Starting a video
Paste a YouTube link, such as youtube.com/watch?v=...
What it means: the address isn't a link to one YouTube video. ReelUse takes watch links, youtu.be links, Shorts, live links and embed links. A search page, a channel page, a playlist or a link to another website is turned away.
What to do: open the video itself on YouTube. Copy the address from the browser bar, or use the video's Share button.
Files can't be uploaded here. Paste a YouTube link, or use the app to work straight from a video on your computer.
What it means: the website makes clips from YouTube links. It doesn't take a video file.
What to do: paste the video's YouTube link, or open the file in the Mac or Windows app.
Tick the box to confirm you have the rights to this video.
What it means: the box that confirms you may use this video isn't ticked.
What to do: tick it, then press Make clips again.
Pasting the link took me to a run that is already going
That link is already running on your account. ReelUse takes you to that run, so one video never counts twice.
Your monthly videos
You've used all N of your monthly videos. The next ones arrive on date. Upgrading gives you more each month.
What it means: this month's videos are used up. On a plan with one video a month, it reads You've used your video for this month.
What to do: wait for the date it gives, or move up a plan on the Plan & billing page. See plans and billing.
At N minutes, this video uses N of your monthly videos, and you have N left. Trim to the part you want clipped: anything under N minutes fits what you have. Or upgrade for more each month.
What it means: each video in your allowance covers up to 60 minutes of the part you choose. This video needs more than you have left.
What to do: use Choose the section to pick just the part you want. The message tells you how many minutes fit. A two-hour video trimmed to a 40-minute section counts as one video.
Your renewal payment hasn't gone through yet. This month's videos open as soon as it does. Update your payment method on the Billing page.
What it means: your plan renewed, but the payment hasn't been taken. Your plan stays on for 5 days while the payment is tried again. New runs can't start until it's paid. Nothing is deleted.
What to do: go to Plan and billing, then Manage, then Update payment method, and save a card that works. See plans and billing.
Too short or too long
That video is only N minutes long, which is already about the length of a clip. Add a full video of at least 5 minutes to get the moments worth sharing.
What it means: the whole video is under 5 minutes. That's about the length of one clip already.
What to do: use the full video.
This video is about N minutes long. ReelUse takes videos up to 6 hours, and that limit is for the whole video, so trimming it here doesn't help. Use a shorter video.
What it means: the longest video ReelUse takes is 6 hours. The limit applies to the whole video, even when you trim to a shorter part. When you start a run, the same limit reads That video is N minutes long. Videos can be up to 6 hours long.
What to do: trimming won't get around it. Upload a shorter copy of the video to YouTube, such as just the part you want, and use that link.
That video is about N min, and one run can take up to 6 hours. Use the time selector to choose just the part you want clipped.
What it means: the part you chose is longer than 6 hours.
What to do: drag the Choose the section handles closer together.
The video's length isn't known yet. You can still make clips: each video in your allowance covers up to 60 minutes, and we count from the real length once we have the video.
What it means: the video's length hasn't come through yet. The note can't say exactly how much of your allowance the run will use, and the trim handles can't move. The trim reads Trimming opens once the video's length is known.
What to do: press Check again. You can also go ahead and press Make clips. The run counts from the real length once the video arrives: up to 60 minutes counts as one video, and a longer one counts one for each hour started.
Live streams
That stream is still live. Wait until the service has ended, then try again.
What it means: YouTube still lists the video as a live broadcast.
What to do: wait until the stream has ended, then try again. A stream that has just ended is worth trying straight away. If the replay is still being prepared, open it on YouTube and check you can skip freely through it before you try again.
This live stream ended recently and YouTube is still preparing the replay, so ReelUse couldn't get it yet. In about an hour, use Try again on this run in your Library on the website.
What it means: the stream has ended, but YouTube hasn't finished turning it into a normal video yet. Until it has, YouTube often won't hand the replay over.
What to do: wait about an hour, then press Try again on the run. A run that doesn't finish gives its video back to your allowance, so this one costs you nothing.
