[Python] Facebook Reels Upload always failing

I'm trying to upload Reels through Facebook Graph API. The video is created with the following ffmpeg command.

cmd = [
'ffmpeg',
'-i', video_path,
'-i', voice_path,
'-i', music_path,

'-filter_complex',
'[1:a]loudnorm=I=-16:LRA=11:TP=-1.5,adelay=0|0[a1];' +
'[2:a]volume=0.2,afade=t=in:ss=0:d=0.02,afade=t=out:st=28:d=0.03[a2];' +
'[a1][a2]amix=inputs=2:duration=first:dropout_transition=0[aout]',

'-map', '0:v:0',
'-map', '[aout]',

'-vf',
f"subtitles='{str(ass_path)}',format=yuv420p,scale=1080:1920:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,pad=1080:1920ow-iw)/2oh-ih)/2,setsar=1", # Incrustation des sous-titres

'-r', '30',
'-g', '60',
'-keyint_min', '60',
'-sc_threshold', '0',
'-x264opts', 'no-scenecut',

'-c:v', 'libx264',
'-profile:v', 'baseline',
'-level', '4.1',
'-pix_fmt', 'yuv420p',
'-color_range', 'tv',
'-colorspace', 'bt709',

'-b:v', '9500k',
'-maxrate', '9500k',
'-bufsize', '19000k',

'-c:a', 'aac',
'-b:a', '192k',
'-ac', '2',
'-ar', '48000',

'-movflags', '+faststart',
'-video_track_timescale', '15360',
'-max_muxing_queue_size', '9999',

'-y', self.output_video_path if self.output_video_path else f'{parts[0]}.subtitled.{parts[1]}'
]

subprocess.run(cmd, check=True)


Here is the class method I use to publish:

import requests, os, time
from datetime import datetime, timedelta
from moviepy.editor import VideoFileClip

def post_reel(
self,
page_id: str,
page_access_token: str,
video_file_path: str,
video_description: str,
tags: list = None, # type: ignore
publish_now: bool = True
):
def extract_first_frame(video_path: str, output_image_path: str, time_in_seconds: float = 1):
"""
Extrait une frame à time_in_seconds et la sauvegarde comme miniature.
"""
try:
clip = VideoFileClip(video_path)
clip.save_frame(output_image_path, t=time_in_seconds)
print(f"[THUMBNAIL] Frame at {time_in_seconds}s saved to {output_image_path}")
return output_image_path
except Exception as e:
print(f"[ERROR] Could not extract thumbnail: {str(e)}")
return None

def wait_for_video_ready(video_id, page_access_token, timeout=300, poll_interval=10):
"""
Attends que la vidéo soit complètement traitée et publiée.
"""
status_url = f"{self.BASE_API_URL}/{video_id}"
params = {
"access_token": page_access_token,
"fields": "status"
}

start = time.time()
while time.time() - start < timeout:
try:
r = requests.get(url=status_url, params=params)
r.raise_for_status()
status = r.json().get("status", {})
processing = status.get("processing_phase", {}).get("status")
publishing = status.get("publishing_phase", {}).get("status")
video_status = status.get("video_status")

print(f"[WAIT] video_status={video_status}, processing={processing}, publishing={publishing}")

if processing == "complete" and publishing == "complete":
print("[READY] Reel processed and published")
return True
elif processing == "error":
print(r.json())

except Exception as e:
print(f"[ERROR] during polling: {e}")

time.sleep(poll_interval)

print("[TIMEOUT] Video did not finish processing in time.")
return False

try:
# Step 1: Initialize upload
init_url = f"{self.BASE_API_URL}/{page_id}/video_reels"
init_params = {"upload_phase": "start"}
init_payload = {'access_token': page_access_token}

r = requests.post(url=init_url, data=init_payload, params=init_params)
r.raise_for_status()
response = r.json()
video_id = response["video_id"]
upload_url = response["upload_url"]
print(f"[INIT OK] Video ID: {video_id}")

# Step 2: Upload video
file_size = os.path.getsize(video_file_path)
headers = {
'Authorization': f"OAuth {page_access_token}",
'offset': "0",
'file_size': str(file_size),
}

with open(video_file_path, 'rb') as f:
files = {'source': f}
r = requests.post(url=upload_url, data=files, headers=headers)
r.raise_for_status()
upload_response = r.json()

if not upload_response.get("success"):
print("[ERROR] Upload failed.")
return None
print(f"[UPLOAD OK]")

# Step 3: Check video status
status_check_url = f'{self.BASE_API_URL}/{video_id}'
check_params = {
"access_token": page_access_token,
"fields": "status"
}
r = requests.get(url=status_check_url, params=check_params)
r.raise_for_status()
print(f"[STATUS CHECK] {r.json()}")

# Step 4: Finalize video
finalize_params = {
"video_id": video_id,
"upload_phase": "finish",
"published": "true",
"access_token": page_access_token,
"video_state": "PUBLISHED" if publish_now else "SCHEDULED",
"title": video_description,
"description": video_description
}

if not publish_now:
finalize_params["scheduled_publish_time"] = int((datetime.now() + timedelta(days=1)).timestamp())

if tags:
finalize_params["tags"] = ",".join(tags)

r = requests.post(url=init_url, params=finalize_params, headers=headers)
r.raise_for_status()
finalize_response = r.json()
post_id = finalize_response.get("post_id")
print(f"[FINALIZE OK] Post ID: {post_id}")

# WAIT UNTIL PUBLISHED
if not wait_for_video_ready(video_id, page_access_token):
print("[ERROR] Reel processing timeout or failure")
return None

# Step 5: Extract and upload thumbnail
thumbnail_path = f"temp_thumb_{video_id}.jpg"
if extract_first_frame(video_file_path, thumbnail_path):
thumb_url = f"{self.BASE_API_URL}/{video_id}/thumbnails"
with open(thumbnail_path, 'rb') as img:
files = {'source': img}
thumb_payload = {'access_token': page_access_token}
r = requests.post(url=thumb_url, files=files, data=thumb_payload)
r.raise_for_status()
print("[THUMBNAIL UPLOADED]")
# Clean up temp file
os.remove(thumbnail_path)
print("[THUMBNAIL CLEANED UP]")

return post_id

except Exception as e:
print(f"[ERROR] {str(e)}")
return None


Here are the logs I get :

• [INIT OK] Video ID: 1020853163558419
• [UPLOAD OK]
• [STATUS CHECK]

{
"status": {
"video_status": "upload_complete",
"uploading_phase": {
"status": "complete",
"bytes_transferred": 37780189
},
"processing_phase": {
"status": "not_started"
},
"publishing_phase": {
"status": "not_started"
},
"copyright_check_status": {
"status": "in_progress"
}
},
"id": "1020853163558419"
}

• [FINALIZE OK] Post ID: 122162302376476425
• [WAIT] video_status=upload_complete, processing=not_started, publishing=not_started
• [WAIT] video_status=error, processing=error, publishing=not_started

{
"status": {
"video_status": "error",
"uploading_phase": {
"status": "complete",
"bytes_transferred": 37780189
},
"processing_phase": {
"status": "error",
"errors": [
{
"code": 1363008,
"message": "Video Creation failed, please try again."
}
]
},
"publishing_phase": {
"status": "not_started"
},
"copyright_check_status": {
"status": "in_progress"
}
},
"id": "1020853163558419"
}


It seems the error code 1363008 is related to the video properties format but even after following Facebook Reels video format recommandations, I can't make it work.

Can you help me with this please ?

I failed getting usefull help with ChatGPT , and thanks in advance for anyone who answers or comments my question.

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