachel,

Thanks for reaching out and letting us know that you're running into an issue with your video file as well.

You mention that you cannot download items, so I assume HandBrake may be out of the question.

With your permission, I'd like you to share your video file with our support engineers to investigate what's happening. You can share it privately by uploading it here. It will be deleted when troubleshooting is complete.

Andrea Koehntop

Hello Zeinab!

I apologize for the issues you are experiencing importing your video into Storyline. 

Take a look at this article on best practices for inserting high-quality images and video into Storyline.

If you are following best practices, do you only receive this error message with this video, or any video you try to insert into Storyline?

Have you tried importing the video into a new .story project? Do you get the same error?

I look forward to helping you work through this!

Jose Tansengco

Hello Urmila, 

Sorry to hear that you ran into a similar issue!

Would you mind sharing a copy of your video here so we can try and replicate the issue? If you prefer to share your files in private, you can reach out to our support team by opening a case. 

As a troubleshooting step, you can also try re-encoding your video using a free tool called Handbrake. You can download the application here: 

https://handbrake.fr/downloads.php

And here's a very helpful video on how to re-encode a video in Handbrake. 

Jose Tansengco

Hi Martha, 

Storyline 360 fully supports MP4 videos files, so if you are working locally and are still encountering issues when importing your videos, chances are the issue exists within the video itself. We'll be glad to check your video for you if you are willing to upload it here. Alternatively, you can also open a case with our support team here so we can try to re-encode your video and see if this helps.