Check the video plays cleanly. A livestream can drop frames when the internet wavers. The picture freezes for a few seconds while the sound carries on. That freeze is in the video itself, so it shows in any clip from that moment. If your stream had drops, clip from the original file with the Mac or Windows app.
YouTube refused it
YouTube wouldn't let ReelUse download this video just now. Nothing is wrong with your video or your link, and this usually clears by itself. If you have the original video file, the ReelUse app for Mac and Windows works straight from it. That skips YouTube completely, so this can't happen, and it gives you full-quality footage with nothing the stream burned into it. Download it at reeluse.com/downloads.
What it means: YouTube turned ReelUse away for this video. Your video and your link are fine.
What to do: press Try again later. If you have the video as a file, the Mac or Windows app works from it and skips YouTube.
YouTube has been refusing this video, so ReelUse has paused it for about fifteen minutes. Nothing is wrong with your video. After that, use Try again on this run in your Library on the website, or use the ReelUse app for Mac and Windows to work from your own file and skip YouTube.
What it means: YouTube kept refusing, so ReelUse stopped asking for about fifteen minutes.
What to do: wait about fifteen minutes, then press Try again. An earlier try is turned away.
ReelUse can't reach YouTube for this video right now. Nothing is wrong with your video. In a few minutes, use Try again on this run in your Library on the website, or use the ReelUse app for Mac and Windows to work from your own file.
What it means: ReelUse had no working connection to YouTube at that moment.
What to do: press Try again in a few minutes, or open the file in the Mac or Windows app.
This video can't be watched on YouTube right now. It may be private, removed or age-restricted. Check the link, or use a public video.
What it means: YouTube says the video can't be watched. Private, members-only, age-restricted and region-locked videos can't be clipped.
What to do: open the link in a private browsing window. If it doesn't play there, it won't play for ReelUse. Make the video public or unlisted, or open the file in the Mac or Windows app.
ReelUse didn't get this video's audio. If the link is a private or members-only video, ReelUse can't reach it. Otherwise this usually clears, so in a few minutes, use Try again on this run in your Library on the website. If you have the video as a file, the ReelUse app for Mac and Windows works from it directly.
What it means: the sound didn't come through from YouTube.
What to do: check the video is public or unlisted, then press Try again. If you have the video as a file, open it in the Mac or Windows app.
A run stopped
On the run in your Library, press Try again. The run carries on from where it got to and reuses the work already done. A run that doesn't finish gives its video back to your allowance. So Try again counts like a new run, and if that fails too, the video comes back again. A run made in the Mac or Windows app is finished in the app.
Picking the moments from this video didn't finish. Nothing is wrong with your video, and it's saved. In a few minutes, use Try again on this run in your Library on the website, and the run carries on from here.
What to do: wait a few minutes, then press Try again.
The moments in your video were found, but cutting them didn't finish. Your video and its moments are saved. Use Try again on this run in your Library on the website, and the run carries on from the cutting step.
What to do: press Try again. The moments are kept.
Some of your clips didn't finish. Any clips that did finish are in your Library. To make the rest, use Try again on this run in your Library on the website.
What to do: download the clips that finished. Press Try again to make the rest.
The moments were chosen, but the clips didn't finish.
What it means: the clips were chosen, but none finished being made in time. Your progress is saved.
What to do: press Try again in a few minutes.
ReelUse was too busy to make your clips just now. Your clips weren't changed. In a few minutes, use Try again on this run in your Library on the website.
What it means: ReelUse was too busy to make your clips at that moment.
What to do: press Try again in a few minutes.
This run stopped before it finished. Your video is saved. In a few minutes, use Try again on this run in your Library on the website.
What to do: press Try again in a few minutes. If it stops twice, use Report a problem (see still stuck).
This run didn't finish, so it doesn't count toward your allowance. The video may be private or removed.
What it means: the run stopped without a more specific reason. Most often the video couldn't be reached.
