GoPro Tips & Tricks HomepageGoPro Tips & Tricks

David Coleman Photography

  • Reviews & Tips
  • GoPro
  • Lightroom
  • Places
  • Photos
  • Comparison Reviews
  • GoPro Models
    • HERO9 Black
    • MAX
    • HERO8 Black
    • HERO7 Black
    • HERO7 Silver
    • HERO7 White
    • HERO (2018)
    • Fusion
    • HERO6 Black
    • HERO5 Black
    • HERO5 Session
    • HERO Session
    • HERO (2014)
    • HERO+ LCD
    • HERO4 Black
    • HERO4 Silver
    • HERO4 Session
    • HERO3+ Black
    • HERO3 Silver
  • GoPro Accessories
    • Memory Cards
    • Batteries & Charging
    • Housings & Cases
    • Filters
    • Mounts & Grips
    • Sound
    • Stabilizers
  • GoPro Tips & Tricks
    • Troubleshooting
    • Protune
    • Video
    • Photos
    • Timelapse
    • Apps

Why Do GoPros Split Videos into Segments?

If you're wondering why your GoPro is breaking your videos up into smaller chunks, it's not an error and you're not doing anything wrong. It's normal--here's why.

GoPro Split Files

By David Coleman | @havecamerawilltraveldc
Last updated about 3 months ago // Categories: Video
Tags: GoPro HERO4 Black, GoPro HERO4 Session, GoPro HERO4 Silver, GoPro HERO5 Black, GoPro HERO5 Session, GoPro HERO6 Black, GoPro HERO7 Black, GoPro HERO7 Silver, GoPro HERO7 White, GoPro HERO8 Black, GoPro HERO9 Black

Get $50 OFF GoPro HERO9

GoPro has the new HERO9 Black, their newest and best camera, for $399.99. It includes a case, and they're throwing in a free 32GB SD card and free express shipping (1-2 days).

You can find the deal here. They also have a great deal on a bundle that includes the HERO9 and some accessories that's worth a look. To receive by 12/24, place order before 4PM EST on 12/21.

If you’ve ever recorded longer sections of video on your GoPro camera, you will have found that video gets split up into smaller segments. Precisely how long the chunks are depends on the video mode you’re using and which camera model.

The segments can be easily and seamlessly rejoined in editing software like GoPro Studio, Final Cut Pro, or Adobe Premiere. The camera is not actually stopping and starting recording, and there should be no lost frames that give away the break.

So Why do GoPros Cut the Video Files Up?

There are two overlapping parts to the answer. The first is that it’s a safety precaution. By splitting up the video it reduces the chance of you losing all your footage if the file gets corrupted somehow. It’s called chaptering, and the idea is that if one chapter gets corrupted the others should still be okay because they’re separate files. So you’ll lose one egg instead of the whole basket of them.

But there’s also a practical limitation. If GoPro’s didn’t break footage into chapters, you wouldn’t be able to shoot more than about 9 minutes of video at a time at the highest settings. That’s to maintain file system compatibility.

The newer models of GoPro use chapters of a maximum size of 4GB. Earlier models use smaller sizes. That 4GB limit isn’t some random number they dreamed up. So why use that number and not, say 25GB?

The answer has to do with maximum compatibility and the limitations of the filesystem used on your memory card. By far the most widely compatible filesystem these days is known as FAT32 (for 32-bit File Allocation Table).

FAT32 is quite old–Microsoft first rolled it out with Windows 95–and it lacks some of the sophistication and features of newer file systems such as exFAT. Nevertheless, it has things going for it: it’s reliable, it offers solid performance, and, most importantly, it is very widely compatible. That last point is crucial, because it means that you can put your memory card in pretty much any computer and be able to read it without having to install extra software. Whether you’re using Windows, Mac, or Linux, a FAT32 external hard drive or thumb drive or memory card should work. So nearly all consumer devices aim to be compatible with FAT32.

But FAT32 has a limitation hardcoded into it: the maximum file size that it can handle is 4GB. Back in Windows 95 days, that seemed pretty huge. These days, not so much.

