Articles on: Getting Started & Episodes

Why am I getting an error when I upload my audio or video file?

Most upload errors come down to the file's format, size or contents, or to your Internet connection or browser. Here's how to fix the most common ones.


Check the file format and size


Transistor accepts:


  • Audio: MP3, M4A, WAV and AIFF, up to 2 GB
  • Video: MP4 and MOV, up to 30 GB on podcasts with video enabled


See What audio and video files can I upload?


If you see one of these errors:


  • "We're sorry, but we don't support ... files" means the file isn't one of those formats. Export your episode in one of them, check the file name ends in the right extension (like .mp3), and upload it again.
  • "We're sorry, but the file you're uploading is over the size limit" means the file is too big. Export your audio as an MP3, or lower the bitrate or resolution of your video.
  • "The file you've added appears to be empty" or "...is less than 50 kilobytes of data" almost always means the export failed. Export it again and check that it plays before uploading.


Check your file plays correctly


If something went wrong while exporting your file, or the file is corrupt, Transistor can't process it. Play the file on your computer from start to finish before uploading it to Transistor.


"The file extension indicates a video format, but there is no video data."


You'll see this error if you upload a file with a video extension, like .mp4 or .mov, that doesn't actually contain any video. This often happens when an audio-only file is exported or saved as .mp4.


  • Audio-only episode: export it as an MP3 (or another audio format listed above) and upload it again.
  • Video episode: check that your editing software is exporting the video track, and that the file plays with video before uploading it to Transistor.


Check your Internet connection


If your connection drops during an upload, Transistor pauses the upload and carries on when you're back online. If the connection doesn't come back, you'll see one of these errors:


  • "You are not connected to the internet or having connectivity issues"
  • "Upload failed. Please check your connection and try again."


To get going again:


  • Resume a large upload: select the same file again, on the same episode, and the upload picks up where it left off.
  • If uploads keep failing: try a wired connection or a different network, or upload a smaller file to see whether it completes.


Turn off your VPN and browser extensions


If the upload doesn't connect at all, a VPN or a security, privacy or ad-blocking browser extension may be blocking it. To check:


  • Turn off any VPN you're using
  • Open a private or incognito window, where most browsers turn off extensions
  • Log in to Transistor and try the upload again


If it works, turn your VPN and extensions back on one at a time to find the one that's blocking it.


Use the right uploader


The episode page has separate uploaders for your episode's media file and for images like artwork. You'll get an error if you add an audio or video file to an image uploader, or an image to the media uploader.


Start a new session


If you've had Transistor open for a long time, your session may have timed out. Close all your Transistor tabs, log back in and try the upload again.


If you have additional questions please reach out to us:


Updated on: 02/11/2026

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