---
title: "Upload errors"
description: "An upload fails on an unsupported codec, a file with no usable audio or video, a size or duration cap, or a dropped connection. How to tell which and clear it"
---

> Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.speakai.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Upload errors

An upload that fails is almost always one of four causes. Find your symptom, apply the fix,
then retry. Most uploads succeed on the second attempt once the cause is cleared.

| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| "Upload failed" or a 500 error | Dropped connection or an oversized file | Retry on a stable connection; for big video, upload audio-only |
| File rejected at selection | Format not supported | Convert to MP3 (audio) or MP4 (video); see the format list below |
| Upload succeeds, then "no usable audio or video" | The file's container is valid but the stream inside is empty or damaged | Re-export from the source app, or convert to MP3/MP4, then re-upload |
| M4A that won't process | Codec variant Speak AI can't read | Convert the M4A to MP3 and upload that |

## Check the format first

Speak AI accepts MP3, WAV, OGG, WEBM, M4A, FLAC, M4P, AAC, MPEG, and AMR audio; MP4, WMV, AVI,
M4V, MOV, and FLV video; TXT, DOCX, and PDF documents; and PNG or JPEG images (read with OCR).
Anything else: convert to MP3 or MP4 with a free tool like
HandBrake, then upload. Full details: [File formats](/help/uploads/formats/).

## "No usable audio or video content"

The file *looks* fine, right extension and normal size, but the audio or video stream inside is
missing, empty, or damaged. This usually comes from an interrupted export or a screen recorder
that saved video with no audio track. Re-export from the original app; if you only have this
copy, convert it to MP3/MP4, which rebuilds the container.

## Upload works, but processing fails

That's a different problem with its own causes.
See [Transcription errors](/help/troubleshoot/transcription/).

## Still stuck?

Send the file name, its rough size and duration, and what you saw on screen to
success@speakai.co, or
[book a free consult](https://calendly.com/speak-ai/consult?utm_source=docs&utm_campaign=consult)
and we'll look at it with you.

---
Related: [Uploads](/help/uploads/) · [File formats](/help/uploads/formats/) ·
[Duration limits](/help/uploads/duration/) · [Transcription errors](/help/troubleshoot/transcription/)

Source: https://docs.speakai.co/help/troubleshoot/uploads/index.mdx