What is bulk upload and FTP content ingestion?

Kaltura offers bulk content ingestion when there is a need to upload large files. Bulk upload presents a great advantage to consolidate large amounts of video content in different locations from remote sites. 

You can import multiple files per session via a simple comma-separated file (CSV) or an XML file. The CSV Bulk Upload file is a simple format. You can use the CSV format for simple content ingestion based on imported source media files and their related metadata. Each entry is added from a single line in the CSV file. Each line includes a path to a media file that will be uploaded and each uploaded media file creates an entry. With these options, you can also ingest files from your own FTP server, or any publicly accessible file’s host. Metadata fields can be populated from CSV/XML.

  • We recommend a maximum of 500 lines/uploaded media files included within one CSV file.
  • For any bulk actions that will create more than 5,000 entries (e.g., users), including categories bulk uploads, please submit as batches of 500. If you are using the API, please batch as 500, sleep for 15 minutes, then submit the next batch of 500. If you would like to engage our Professional Services team, please contact your Kaltura representative to scope custom work.

  The greatest benefits for bulking your uploads are:

  • Importing multiple files in one action thus automating the ingestion process.
  • Ingesting large files which you cannot upload from the desktop via the KMC (larger than 2GB)
  • Populating metadata fields with no need to enter them from the KMC

There are two methods to upload bulk content:  the simple method where you use a CSV file (Comma Separated Value) and the advanced method where you use an XML file, which has many extensive bulk upload features. You can customize the structure to the metadata and elements that are part of your account specific workflow. Using the XML file bulk upload is the recommended method due to its structured hierarchy, allowing for nested objects and metadata and is easily extended.

You can use the CSV format for simple content ingestion based on imported source media files and their related metadata.

The XML Bulk Upload file is based on Kaltura’s MRSS format schema for content ingestion. The XML format enables bulk ingestion of complex video or audio packages.

Complex packages may include:

  • Multiple bit-rate Transcoding Flavors already transcoded by a local transcoder
  • Multiple thumbnails
  • Related metadata and publishing options
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