Music exam video checker and compressor
A recorded exam can fail on the file, not the playing: too big, the wrong format, a space in the name. Gradereel checks the video against the board's published rules on your device, fixes the name, and shrinks it under the limit.
Maya Chen Grade 5.mp4
1.86 GB of the ABRSM 2GB limit. 1 thing to fix.
- PassFile size 1.86 GBUnder the ABRSM limit 2GB, checked as 2,000,000,000 bytes, with 140.0 MB to spare.
- PassFormat: MP4ABRSM lists MP4, MOV, MPG.
- PassPicture: H.264 (AVC)44,100 frames at 10.0 Mbps.
- PassSound: AACStereo, 48 kHz, 128 kbps. Compression here copies it untouched.
- NoteRunning time 24:30The board's page says high grade videos are likely to be 20 to 30 minutes; this one is 25. A hint, not a rule.
- NotePicture size 1280 by 720720p at 30 frames per second. The page advises 720p at 30 frames per second. Higher resolutions make files that may be too large to upload.
- FixFile name Maya Chen Grade 5.mp4It contains spaces. Only letters, numbers, underscores and dashes are allowed.
The name the board accepts appears here. Nothing typed is saved.
What Gradereel does before you upload
- Check the file
Size, format, codecs, running time, picture and sound are read from the file itself and checked against the board's limits.
- Fix the name
A name the board accepts, and a renamed copy of the same file, byte for byte.
- Shrink it if it is too big
The picture is re-encoded at a planned bitrate; the sound is copied untouched; nothing is cut.
- A whole class at once
For teachers: a saved candidate list, names from a pattern, and a queue.
3 boards, 3 sets of numbers
Each profile paraphrases the board's own page and shows the date it was read. You can change any number if the board changes its page.
| Board | Size limit | Formats | File name | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABRSM Performance Grades | 2GB | MP4, MOV, MPG | Letters, numbers, _ and - | 27 September 2026 |
| Trinity College London digital music exams | 3GB | MP4, MOV | Fixed pattern | 27 September 2026 |
| LCME (London College of Music Examinations) digital recorded exams | 1GB | MP4, MOV | No rule given; safe characters suggested | 27 September 2026 |
The board's own page is the authority; check it before you upload. Gradereel checks your file against the published guidance on the date shown and cannot promise a board will accept it.
Your video stays on your device
Nothing is uploaded. Your video, candidate names and pieces stay in this browser; the checking and the compressing run on your own device. Exam videos are often of children, and a candidate may hold photo ID up to the camera, so Gradereel was built to work with no upload at all: there is no server behind it to send anything to.
Frequently asked questions
What is Gradereel?
A check you run on a music exam video before you upload it. Pick the file and the board, and Gradereel reads the file's size, format, codecs, running time, resolution and sound, checks them and the file name against the board's published guidance, and gives you a checklist for the rules a machine cannot see. If the file is too big, it can shrink it in your browser.
Is it free?
The preflight for one file at a time, the board checklist, the file name fixer, the introduction rehearsal clock, one saved candidate and every guide are free forever with no account. Premium adds compression, the teacher batch, the saved candidate list and the printed summary.
Is my video uploaded anywhere?
No. Nothing is uploaded. Your video, candidate names and pieces stay in this browser; the checking and the compressing run on your own device. There is no server behind the site to upload to.
Does compressing the video break the rules?
The boards ask for an unedited, continuous recording; they do not forbid compression, and two of them point candidates to compression tools. Gradereel re-encodes only the picture, keeps every frame in order, never trims or joins anything, and copies the sound exactly as it was recorded.