Video Settings
If your site is on the www.queensu.ca domain, video's are automatically streamed through the Azure Front Door Content Delivery Network. This helps balance the load needed to stream video. Site's that are on a Queen's subdomain do not stream video through Azure Front Door, therefore, they need to be streamed using an alternate CDN.
To embed the video, use the video embed element <video>. This HTML element embeds a media player which supports video playback into the document. For more specific information about video controls, size, looping, etc, please visit this Mozilla Developer Video Page.
When creating a video file:
- The minimum resolution is 1280x720 (720p) or higher.
- Use an .mp4 file (H.264 codec is generally the best).
Adobe Premier Pro
When exporting from Adobe Premier Pro, set the Format as H.264 and you will see in the Output Name field, the file type of .mp4 is used. In the Preset dropdown, select Match Source – Adaptive High Bitrate. This allows you to set a variable bit rate depending on the videos complexity. If there's a lot of movement or motion the bit rate will go up. If the video is static with very little movement, the bit rate will go down. This will help you keep your file sizes as low as possible. To achieve this go down to the Video tab in your export window and find the Bit Rate Settings portion. Change your Bitrate Encoding to VBR, 2 Pass. VBR (Variable Bit Rate) means that the bit rate will vary throughout the video depending on it's complexity. It will intelligently adapt the bit rate for optimal quality while producing a lower file size.
Set the Target Bit Rate to 2, and set the Maximum Bit Rate to 5. This means that throughout the video, the bitrate will vary from 2Mbps to 5Mbps depending on the video's complexity. As you change these values, you should see a dramatic decrease in the Estimated File Size.
These are not hard and fast rules, but recommendations for smaller file sizes while keeping the quality of your video.
Audio
Queen's recommends using MP3 (MPEG Audio Layer III) for audio files. It is arguably the most prevalent audio format. MP3 is a lossy compression audio file format that strikes a balance between quality and file size. This makes it ideal for streaming and portable devices where storage space is a concern.
To embed the audio, use the audio embed element <audio>. This HTML element element is used to embed sound content in documents. For more specific information about audio controls, preloading, looping, etc, please visit the Mozilla Developer Audio Page.
Best Audio Format for Social Media
Whether you’re recording audio directly for the social media platform or using a third-party voice over tool, most platforms use the MP3 audio file format for sharing sounds. It’s the most common audio format available and its lossy compression can still produce high-quality audio for listeners. This is particularly useful for content creators making sounds on TikTok or YouTube Shorts.