After a recording, a host’s or guest’s file(s) may have ‘Error: Unfinalized track’ on it.
In this article:
Issue
What is an unfinalized track?
An unfinalized track is an audio (MP3, WAV) or video (MOV) file that hasn’t finished uploading to the servers or wasn’t uploaded properly.
On the Recording Page, the host sees 'Error: Unfinalized track' on one or more files on their own user track or a guest’s user track, depending on which participant the error happened to.
Causes
Unfinalized tracks are usually caused when something interrupts the file upload.
This most frequently happens when:
Host or guest has a slow or unstable internet connection.
Host or guest experiences a temporary disruption to the internet connection such as a disconnection or outage.
The guest leaves the Recording Page before getting the confirmation popup that their files have fully uploaded.
Less frequently, this might happen when:
Host or guest is doing the recording from a network that has strict security settings (e.g. a company, university, hotel) that blocks the upload.
Troubleshooting For Guest Files
Important Points
The guest needs to do troubleshooting steps themself from the same computer and browser they used to record because any local backups of the file(s) are stored on their computer; i.e, the host cannot do the guest’s troubleshooting steps for them.
'Error: Unfinalized track' can be troubleshooted if the guest did not use an incognito or private browser window to record.
The guest should not clear their browser’s cache or cookies.
The sooner the guest tries troubleshooting, the better chance they have to get their file(s). It is recommended to try troubleshooting within 24 hours of the recording and the sooner, the better.
What Host Gives Guest For Troubleshooting
The host needs to locate the specific recording that has the ‘Error: Unfinalized track' on the guest’s file(s), copy the link for that recording from their browser’s address bar, and send that link to the guest.
When the ‘Error: Unfinalized track’ is in the most recent recording in the room or when there is only one recording in the room, the link will be formatted -
https://recording.zencastr.com/[account username]/[room name]
Example:
https://recording.zencastr.com/exampleuser/example
When the ‘Error: Unfinalized track’ is not in the most recent recording in the room, the link will be formatted -
https://recording.zencastr.com/[account username]/[room name]/[recording ID]
Example:
https://zencastr.com/exampleuser/example/60e5adf1627ce8035ad64ca9
Troubleshooting Steps for Guest
The host sends the guest the recording link.
The guest opens the recording link on the same computer and browser they used to record.
The guest enters the recording page by clicking the Join Recording button in the green room.
The guest clicks on the file type that has the red ‘Error: Unfinalized track’.
The guest clicks Retry Upload on the pop-up.
Expected Result:If successful, the file should start uploading to the Recording Page and then change to solid grey when the upload has finished. The host should then be able to download the guest’s file from their view of the Recording Page.
What To Do Next:If ‘Retry Upload’ was successful, the guest should repeat steps 4-5 for any other file types with the ‘Error: Unfinalized track’. If ‘Retry Upload’ was not successful, the guest should try step 6.
The guest clicks Recover Backup on the pop-up.
Expected Result:
If successful, a local backup of the file should start downloading to the guest's computer.
What To Do Next:
The guest should repeat step 6 for each file type with the ‘Error: Unfinalized track’. Then they should send the file(s) to the host by uploading it to a cloud storage account, such as Google Drive or Dropbox, or emailing it.
Troubleshooting For Host Files
Important Points
'Error: Unfinalized track' can be troubleshooted if you did not use an incognito or private browser window to record.
Do not clear your browser’s cache or cookies.
The sooner you try troubleshooting, the better chance you have to get your file(s). It is recommended to try troubleshooting within 24 hours of when the episode was recorded and the sooner, the better.
Troubleshooting Steps for Host
Log into Zencastr on the same computer and browser you used to record.
From the Dashboard, click on the room name and within the room, locate the recording that has the ‘Error: Unfinalized track’ on your file(s).
Click on the file type that has the red ‘Error: Unfinalized track’.
Click Retry Upload on the pop-up.
Expected Result:If successful, the file should start uploading to the Recording Page and then change to solid grey when the upload has finished.
What To Do Next:If ‘Retry Upload’ was successful, repeat steps 3-4 for any other file types with the ‘Error: Unfinalized track’. If ‘Retry Upload’ was not successful, try step 5.
Click Recover Backup on the pop-up.
Expected Result:
If successful, a local backup of the file should start downloading to your computer.
Related Questions
Why do I need my guest’s help to troubleshoot for their file(s)?
The guest needs to do troubleshooting steps themself because how Zencastr records, stores, and uploads files for the highest-quality audio and video means that the local backups of the files are on the guest’s computer in their local browser storage.
An option that does not require guests’ help is to recover and download the internet-quality backups within 30 days of the recording date. Note, with this option you are recovering the audio (and video) that was streamed over the internet during the VoIP call, so the quality is not going to be as high as the local recording files.
As the host, do I have to be on the recording page while the guest does their troubleshooting steps for their file(s)?
The guest can do their troubleshooting steps independently; it is not necessary for the host and the guest to both be on the recording page. However, some hosts prefer to do this so that they can immediately check if the files successfully uploaded from their view of the recording page and also assist the guest with any questions they may have in real-time.
I see ‘Force Finalize’ on the guest’s file from my view of the recording page. What does ‘Force Finalize’ do?
Your best chance of getting the guest’s complete file(s) is having them do the troubleshooting steps themself. Force finalize will attempt to upload whatever content was uploaded up to the point that the guest left the recording page or got disconnected. Because of this, force finalizing usually results in you getting a file that is short of the full recording length. Then you would still need your guest’s help to do troubleshooting to try to get any missing content and it is less likely that you will be able to get the complete local file. For these reasons, force finalizing for a guest’s file(s) is not recommended and should be done only as a last resort.
I contacted my guest to ask them to do troubleshooting but it’s been a few days and they haven’t responded. Can I force finalize their file?
Force finalizing a guest’s file when they haven’t done troubleshooting steps will most likely get you a file that is short of the full recording length. While waiting on a guest, it is recommended that you recover and download the internet-quality backups instead of trying to force finalize their local backups. Then, if your guest does not respond or cannot do troubleshooting themself within a few days to a week after the original recording date you may consider force finalizing their file to try to get at least partial content for the local file. Keep in mind, force finalizing may not be successful and if it is the length of the content you get will depend on how much was uploaded up to the point that the guest left the recording page or got disconnected.
When I/my guest try ‘Retry Upload’ the file seems to be uploading, but then just blinks/flashes for several minutes before going back to ‘Error: Unfinalized Track’. What can I do?
First, make sure you or your guest are doing troubleshooting from the same computer and browser that you used to record. If you/your guest are using the same computer and browser you used to record and still have this issue, you may be on an internet connection that is slow/doesn’t meet the system requirements or is unstable which is resulting in the upload not completing. If possible, you/your guest can try switching to a stronger internet connection, e.g. changing from a Wi-Fi network to a wired connection. If it is not possible to switch internet connections, you/your guest can try ‘Recover Backup’ instead. If you/your guest try ‘Recover Backup’ and have the same issue, you can recover and download the internet-quality backups instead if it is within 30 days of the recording date and the recording had two or more people.
My/my guest’s file doesn’t have an ‘Error: Unfinalized track’ and appears to be uploaded but when I download the file the content is short of the full recording length. What can I do?
If the recording had two or more participants and there are one or more short local recording files, if it is within 30 days of the recording date the available option is to recover and download the internet-quality backups.