What to do: check the video plays in a private browsing window, then press Try again.
That run hasn't restarted. Wait a minute, then press Try again.
What to do: wait a minute, then press Try again on the run once more.
This run was made in the app. Open the app to run it again.
What it means: the video is on the computer that made the run, so the website can't run it again.
What to do: open the Mac or Windows app on that computer.
waiting for a moment
What it means: this shows under a run's progress bar while the run waits its turn. Nothing has gone wrong.
What to do: nothing. The run carries on by itself, and you can close the page.
A run says Recovering
A step didn't finish the first time, and the run is trying it again by itself. You don't need to do anything. If it can't finish, the run shows what happened and a Try again button.
This run stopped when the app closed. The clips it had already finished are in your Library, so this video counts toward your allowance.
What it means: you pressed Recover on a stopped run from the Mac or Windows app. If no clips had finished, it reads This run stopped when the app closed, so it doesn't count toward your allowance. Run it again any time.
What to do: nothing more. To get the rest, start the video again in the app.
Something went wrong on ReelUse's end
What it means: a page didn't load because of a fault in ReelUse. Nothing you've made is lost.
What to do: try again in a few minutes. If it keeps happening, press Email us on that page. When the page shows a Reference, the email carries it for you.
This run stopped after its moments were picked, so this video counts toward your allowance. Running the same video again today won't count again.
What it means: in the Mac or Windows app, a video counts once its best moments have been picked, because picking them is the work. The run stopped after that, before any clip was finished. If picking the moments had failed instead, the video would not count.
What to do: start the same video again from the app within a day. It picks up the video you already paid for and does not count a second time.
No clips, or a missing one
No clips from this video
ReelUse listened to the whole video and found no moments that stand on their own. That's a real answer, not a fault. It happens most on videos that are mostly music, notices or crosstalk. If the part you want sits inside a longer video, choose that section and run it again.
Fewer clips than I expected
A clip that doesn't finish is left out rather than shown broken. A clip that would open mid-sentence is held back. A clip that didn't finish reads This clip didn't render. Run again on the run's page makes a fresh set and counts toward your allowance.
There is a frozen patch in a clip
The picture froze in your original video. Freezes are common in livestreams when the internet wavers. Footage that was never captured can't be rebuilt, so clip from the original file with the Mac or Windows app.
Trimming and caption fixes
Preparing the extra footage for this clip. This usually takes a moment.
What it means: the footage on either side of the clip is being made ready, so you can extend it.
What to do: wait. The handles appear by themselves.
This clip was made in the app. Its original video stays on the computer that made it, so it can’t be trimmed or extended from the web.
What to do: open the clip in the Mac or Windows app, on the computer that made it, and choose Trim / extend there.
This clip is too old to trim, because its original video has been removed.
What it means: the video this clip was cut from has been removed on its usual schedule.
What to do: run the video again with Choose the section set. That counts toward your allowance.
That would make the clip too short.
What it means: a clip can't be shorter than 3 seconds. Move the handles further apart.
Pick a start before the end.
What it means: the start handle is at or after the end handle. Drag it back.
The transcript didn't load. Close this and open it again.
What to do: close the trim window and open it again. If it repeats, refresh the page.
Caption editing turns on once the ReelUse app on the computer that made this clip finishes sending it. Keep the app open there.
What it means: the clip was made in the app, which sends every clip first and then gets each one ready for editing. What to do: keep ReelUse open on that computer. Its Library shows how many clips are still being prepared, and editing turns on by itself.
This clip's original video was removed after the run finished, so its captions can't be changed. Run the video again for a fresh set you can edit.
What to do: press Run again on the run's page. That counts toward your allowance. For a word that comes out wrong every week, add it to Words we say.
This clip is older, so your changes take a couple of extra minutes to appear.
What it means: nothing is wrong. Save, then allow a few extra minutes.
This clip's word timings are missing, so its words can't be edited here.
What to do: press Run again for a fresh set you can edit.