If you’re recording high definition video on a GoPro HERO8 Black, for instance, you’re going to fill up 4GB pretty quickly. In some video modes that shoot at up to 100 Mbps video bitrate, it’s as quickly as seven or eight minutes. If you’re using smaller or lower quality settings, you’ll get more footage before you hit that 4GB threshold.

That’s why GoPro breaks its videos up. Once you get to 4GB, it’ll tie off that segment and start a new one. Once that new one gets to 4GB, it’ll start another. And so on, until you stop the recording, the card fills up, or your battery runs out.

A wrinkle is that GoPro’s don’t actually use FAT32 in every instance. But they still aim to be compatible with FAT32. For 32GB memory cards and smaller, GoPros will format the card as FAT32 (the 32s are just coincidence here–they’re referring to different things). But 64GB memory cards and larger use a revised, newer version of FAT known as exFAT. ExFAT actually allows for much larger files. But it’s not going to do much good having those much larger files if then try to copy them onto a computer hard drive or memory backup device that’s formatted for FAT32. So GoPros don’t take advantage of the fact that exFAT can accommodate much larger files.

Put more succinctly, if you format a 32GB microSD card in your GoPro, it will format as FAT32. If you format a 64GB memory card in the same camera, it will automatically format the card as exFAT. In both cases, the GoPro will still limit the maximum filesize to 4GB.

And if you’re tempted to try to format your card with a different filesystem that supports larger files–say, NTFS–don’t. Your GoPro won’t power on. You need to stick with either FAT32 or exFAT.

So if you’re finding that your long videos are ending up in shorter segments on your memory card, it’s not an error and you’re not doing anything wrong. It’s just the camera working around the limitations of the FAT32 filesystem. And it can also be a good thing. Splitting a long video into several smaller files reduces the risk of the all-your-eggs-in-one-basket problem of having one single large file becoming corrupted and losing everything.

More GoPro Tips & Tricks:

  • GoPro HERO8 Black
    Protune Options of the GoPro HERO8 Black
  • GoPro Stabilization Cropping Exmaple 300x200 - Why Is the Video Being Cropped When Using GoPro's Video Stabilization?
    Why Is the Video Being Cropped When Using GoPro's Video Stabilization?
  • Video relative sizes GoPro HERO6 Black 300x200 - GoPro HERO6 Black Video Modes
    GoPro HERO6 Black Video Modes
  • superview vs wide fov 300x200 - What is GoPro SuperView?
    What is GoPro SuperView?
  • GoPro HERO8 Black HEVC H264
    How to Change the Video Compression Codec on the GoPro HERO8 Black
  • GoPro HERO6 Black Stabilization ON vs OFF 300x200 - How Well Does the GoPro HERO6 Black's Stabilization Work?
    How Well Does the GoPro HERO6 Black's Stabilization Work?
By David Coleman
Instagram: @havecamerawilltraveldc

Last updated on October 5, 2020

Categories: Video
Tags: GoPro HERO4 Black, GoPro HERO4 Session, GoPro HERO4 Silver, GoPro HERO5 Black, GoPro HERO5 Session, GoPro HERO6 Black, GoPro HERO7 Black, GoPro HERO7 Silver, GoPro HERO7 White, GoPro HERO8 Black, GoPro HERO9 Black

I may earn a commission for purchases using links on this page. Learn more.

GoPro News & Deals

New Smart Remote GoPro will be announcing the new Smart Remote for the HERO9 Black on December 17, 2020. The HERO9 Black isn’t compatible with the previous version of the Smart Remote.

HERO8 Black firmware v2.0 now available. Enables webcam mode; enables Display Mod compatibility; expands HyperSmooth 2.0 High and Boost availability to more video settings; general bug fixes. Update through the mobile app or manually.

GoPro Launches New Live Streaming Service for GoPro PLUS. GoPro has launched their own live-streaming platform for PLUS subscribers. It’s a pretty bare-bones offering for now, with livestreams shared with a dedicated URL. This is alongside their efforts to make the HERO8 Black useful as a webcam when connected to a computer (via USB plug-in-play, not requiring the Media Mod accessory with HDMI out). New firmware adds that functionality for Mac users, and the Windows version is in Beta.

