FCP X: Problems Uploading to YouTube

Posted on by Larry

Recently, I’ve had a lot of emails from editors with problems uploading (Sharing) files to YouTube directly from Final Cut Pro X.

So, I did some checking and discovered that the problems were caused by Google.

In early April, Google changed the APIs that control uploading to YouTube. These changes broke all automated upload systems – meaning uploads originating anywhere except a Browser – including Final Cut Pro X.


Then, on April 19, Google changed these APIs back to their original settings. This meant that YouTube exporting works again inside FCP X.

Hopefully, Google will leave things alone for a while.


On a related note, I’m getting periodic reports of problems with Vimeo uploading and DVD burning. These settings have not changed in FCP X 10.0.8, so they should still work.

However, my general preference and recommendation is to handle Sharing in three steps:

  1. Export a Master File ( File > Share > Master file). This provides the fastest export with the highest quality.
  2. Review that master file to make sure it looks and plays OK.
  3. Compress, or transfer, that master file as needed using Compressor.

Yes, this process takes a couple of extra steps, but I have found the results to be consistently higher quality and most reliable. It is also the fastest way to export.

BIG NOTE: As FCP X shares (exports) a file, it creates a file name with the word “TEMP” at the end. This means that the export is continuing and, for some projects, that export can take a long time as FCP both renders and exports a project. Do not do anything with a file that has TEMP at the end of the file name. Wait until the export is complete, and the word TEMP disappears before moving, renaming, or compressing the exported file.


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26 Responses to FCP X: Problems Uploading to YouTube

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  1. Tamara says:

    Hi,
    When I review my finished work in FCP it looks great. Once uploaded onto Youtube it flickers at the beginning for some reason. I’m not sure if it’s because I exported it as H264. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

    • Larry says:

      Tamara:

      Generally, flickering will be caused either by a compression bit rate that is too low – in which case the flickering will occur during the entire movie – or a slow Internet connection – where the flickering represents initial buffering of your movie.

      In the case of option 1, increasing compression bit rate will help. In the case of option 2, there’s nothing you can do to reduce it.

      Larry

  2. Richard DePaulo Jr. says:

    When I export from FNCPX. Then in Safarie login to You Tube, and use the You Tube websites upload file command once uploaded I do not get the chapter marks passed through so as to be used as thumbnail inner menu?

    Is there a way to pass the chapter markers into you tube to create a jump to menu chapter menu with my FNCPX chapter markers ? How ?

  3. Breno says:

    My FCP keeps sending messages of failed share and nothing else, no specification or anything. I haven’t found anywhere ways to solve this. Can you help?

  4. Teresa Wood says:

    Still having issues and I have a new computer Mac 10.12.4- when I go to upload in youtube from FCP 10.3.3 under the settings I get a yellow exclamation point and has warning. the upload fails every time. How to I fix this?

    • Larry says:

      Teresa:

      To be truthful, I always upload to YouTube using my Browser, it gives me more control.

      If you are continuing to have problems, please contact Apple Support.

      Larry

  5. John says:

    Do do have any tutorials on codecs and aspect ratio?

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