I saved a change but the clip looks the same
The page doesn't update by itself after a change. Wait a minute or two, then refresh the page. See after a change.
Team permissions
Only the person who ran this, or the account owner, can delete it.
What it means: on a team, only the person who ran a video or the account owner can delete it. Archiving and restoring follow the same rule. Everyone on the team can still open the run and download its clips.
What to do: ask that person or the account owner.
This run is still going. Stop it first, then you can remove it.
What to do: press Stop on the run, then delete or archive it.
Only the workspace owner adds overlays. You can choose your own frame below.
What it means: on a team, only the account owner adds, deletes or sets the default overlay. You can still pick your own under Your default frame. In the app, the same rule reads Only the account owner can change the shared frames. See Branding.
Only the account owner can change Branding.
What it means: you pressed Make these my new defaults as a team member. Your choices still apply to this video. Only the account owner can make them everyone's default.
Payments and gifts
The payment didn't go through
What it means: your bank didn't approve the upgrade. It usually adds Your bank did not approve the charge. Nothing was charged, and your plan hasn't changed.
What to do: choose Use a different card (or Add a card), save a card and come straight back. Or start the new plan on your renewal date with nothing charged today. Or choose Not now.
Your plan didn't change. Nothing was charged. Try again.
What to do: try the plan change again in a minute.
The account owner manages billing for this team.
What it means: you're a member of a team, so the plan and payments belong to the account owner.
What to do: ask the account owner to make the change.
A card was declined
Check the card details and that the card has funds, then try again. Or use another card. Naira plans are paid in Nigeria, so a Nigerian card isn't treated as an international payment.
My plan change hasn't happened
An upgrade starts as soon as the payment goes through. A downgrade is booked for the end of the period you've paid for, and the Manage page shows the date.
That code doesn't match any gift. Check it for typos.
What to do: check the code in the gift email. It looks like REEL-XXXX-XXXX.
That code has already been redeemed.
What it means: the code has been used, or has expired. Each code works once.
That gift hasn't finished its payment yet. Ask the buyer to check their email.
What to do: wait a minute and try again. If it repeats, the person who bought the gift should check their payment.
Gift accepted. It starts automatically the moment your current plan ends.
What it means: you already pay for a plan, so the gift waits its turn. Nothing is wasted.
Sign-in
Wrong email or password. Try again, or use a magic link below.
What to do: check the email and password. If you have no password or have forgotten it, press Email me a magic link.
This sign-in link has expired. Each link works once, for a short time. Enter your email below and we'll send a new one.
What to do: enter your email and use the new link straight away. The email also holds a 6-digit code you can type instead.
Too many attempts. Wait a few minutes, then sign in again.
What to do: wait a few minutes before you try again.
No sign-in email arrived
Check spam, wait a full minute, then ask for another. Work email with strict filtering is the usual cause. Ask whoever runs your email to allow mail from reeluse.com.
I was signed out everywhere
That happens after you change your password or press Sign out all devices. If neither was you, change your password straight away and tell us in Chat.
The Mac and Windows app
These messages appear in the app. Where a message says This Mac, Windows says This PC. The full guide is on the Mac and Windows app page.
Windows says "Windows protected your PC"
The first time you open the installer, Windows shows "Windows protected your PC". Choose More info, then Run anyway.
The app won't open on my Mac
The Mac app needs Apple Silicon (M1 or later) and macOS 11 or newer. On an Intel Mac, use ReelUse in your browser.
ReelUse is missing part of itself, which usually means the download was interrupted. Download it again from reeluse.com/downloads.
What to do: download the app again from the downloads page and install it over the old one.
Something went wrong inside the app. Quit ReelUse and open it again. If it keeps happening, download it again from reeluse.com/downloads.
What to do: quit the app fully and open it again. If it repeats, install it again from the downloads page.
Your browser didn't open. Copy this link and paste it into your browser.
What it means: the app tried to open a page in your web browser, such as Continue with Google, and the browser didn't open. The link shows below the message.