New GoPro Zeus Mini Video Light. GoPro has released released a new video LED light designed to complement their GoPro cameras. It’s tiny, waterproof, and has a built-in magnetic swiveling clip. It’s waterproof down to 33 feet (10 meters), has four levels of brightness, and includes a diffuser to cool the color temperature to 5000K. GoPro claims that the built-in battery lasts up to 6 hours (presumably at the lowest brightness setting, although they don’t specify). It’s available now and priced at $69.99.

DJI Osmo Action firmware update adds live streaming. DJI has released a firmware update for the Osmo Action (v. 01.08.00.10) that adds live streaming support, so you can upload directly to platforms like Facebook and YouTube (it goes through the DJI Mimo mobile app). They’ve also improved the in-camera video stabilization. You can find the new firmware here.

New Underwater Housing for GoPro HERO8 Black from Isotta. Isotta, an Italian brand specializing in underwater housings, has announced a new high-quality underwater housing for the HERO8 Black. It’s an aluminum housing depth-rated to 650 feet (200 meters), has a one-handed open/close switch, double o-rings, and can be used with filters. There’s also a dual-handled tray to go along with it. And like all their housings, it’s in their distinctive red. Priced at $450, it’s only for those who need a highly specialized piece of underwater kit. It’s available for preorder from underwater specialists Backscatter.

Light Mod Now Shipping The Light Mod, one of the three new GoPro accessories, is now shipping. It’s a standalone light that is waterproof, rechargeable and compatible with all GoPro mounts. It was originally announced along with the HERO8 Black, but it hasn’t been available until now. It’s priced at $49.99, and you can find them at GoPro.com.

GoPro MAX Now Shipping. The new 360° camera, the MAX, is now shipping.

GoPro HERO8 Black and Max Unveiled. The new GoPro cameras and accessories have been unveiled. I have a rundown of the highlights of the HERO8 Black here.

DJI Osmo Action vs GoPro HERO7 Black. I’ve posted my detailed hands-on comparison of the Osmo Action and the HERO7 Black. There’s a lot similar between the models, but once you start digging down into the details there are differences that can help in choosing between them. And each has strengths the other doesn’t have. You can find my review here.

GoPro HyperSmooth vs DJI RockSteady. The new DJI Osmo Action also has built-in electronic stabilization to smooth out video. They’re calling it RockSteady (GoPro has HyperSmooth). I’ve been out testing them side-by-side. You can see the results here.

GoPro Deals page. I’ve put together a dedicated page on GoPro deals. So if you’re looking for cheap GoPro deals, check it out.

DJI Osmo action 4K Camera. Best known for their camera drones, DJI has released a new 4K action cam that’s taking direct aim at the GoPro HERO7 Black. It shoots up to 4K60 video and 12MP stills, includes electronic stabilization, has high-dynamic range video at 4K30, voice commands, a touchscreen on the back and another smaller live view screen on the front, and is waterproof down to 36 feet (11 meters). It’s priced at $349, and they’re now available at B&H Photo.

Comments

  1. annoyed says

    June 30, 2020 at 11:49 pm

    the extra step is pretty obnoxious in an already labor intensive workflow. This is the main reason I no longer use go pros.

    Reply
  2. John says

    January 12, 2020 at 6:10 am

    You can use ffmpeg to recombine files without re-enconding them. It takes seconds instead of several minutes or more, and produces zero quality loss. With the right options you can even keep the gps data attached.

    Reply
    • David says

      January 13, 2020 at 10:30 am

      Thanks for the tip. I haven’t used ffmpeg with HEVC, but I see that it should now work. Will give it a try.

      Reply
  3. Sony says

    November 28, 2019 at 11:28 pm

    All of Sony’s action cameras record one large file. No chaptering and out of hundreds of days worth of recordings over the past 3 years I have never had a single file corrupt.

    Reply
  4. André says

    July 18, 2019 at 7:46 am

    Hello, my 7 black gopro also does this. In the Camera the entire video appears and on the PC it appears only up to 8.53. Even in QUIK it also only appears 8.53. Is there any other solution to this if it is not editing the videos? She actually recorded another file with the rest of the videos.

