Media Storage

Storing Files in Canvas

At the University of Pennsylvania, each Canvas site has a 1000 MB storage limit for files. While this limit tends to give users more than enough space to store document files in a Canvas site, it is usually not high enough for storing media files. Thus Courseware Support does not recommend storing media files in Canvas sites.

Adding Media Files to Canvas Pages

Instead of storing media files in a Canvas site, we suggest uploading media files to Canvas Pages. When you upload a file to a Canvas Page, it is stored on a server that has much more allotted storage space than a Canvas site’s default file-storage quota.

Here are instructions for creating a Canvas Page:

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blue jar with stir water isolated on white background

How do I create a new Page?

Here are instructions for how to upload an audio file to a Canvas Page:

How do I upload an audio file using the Rich Content Editor?

Here are instructions for how to upload a video file to a Canvas Page:

How do I upload a video using the Rich Content Editor?

Please note that uploading a media file to a Canvas Page does not make it downloadable; rather, the media file is only embedded in the Page.

Increasing Your File Storage Quota

Canvas will not let you upload files if doing so will exceed your file-storage quota, and you will see an error message in the “Files” area of your site. When this happens, you can request a file-storage-quota increase by writing to Courseware Support at canvas@pobox.upenn.edu.

We do not recommend increasing your file-storage quota above 4 GB. Any site with more than 4 GB of files may present copying issues in future semesters, meaning that you may not be able to copy content from the site into a new Canvas site because if its size.

Uploading media files to a Canvas site greatly increases the likelihood of your reaching the 4 GB limit.

Questions?

Please direct questions about media files in Canvas to Courseware Support at canvas@pobox.upenn.edu.

Last Updated: 26 Feb 2018