What to do: press Copy and paste the link into your browser. To sign in without a browser, use your email and password, or Email me a code instead.
Enter the email on your ReelUse account.
What to do: type your full email address, then press Sign in or Email me a code instead.
Too many tries just now. Wait a few minutes and try again.
What to do: wait a few minutes, then try once.
That email and password don't match. Try again, or use a code instead.
What to do: check the email and password. If you have no password or have forgotten it, press Email me a code instead.
That code didn't work. Check the latest email from us, or ask for a new code.
What it means: the code was mistyped, has expired, or a newer code has replaced it. A code lasts 10 minutes.
What to do: use the code in the most recent email, or press Send a new code.
Too many wrong codes. Ask for a new code and try again in a few minutes.
What to do: wait a few minutes, then press Send a new code and type the new one.
Can't connect right now. Check your internet connection, then try again.
What to do: check the computer is online, then try again.
This browser is signed in to a different ReelUse account from the email you typed in the app. Sign out on the website, or type that account's email in the app, then try again.
What it means: an older version of the app signs in through the browser, and the browser holds a different account.
What to do: update the app from Settings, then Check for updates. The current version signs in without the browser.
Sign-in timed out. Sign in again from the app.
What to do: start again from the app, and finish signing in within about five minutes.
Your sign-in on this computer has expired. Sign in again to keep going.
What to do: sign in again in the app. Your runs and clips are safe.
That file type isn't supported. Use MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, or WebM.
What to do: choose the video file itself. M4V files work too. If your video is in another format, export it as MP4 from your editing software.
That doesn’t look like a YouTube link. Paste a full youtube.com or youtu.be URL.
What it means: the app takes watch links, youtu.be links, Shorts, live links and embed links. Anything else is turned away.
What to do: open the video on YouTube and copy its address from the browser bar.
That video is only N minutes long, which is already about the length of a clip. Add a full video of at least 5 minutes and we'll find the moments worth sharing.
What to do: choose the full video.
No audio track found in this file.
What it means: the file has no sound. Clips are made from what is said, so this file can't be used.
What to do: check you picked the right file. Some cameras record sound to a separate file.
The sound in that file can't be read. It may be damaged, or in a format ReelUse can't open.
What to do: check the file plays on your computer. If it does, export it again as MP4 and try that.
This account can't start a new video right now.
What it means: usually your videos for this month are used up, or a renewal payment hasn't gone through. See your monthly videos.
You've reached this month's preparation limit in the app. It frees up as the month goes on, and upgrading raises it.
What it means: the app has prepared many videos for your account in the last month. Room frees up a day at a time.
Reading the words didn't finish. Your file has not been touched. Try again in a few minutes.
What to do: wait a few minutes, then press Try again.
Reading the words didn't start. Check your internet connection, then try again.
What to do: check your internet connection, then press Try again.
Picking the moments didn't finish. Your video is saved. Try again in a few minutes.
What to do: wait a few minutes, then press Try again.
Too many runs are picking moments right now. This one didn't count toward your allowance. Try again in a few minutes.
What to do: wait a few minutes, then start the video again. Nothing was used from your allowance.
Can't connect right now. Check your internet connection, then try again in a minute.
What to do: check your connection, then try again.
This run didn't save to your account. Try again in a minute.
What it means: the run didn't reach your ReelUse account. Sometimes the message ends with a reason instead.
What to do: keep the app open and try again in a minute.
That Look didn't load, so this run hasn't started. Pick another Look, or start on Team default.
What to do: choose another Look, or Team default, and start again.
YouTube wouldn't let this computer download the video, so the whole run is being made online. It appears in your Library as it progresses.
What it means: your computer couldn't get the video from YouTube, so ReelUse is making the whole run online. Nothing to do.
YouTube wouldn't let this Mac download that video, and making it online didn't start either. This usually clears by itself, so trying again shortly often works. If you have the video file on this computer, choose it directly instead. That skips YouTube completely and gives you better quality.
What to do: try again shortly, or choose the video file if you have it.