    Reply
  5. David says

    May 22, 2019 at 4:38 pm

    The filesize will be larger when you use the high resolution and framerate options (or, more technically, it’s the bitrate that determines the filesize). While there’s no one-click way to copy them to make them fit, it is certainly possible to convert them into another file that’s much smaller (or “transcode”, more specifically). There are a lot of different ways to do it, but with 71GB files, the free online versions aren’t very practical. A better option is an app that will do it on your computer. There’s an enormous number of them available that will work, but one I’d recommend is Handbrake, which is free and open source and comes with a bunch of different presets that will help you get a smaller file. Another option that still relies on a wireless connection which will take a while with a such a large file (and be sure to use wifi rather than your phone’ data plan) is to use the GoPro mobile app to share to something like Youtube. As part of the upload process, Youtube will transcode a much smaller version of the file.

    To save yourself this step next time, it’s worth reducing the video mode down to something like 1080p60 with Protune turned off. That’s still going to create a big file–about 27GB for 2 hours of recording–but that’s still a lot smaller than your 71GB file.

    Reply
  6. Tony says

    May 22, 2019 at 10:45 am

    I have the go pro 7 black. I captured 2hr softball games but the files equal 71 GB. Is there some way to reduce file size to be able to put on a thumb drive or share. I have 2hr movies that are barely 1.5 GB, I dont understand…..Help!!

    Reply
  7. Martin Reilly says

    April 6, 2019 at 4:32 am

    Massively regret buying my GoPro, what a waste of money, never connects to my laptop. Spoke to customer service and it took about the hours to get it sorted, they said it was my laptop. Next time I went to link it to my laptop again I had the same issues. I’ve now tried to link it with three different computers all the same problem and now I’ve recorded a long video with it had to be in one segment but it only loads up 9mins. What an absolute joke of a camera.

    Reply
    • Cameron Rose says

      May 22, 2019 at 10:11 pm

      As a work around take the sd card out of the camera and copy to your PC. THen open that with Fusion Studio

      Reply
  8. ALI says

    March 4, 2019 at 11:40 pm

    What is the best quality setting do you recommend for day car driving from inside and outside the car ? (GoPro Hero Black 7)

    Reply
    • David says

      March 6, 2019 at 5:12 pm

      A high framerate (eg. 60fps) will help with fast-moving scenes. Unless you plan to apply stabilization in post, the HyperSmooth stabilization should help quite a lot.

      Reply
  9. Rod says

    February 24, 2018 at 3:42 pm

    Very un happy Gopro user on account of the segmenting issue. For crossfit recording workouts they must be UNEDITED period. Clipping segments together is a violation and the video is rejected. If I could return the camera for a refund, I would. Had I known this issue existed I would have passed on the camera.

    Reply
    • griff says

      April 13, 2018 at 11:14 am

      No one needs to see your “workout” in 4k/60fps bro. Just record in lesser quality.

      Reply
      • Drew says

        April 7, 2019 at 2:18 pm

        CrossFit workout videos can be helpful later for when your doctor wants to see exactly what kind of nonsense caused the injuries they’re treating.

        Reply
  10. Rick says

    December 20, 2017 at 5:56 pm

    Well done! And, fantastic explanation! It makes sense now, why my Hero 4 chunks my videos into 8:52 minute “chapters”.
    I really appreciate your solving the mystery.
    Good on ya!
    Cheers!
    ~Rick

    Reply
  11. Todd says

    August 17, 2017 at 1:50 am

    Thanks for the info, I just recently got a GoPro Hero 4 silver and a 64GB card, I’m having unrelated issues but this was very interesting.

    Reply
  12. jernatety says

    June 28, 2017 at 4:16 pm

    I have a goPro 3 and 3+ . I record in 1920×1080 30fps. Neither records up to 4gb. Every file is approximately 1.3GB and 12 mins. I place them behind each goal during hockey games. I have no problem recording a full entire hockey game on my iPad Pro which will record as long as I have power and space to one file if I don’t stop it. Why can iPad record an entire video as long as I want it at those same video settings but the goPro’s can’t?

    Reply
    • David says

      June 30, 2017 at 1:54 pm

      iPads have a closed filesystem, whereas GoPros using memory cards are trying to retain maximum compatibility to work with other types of computers, devices, and microSDHC cards (formatted in FAT).

