How to achieve the best image for your MMS campaign


NOTE - File size increase and video MMS are coming soon!


In ThruText, the maximum size for media is 10MB, and files larger than 10MB cannot be added to your media library. Resizing and keeping your media at the correct scale is integral for achieving your intended impact on your contacts. While carriers can support larger file sizes, carriers recommend keeping media files under 500kb for optimal deliverability due to the differences in devices, file types, and transcoding. 


Videos are encoded to fit the messaging system, so the file size restriction is different. 


TABLE OF CONTENTS


Video MMS

Most carriers can support an MMS message up to 1MB in size, however some carriers can only support file sizes up to 500kb. Sending larger media files can reduce the deliverability of your MMS campaigns. When you upload files to ThruText, our system automatically transcodes, or converts and compresses, your file to an acceptable format for MMS. ThruText's media library can only accept files up to 10MB in size, so if the video is larger than 10MB, we recommend compressing your video to this size before uploading it to the Media Library.


Resizing Videos on Macs

Most Macs come preinstalled with a video editing software called iMovie. To compress a video in iMovie, follow these steps:

  1. Open the video by selecting "File > Import Media".
  2. After opening the video, select "File > Share > File". You will then be able to adjust the resolution, quality, and compression options.
  3. Export the video and save it as a new file.


Resizing Videos on Windows

In Windows, you can download a free app from the Microsoft Store called ClipChamp. To compress a video in ClipChamp, follow these steps:

  1. Open the app, sign in, and click "Try it" next to "Trim your Video".
  2. Add your video by clicking "Add" or drag and drop your video into the app.
  3. Click "Export" and select a lower resolution to compress the video to. 
  4. The file should automatically save in your Downloads folder.


Resizing images

Resizing images using Preview for Macs

To resize images in Preview on a Mac, follow the directions on resizing images in Apple's Support guides. It is essential to select "Scale proportionally." By scaling proportionally, when you change the image's vertical or horizontal dimensions, the other value changes to maintain the proportions. Then, if you choose a size from the "Fit into" pop-up menu, the image's width or height may be smaller than the selected size to maintain the proportions.


Resizing images using Photos in Windows

To resize images using Photos in Windows, follow the directions in this Business Insider guide. Once the image is open in Photos, you can click the three vertical dots to access the "Resize" tool. By choosing the "Custom" option and selecting "Maintain aspect ratio," your image will automatically adjust when the height or the width is changed.


Other tools for images

Free tools like Krita or GIMP can be used. Alternatively, your organization may use a paid-for tool like Adobe Photoshop.