Email caps out at 25 MB and file-transfer links expire — here's how to reliably send large video files (VTs, ProRes, 4K) to a broadcast or live-event production team.
You've been asked to send a VT to a production team, and the file is 800 MB. Email bounces it. You try to compress it and the quality drops. You upload it to a transfer service, send the link, and three days later it's expired — right when the editor finally goes looking for it. Sending large video files should be simple; in practice it's one of the most common sources of pre-show stress.
This guide is for anyone who needs to get big video files to a production team reliably — whether you're a contributor sending one clip or a producer setting up how dozens of people will send theirs. If you're the producer designing the whole intake, start with our companion guide on collecting VTs from contributors.
Why "just email it" doesn't work for video
- Attachment limits are tiny. Most email providers cap attachments at 20–25 MB. Broadcast video — even a short ProRes or 4K clip — is hundreds of megabytes to several gigabytes. It simply won't send.
- Compressing to fit destroys quality. Squashing a clip down to sneak under a limit gives the production team a file they can't actually use to air.
- Splitting files is fragile. Zipping and splitting into parts invites missing pieces, wrong order, and reassembly errors on the other end.
Email moves messages, not media. For video you need something built for large-file transfer.
The problem with consumer transfer links
File-transfer services solve the size problem but bring their own issues for production work:
- Links expire, often in 3–7 days — usually before the file is actually needed.
- Downloads are all-or-nothing. A dropped connection on a big file means starting the download again from zero.
- There's no structure. You get a bare file with no record of who sent it, what it is, or the details the production team needs (title, spelling, duration).
- No delivery confirmation. You don't know if it arrived until someone chases.
They're fine for sending a one-off file to a friend. For feeding a broadcast, they leave too much to chance.
What reliable large-file delivery needs
However you send video to a production team, look for these four things.
1. Resumable transfer
Big files and imperfect connections don't mix. Resumable uploads checkpoint progress as the file transfers, so a dropped connection resumes where it left off instead of restarting. This is the single most important property — it's the difference between "it uploaded overnight" and "it failed at 90% three times".
Resumable transfer is built on the open TUS protocol, the same approach behind reliable large-file uploads in tools like Vimeo and Cloudflare Stream. It's designed precisely for multi-gigabyte files on unreliable networks — exactly the venue-Wi-Fi scenario.
2. No account, no software
The person sending the file shouldn't need to install an app or create an account. A browser and a link is all it should take — otherwise half your contributors won't bother.
3. Delivery you can trust
The production team should know the moment a file lands, and the sender should get a clear confirmation. No "did you get it?" email chains.
4. Structure and identity
A file that arrives with no context is a liability. Good delivery attaches the essentials — who sent it and the metadata the team needs — to the file itself, and verifies the sender so there's an auditable record. (More on that in what metadata to collect with every VT.)
A simple checklist for sending video to production
- Confirm the exact format the team needs before exporting
- Use a resumable, browser-based upload — not email or a memory stick
- Send the full-quality file; don't compress to fit a limit
- Include the title, duration and any name spellings with the file
- Get a confirmation that it arrived
How Show Runner handles it
Show Runner is built so contributors can send large files with zero friction. The producer creates an upload slot and shares a 16-digit key; the contributor enters the key, verifies their email with a one-time code, and uploads straight from the browser — no account, no software. Uploads are resumable up to 1 GB on the TUS protocol, so they survive flaky connections, and every file carries the metadata the producer asked for. The producer is notified by email and in-app the instant a file lands.
FAQ
What's the largest video file I can send?
Show Runner supports resumable uploads up to 1 GB per file over the TUS protocol. Because uploads resume automatically after a dropped connection, even large files complete reliably on unstable networks. Producers can set a lower per-slot cap if they want.
Do I need an account to send a file?
No. As a contributor you only need the upload link and the 16-digit key the producer shares with you. You enter the key, verify your email with a one-time code, and upload — no sign-up and nothing to install.
What happens if my connection drops mid-upload?
The upload resumes from where it stopped rather than starting over, because Show Runner uses the resumable TUS protocol. You can close the tab and come back, and it will pick up where it left off.
Is compressing the file a good idea?
Not to fit a size limit — you'll hand the production team a file that may be unusable for broadcast. Send the full-quality export and let a purpose-built uploader handle the size.
Setting up how a whole team sends you video? Read how to collect VTs from contributors, or start for free.