      Reply
  13. Eddie Mckeon says

    June 22, 2017 at 7:22 pm

    my gopro hero plus only records 12 minutes and then seems to stop, i lost tons of video, i filmed 2 45 minute bike rides and only have the 2 videos and just the first 12 minutes, My girl bought this so i can film going up mt washington if this is the case, it is completely useless for me, i cant keep hitting record every 12 minutes, HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
    • David says

      June 26, 2017 at 3:36 pm

      A few things to try… First, how are you downloading them to your computer, assuming that’s what you’re doing? Some apps might only ingest the first segment by default. Are the segments all on the card itself if you browse that with a file browser? If they’re not (ie. the recording is actually stopping after 12 mins as opposed to the segments not showing up), a common culprit is a memory card that’s too slow. Here are some recommendations.

      Reply
    • Joe Jamison says

      January 25, 2018 at 10:07 am

      Also make sure you disable any voice command features such as the one on the go pro hero five black that I have. That can stop your video if you accidentally say something that sounds like stop recording.

      Reply
  14. Mikael says

    March 11, 2017 at 6:51 am

    filming with Gopro hero 5 in 4K, driving on racetrack over 10min.

    all clips get to be 08:53min and no chaptering of the rest!

    what can I do to fix this?

    Reply
    • Ella says

      July 7, 2017 at 10:31 am

      Having the exact same problem. Did you find a solution to this? I only have the first segments 8 min 53 seconds of each file and no chaptering of the rest. When the SD card is plugged into the GoPro I am able to see that my footage is over 20 minutes but when I take it out trying to import my footage it will only import 8 minutes 53 seconds and there is no chaptering of the rest :(

      Reply
      • Nileet says

        September 2, 2018 at 4:32 am

        Hi I had a similar problem with my Gopro Hero 6.
        All you need to do is remove the memory card out of the gopro and use it along with the SD card Adapter provided along with the card or simply use it with a normal memory card reader and you will be able to browse/download the entire files on to your PC.

        Reply
  15. Scot says

    November 21, 2016 at 12:59 pm

    OMG! Thank you! I thought lost my video footage. If my once in a lifetime helicopter ride in Kauai video was gone I would have been really sad.

    Reply
    • Matthias says

      April 18, 2017 at 4:02 pm

      Hehe. No You only need to repeat that beautiful trip around that garden island ;-)

      Reply
  16. Azam Ali says

    November 11, 2016 at 10:09 am

    I have a goPro Session 4 and it does not loop recording.

    I can start bluetooth, turn on loop condition, but it only stays in loop while still on. Once its turned off the camera goes back to recording without overwriting.

    I hope goPro bring out an update because I bought this camera for Motorcycle riding and I just want to recharge and use.

    Reply
  17. Thom Zajac says

    October 15, 2016 at 2:41 am

    Just had a weird thing happen…. My recording was about 15 minutes, and it go split at about 10 minutes. problem is that the second part of the split was inferior in quality, and did not work well with the green screen. On my gopro viewing area for importing, unlike all other videos I’ve shot, the second section appeared as an mp4 with a mp4 icon rather than the image frames of everything else I’ve ever recorded. Anyone have any clues (and my apologies for my poor terminology, this is all new to me)

    Reply
  18. David Griffiths says

    September 15, 2016 at 7:27 am

    I just deleted some files not realising they had been “chaptered.” I’m highly pissed now. :(

    Reply
  19. Zooom Bopp says

    August 23, 2016 at 1:28 pm

    Can I reduce the size of each file? Is there a setting that will allow me to REDUCE the maximum size of each file? For example, if I want it to segment every 1GB?

    Reply
    • David says

      August 23, 2016 at 2:41 pm

      No, there’s no control over it.

      Reply
  20. Lee says

    March 2, 2016 at 6:06 pm

    Any gopro studio like apps for tablets? I don’t have a computer or laptop. TIA

    Reply
    • David says

      March 3, 2016 at 5:36 pm

      Sort of. You can use the GoPro mobile app to download and save the video to your device and then use a separate app for editing. Here are some ideas–although I haven’t tried them. They probably won’t give you the full functionality of a desktop/laptop app, and you’ll probably run into issues if you’re using the large files generated with long or high-resolution footage.

