We're thrilled to offer unlimited on-demand streaming content, making your business more accessible to a broader audience. Your clients expect seamless accessibility, but sometimes internet or device limitations can impact their experience.
The issue:
While Arketa provides budget-friendly, unlimited video storage, uploading unprocessed videos can result in large files, files of an incompatible type and other issues. This may cause playback issues for users with slow internet connections, older devices or those in need of software upgrades, or those in regions with limited access.
Troubleshooting with your customers:
To assist your clients with video playback issues as they arise, we encourage you to ask the following of your client:
Clear cache and cookies
Use a different web browser, such as Chrome, ensuring it is updated
Update your browser to the most recent version
Disable any browser extensions or ad-blocking software
End or pause any activities on your network that might be consuming a lot of bandwidth or update frequently (Netflix, online games, other uploads or downloads, weather websites etc.)
Solutions Arketa Offers
Solution 1: Video compression using a free online tool, Handbrake. (download handbrake here.)
Compress your videos before uploading to ensure smooth playback.
We recommend using Handbrake for its speed and simplicity.
Aim for a size of about 0.5GB for every 15 minutes of video.
Smaller files also upload faster to Arketa.
Presets recommend for first pass shown here:
Solution 2: Use YouTube or Vimeo
If you use the Arketa Web Browser experience, consider using YouTube or Vimeo links for videos.
YouTube and Vimeo encode videos for optimal streaming. (Note: Youtube isn't suitable for partners with Arketa custom mobile apps, and YouTube livestream recordings will not work as an Arketa On Demand video. Vimeo links will work on the mobile app but not all the mobile app features will be available if you use this option, such as downloading for offline viewing)
Solution 3: Upgrade to Premium Video Processing with Mux
If you prefer a different option to 1 or 2, Arketa has partnered with Mux, a premium video processing company.
Mux uses adaptive streaming technology to adjust video quality based on viewers' internet speeds, allowing for a more seamless video playback experience.
Upgrade directly from your dashboard; it's an add-on subscription to your Arketa software fees.
A note about filming on iPhone: Here are iPhone settings for optimal video recording.
Optimal iPhone recording settings - Use HD quality at 30 frames per second for great sound quality.
File type settings - Set your iPhone camera to "Most Compatible" in the Settings app for the best results.
Still having issues?
Open your video in Quicktime and export it as 1080p without selecting "Use HVEC."
If "Most Compatible" is an option, choose that format.
For optimizing your video for the web and reducing file size without sacrificing quality, consider using the "Handbrake" tool. Learn more here.
Videos buffer or freeze in the app but work fine on the website
This is one of the most common video complaints from clients using a branded mobile app. If playback works on the website but buffers, freezes, or stops repeatedly in the app — even on a strong connection — the issue is almost always related to how the video was encoded before upload, not the client's internet speed.
The app and the website use different playback pipelines. The website is more forgiving of large or uncompressed files, but the app has stricter streaming requirements. A video that plays acceptably in a browser may still struggle in the app if the file hasn't been optimized.
Step-by-step: what to check first
Confirm it's happening across multiple clients, not just one. If only one client is affected, their device or connection is likely the cause. If multiple clients report the same issue on the same video, it's almost certainly the file itself.
Check the video file size. Go to Beyond Classes → On Demand Video and open the affected video. Files larger than ~0.5GB per 15 minutes of content will commonly buffer in the app. Re-compress with Handbrake before re-uploading.
Check the recording source. Videos recorded on professional cameras, iPhones in high-quality mode (4K, HEVC/H.265), or edited in tools like Final Cut or Premiere often produce files that need transcoding before they stream reliably in the app. Run them through Handbrake using the recommended preset above.
Test on Wi-Fi vs. cellular. Ask the affected client to test on a strong Wi-Fi connection. If it improves, the issue is network-side on the client's end. If it persists on Wi-Fi, the video file is the likely culprit.
Try a different video. If other videos in your library play fine in the app and only specific titles buffer, those files specifically need reprocessing.
💡 Important: If you've run through the steps above and buffering persists across multiple videos and multiple clients with good connections, this is a strong signal that Mux (Premium Video Processing) is the right solution. Mux re-encodes your videos for adaptive streaming, automatically adjusting quality to match each viewer's connection — which is particularly impactful for app playback. Reach out to Support to learn more or to have your existing videos processed through Mux.
When to contact support
Reach out to the support team if:
Buffering affects all videos in your library (not just specific files), which may indicate an account-level streaming configuration issue
The issue started suddenly after previously working fine, with no changes to your videos
You've compressed the affected videos with Handbrake and re-uploaded, but the problem continues
When contacting support, it helps to include: the name of the affected video(s), the device and OS version the client is using, whether the issue occurs on Wi-Fi or cellular, and whether the same video plays correctly on the website.
We hope these solutions enhance your clients' video-watching experience. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to reach out. Your success is our priority!