How to Migrate Your Video Files to Gcore Video Streaming

Migrating large volumes of video files from different platforms can be daunting and time-consuming, often discouraging companies from moving to a superior provider. But it doesn’t have to be this way. We’ve created this three-step guide to help you efficiently migrate your video files to Gcore from other popular streaming platforms.

Step 1: Get Links to Your Videos

First, obtain links to your videos and download them. Look for your provider in the list below, or refer to the general SFTP/S3 storage section if applicable. After completing the steps for your provider, go straight to step 2.

Google Drive

1. Share the file: Open Google Drive and locate the MP4 file you want to download. Right-click on the file and select “Share.”
2. Get the shareable link: In the sharing settings, click “Get link.” Ensure the link-sharing option is turned on.
3. Set sharing permissions: Adjust the sharing permissions so “Anyone with the link” can view or download the file. Copy the generated link.

Amazon S3

1. Edit S3 block public access settings: Go to the S3 management console, select the bucket containing your MP4 file, and edit the Block Public Access settings if necessary.
2. Add a bucket policy: Implement a bucket policy that grants public read access to your files.
3. Get the list of objects: Navigate to the Objects tab, find your MP4 file, and click on the file to obtain the Object URL, which will be your download link.

Vimeo

1. Access the video: Log in to your Vimeo account and go to the video you wish to download.
2. Select options: Click on the “Settings” button (gear icon) below the video player.
3. Get video file link: In the settings menu, go to the “Video File” tab, where you can find the download link for your MP4 file.

MUX

1. Enable master access: Log in to your MUX account, navigate to the video asset, and enable master access if it’s not already enabled.
2. Retrieve URL to master: Once master access is enabled, the URL to the master file will be available in the video asset details. Copy this URL for downloading the file.

Dropbox

1. Create a shareable link: Log in to your Dropbox account and locate the MP4 file you want to share. Click on the “Share” button next to the file.
2. Set access permissions: In the sharing settings, create a link and set the permissions to “Anyone with the link.” Copy the generated link to download the file.

General SFTP or S3 Storage

1. Access storage: Log in to your SFTP or S3 storage service control panel.
2. Manage buckets/directories: Navigate to the appropriate bucket or directory containing your MP4 files.
3. Retrieve download links: Generate HTTP/S links for the files you want to download. You can then use these links to download the files directly.

Step 2: Check Availability to Download

Ensure that your video files are available and ready for download, preventing any interruptions or issues during the migration process.

1. Open HTTP/S link in a browser: Copy the HTTP/S link for the MP4 file and paste it into your browser’s address bar. Press Enter to navigate to the link.
2. Check the video plays correctly in the browser: Verify that the video starts playing once the link is opened. This step ensures that the file is accessible and the link is functioning properly.
3. Right-click to download: While the video is playing, right-click on the video player. Select “Save video as…” from the context menu. Choose a destination on your local disk to save the MP4 file.

Step 3: Upload to Gcore Video Streaming

No matter which provider you’re migrating from, you need to upload your videos to Gcore Video Streaming storage. There are three primary methods to upload videos to Gcore storage:

1. Copy from external storage: If your videos are available via public HTTPS URLs, you can directly copy the video files from external storage to Gcore. This method efficiently transfers files without downloading them to your local device first.
2. Upload from a local device: Videos can be uploaded from your local host, backend, browser, or mobile app using the TUS resumable upload protocol. This method is resilient to interruptions, ensuring a smooth upload process by resuming from the point of failure.
3. Batch upload: This method will soon be available to migrate extensive collections of videos, allowing you to transfer vast numbers of video files efficiently.

The simplest migration option is to obtain video URLs and copy them to Gcore Video Hosting, eliminating the need to download and reupload videos.

Example API Request to Copy Video from External Storage

To copy a video from another server, specify the origin_url attribute in the POST API request. The original video will be downloaded for video hosting on our server. Here is an example of the API request to set a task for copying a video from external storage:

curl -L 'https://api.gcore.com/streaming/videos/' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-H 'Authorization: APIKey 1234$0d16599c' \
-d '{ 
  "video": { 
    "name": "Gcore Demo", 
    "description": "Video copied from an external S3 Storage", 
    "origin_url": "https://s-ed1.cloud.gcore.lu/demo-video/gcore.mp4" 
  } 
}

Refer to the complete documentation for detailed steps and examples of API requests. The original file must be in MP4 format or one of the following formats: 3g2, 3gp, asf, avi, dif, dv, flv, f4v, m4v, mov, mp4, mpeg, mpg, mts, m2t, m2ts, qt, wmv, vob, mkv, ogv, webm, vob, ogg, mxf, quicktime, x-ms-wmv, mpeg-tts, vnd.dlna.mpeg-tts. Streaming formats like HLS (.m3u8/.ts) and DASH (.mpd/.m4v) are intended for final video distribution and cannot be used as original file formats. Here are examples of good and bad links:

• Good link: https://demo-files.gvideo.io/gcore.mp4
• Bad link (chunked HLS format): https://demo-files.gvideo.io/hls/master.m3u8

Note: Currently, only one video can be uploaded per request, so transferring your library in batches will require automation.

Migrate to Gcore Video Streaming Today

Gcore Video Streaming makes video migration easy with support for multiple sources and automatic transcoding. Whether you’re moving files from cloud storage, hosting platforms, or API-based services, Gcore streamlines video administration. Store, process, and distribute videos in various formats, complete with features like subtitles and timeline previews.

With seamless migration and automatic transcoding, Gcore ensures your videos are optimized and ready for distribution, saving you time and effort. Simplify your video management and ensure your content is always accessible and in the best format for your audience with Gcore’s robust video streaming solutions.