How to send a long video file to a reading client.

A 30-minute video reading is usually 1 to 5 GB. Email attachments cap at 25 MB. So the question every reader runs into eventually is: how do I actually get this file to my client?

Most readers reach for YouTube unlisted links because they are free, familiar, and they work. They also come with trade-offs that are worth understanding before you settle on them as your default. Below are the real options, what each one delivers, and how to choose.

Why email does not work for video readings

Gmail caps attachments at 25 MB. Outlook caps at 20 MB. iCloud Mail caps at 20 MB. A five-minute 1080p video is usually larger than any of those limits, and a thirty-minute reading is far larger.

When you try to attach a video that is over the limit, most email clients silently convert it into a cloud link instead. Gmail uploads to Google Drive. iCloud Mail uses Mail Drop, which expires after 30 days. Either way, what your client receives is a link, not an attachment. So the question is really not whether to use a link. It is which link, and what surrounds it.

The four common ways readers send long video files

There are really only four delivery methods readers reach for, and each one has a different cost.

• YouTube unlisted links. Free, familiar, and easy to play on most devices. The video still lives inside YouTube, and anyone with the link can view it. Unlisted is not private.
• Google Drive or Dropbox shared links. Familiar and free up to a point, but sharing settings are easy to get wrong. Restricted links can leave clients at a Request access screen, while open links can be forwarded.
• WeTransfer or large-file services. Made for sending big files without asking the recipient to create an account. The client gets a download, not a place to revisit their reading, and free links expire.
• A delivery page built for readings. The video stays with your host, while your name, personal note, and card images give the client one place to receive the reading. This is what Wren Sent does.

For the link-sharing details, see what a client sees when a Drive link opens and how Drive and Dropbox compare for readings. If you include cards in the delivery, here is how to photograph a tarot spread clearly.

What each option actually delivers to your client

The link is the easy part. What your client experiences when they open it is where the differences show up.

How to choose the right one for your practice

A few honest questions to ask yourself.

• Are you doing this once or weekly? For one or two videos a year, YouTube unlisted may be enough. Weekly recordings make small frictions add up: missed links, access requests, and expired files.
• Do your clients pay for the reading? Free readings forgive more friction. A client who paid €100 for a recorded reading will notice if it lands in a YouTube tab next to ads.
• How private is the content? Unlisted and open cloud links can be forwarded. If your readings cover sensitive material, consider what that sharing model means for your clients.
• What does the rest of your practice look like? If your branding is careful everywhere else, the delivery should feel just as considered. It is the last step your client experiences.

This is what Wren Sent does.

A page made for the reading. Your name at the top. Their reading waiting. Embed your video and audio from your host of choice, add card photos and a personal note. One link. Start free, no card required.

Start for free

The short version

Email cannot send a long video file directly, so every reader is using a link of some kind. The question is what surrounds the link. YouTube delivers your reading inside YouTube. Drive delivers it inside Drive. A delivery page built for readings delivers it inside something that feels like yours.

The reading is yours. The page it arrives on can be too.