      Reply
  21. Kendra says

    January 11, 2016 at 4:39 pm

    Thank you for the great explanation! Now how can I quickly joins these split videos back together. Using GoPro studio is taking forever so I must be doing something wrong?

    Reply
  22. Ail says

    January 10, 2016 at 12:48 pm

    Thank you very much I have this problem with gopro session but we need solution?

    Reply
  23. Jason Ligon says

    January 9, 2016 at 1:23 pm

    Hello,

    I used a Hero 4 Black to record an hour long video utilizing a SanDisk Ultra 64 GB card at 1080 Superview/60 FPS. I see the first 17+ min file in the download section of GoPro Studio, but nothing after. I can watch the entire video on the actual GoPro. How do I get the rest of my files? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

    Reply
    • stewart says

      January 28, 2016 at 6:27 am

      I’m having exactly the same problem! did you find a solution?

      I would presume the go pro would save the remaining footage as a separate clip after the 17mins but if it has I can’t find it anywhere; apart from playing back in full on the camera.

      if you worked it out I’d really appreciate the tip!Thanks

      Reply
      • Santos Tovar says

        November 16, 2016 at 1:30 pm

        Did you guys ever get a response for this? I’m having the same issue and cant find the solution for this! :(

        Reply
        • David says

          November 16, 2016 at 2:13 pm

          What are you using to look for the file on the memory card? I haven’t seen this behavior, but I’m wondering if the camera is creating a hidden temporary file and getting interrupted before it finishes closing off the file and unhiding it. It’s worth looking at, anyway. Here are some instructions for Mac and for Windows. If you’re using Mac, FileLoupe is a good option for browsing the clips and it’s possible the missing clip might display there.

  24. Warren Wang says

    January 2, 2016 at 9:27 pm

    I had the problem where I moved the first file in the sequence onto my desktop for testing and after reconnecting to move the remainder of the files, the subsequent files in the sequence were all deleted. Did anyone else experience this?

    Reply
  25. robertyeovil says

    October 18, 2015 at 4:40 am

    My GoPro recorded 4GB but it did not create another file(s) so I’ve lost part my recording. I have noticed it after downloading files to my computer.

    Reply
    • Steve says

      October 18, 2015 at 5:58 am

      At last an explanation I have been pulling my hair out for a month !!

      Reply
    • David says

      October 18, 2015 at 9:31 am

      That is sometimes a symptom of a memory card that isn’t fast enough. If you’re using one of the higher-end GoPro models, here are some suggestions. If you’re already using one of those fast cards, it’s worth testing with a different card if you have easy access to one.

      Reply
  26. Northwoods says

    October 4, 2015 at 9:24 pm

    So glad it’s the camera and not me doing something wrong! Thanks!

    Reply
  27. S.E. McCaslin says

    September 29, 2015 at 11:38 pm

    Really good info … I had wondered about that.

    Reply
  28. Rasta Pasta says

    July 12, 2015 at 11:19 am

    Thank you so much for the info dude..

    Reply
  29. 1111 says

    June 7, 2015 at 1:42 am

    Thanks for the info

    Reply

Questions & Comments Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

About Me

I’m a professional travel & location photographer based in Washington DC and traveling all over. Seven continents. Dozens of countries. Up mountains. Under water. And a bunch of places in between.

I’ve owned and used every GoPro since the HD HERO and particularly like finding new and different ways to use them to capture photos, video, and time-lapse.

You can find my main site at havecamerawilltravel.com.

Search My Images

Looking for travel stock photos or prints? I might be able to help. You can search my collection here:

If you already have a buyer account with Alamy and would prefer to use that, you can search my images directly here.

Get in Touch

Member

© 2009–2020 David Coleman · Have Camera Will Travel LLC · all rights reserved


Photos by David Coleman. Please contact me for licensing images.
All images are registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.


Privacy & Disclosure · Cookie Declaration · Disclaimer · Terms of Service · Copyright · Contact


GoPro, HERO, Session, Karma and their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of GoPro, Inc.


XML Sitemap