This Mac couldn't make it, so it's being made online…
What it means: your computer couldn't make this clip, so it's being made online. It looks the same and is labeled Online. Nothing to do.
This clip didn't finish in 15 minutes on This Mac, so this clip is being made online.
What it means: this clip took too long on your computer, so it's being finished online. Nothing to do.
On the free plan, clips are made online, not on your computer. This one will be made online instead.
What it means: on the Free plan, clips are always made online. This is expected.
This clip is still being made online. Check your Library shortly.
What to do: look in your Library in a few minutes.
This clip didn't finish on your Mac or online. Your video is saved. Try again in a few minutes. If it keeps failing, open Support in the sidebar.
What to do: try again in a few minutes. If it keeps failing, open Support in the app's sidebar.
This run didn't finish online. Your video is saved. Try again in a few minutes. If it keeps failing, open Support in the sidebar.
What to do: try again in a few minutes. If it keeps failing, open Support in the app's sidebar.
This run is still going after 30 minutes. It may still finish. Check your Library shortly.
What to do: look in your Library in a few minutes. The clips appear there when they're ready.
We lost track of this clip. Run the video again.
What to do: start the video again from its file.
This finished clip didn't upload. It's saved on this computer. Try again from your Library.
What to do: check your connection, then open the run in your Library and try again.
This run can't be finished. Your video is saved, so start it again when you're ready.
What it means: you pressed Finish it on a stopped run that can't be picked up again. Start the video again from its file.
This video isn't where it was.
What it means: you pressed Finish it on a stopped run, and its video has been moved, renamed or deleted since the run started. Choose the video in its new place and the run carries on.
Choose "name" on this computer to finish this run.
What it means: this computer has no note of where the run's video is, for example because the run started on another computer. Choose the same video and the run carries on.
That file is called "name", but this run was made from "name".
What it means: the file you picked to finish a stopped run isn't the one it started with. Choose the original, unless you're sure it's the same video.
Every clip in this run is already finished. Reopening it will show them.
What to do: open the run from your Library.
The words for this video aren't on this computer and didn't download, so its captions can't be made. Run the video again.
What to do: start the video again from its file.
This clip was made on a computer, and its original video stays on that computer, so it can't be trimmed or extended from here.
What to do: trim it in the app on the computer that made it.
This video's file isn't on this Mac any more, so the clip can't be cut here. It may have been moved, renamed or deleted. Run the video again from its file to trim it.
What to do: put the file back where it was, or run the video again from it. On Windows, it says this PC.
On the free plan, clips are made online, not on your computer. Trim this one on the website.
What to do: open the run on the website and use Trim / extend there.
To change captions here, run this video again on this computer. Its original video isn't loaded in this session.
What to do: fix the captions on the website instead, or run the video again on this computer.
Your corrections didn't match this clip's words, so the clip wasn't changed.
What to do: close the editor, open it again and make the change once more. If it repeats, open Support in the sidebar and say which clip.
That file didn't load. Try again in a moment.
What to do: press Download again in a moment.
Download failed: reason
What to do: check your connection and that your Downloads folder has space, then press Download again.
Updates are unavailable right now. ReelUse checks again next time you open it.
What to do: nothing urgent. The app checks again by itself.
The update couldn't finish. Try again now, or ReelUse will try again next time you open it.
What to do: press Try again, or carry on and let the app finish the update next time you open it.
A run stopped when I closed the app
The app does the work on your computer, so closing it stops the run. Open the app again. If the run in your Library shows Stopped, press Finish it. See if it stops.
Clips say Online instead of Made here
The clip was made online. That happens when your computer can't make clips, when making clips on this computer is turned off, on the Free plan, or when one clip didn't finish here. The clips look the same.
Still stuck
On the website, press the chat button at the bottom right. In the Mac or Windows app, press Support at the bottom of the sidebar. Use Chat for a question, or Report a problem if something broke. A report includes the run you have open, so it can be checked straight away. You can also check service status.