Tyap Wikimedians (uploading multimedia contents on Wikimedia Commons)

This page was created for the Tyap Wikimedians Zaria Outreach and any other event coming afterward involving Wikimedia Commons.

Wikimedia Commons: Uploading and Using Multimedia Contents

Wikimedia Commons is one of the projects of the Wikimedia Foundation. This project isn’t among the main sites we are dealing with in this event but it would be vital in sourcing our images and audio to attach to our Tyap Wikipedia articles and Tyap Wiktionary entries.

Whatever you intend to upload, be it audio, video, or imagery content on Wikimedia Commons, you would have to abide by the guidelines outlined here: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:First_steps/Quality_and_description. The process of creating a User page/Talk page on Wikimedia Commons is also similar to that on Wikidata and Wikipedia. You may not have to create these before uploading media content on the website.

A. Uploading a New Media File on Wikimedia Commons

The following steps will help you upload a file (audio, image/picture) on Wikimedia Commons.

1. • Audio and video:
     • When uploading audio content, first of all, record it with your smartphone or whatever device you are using.
     • Ensure the last part of the file name is .mid or .ogg (for audio) and .webm or .ogg or .ogv (for video). If not, you would have to download an audio or video converter application on your mobile device or computer to convert the sound or video to either of those file extensions highlighted.
     • Once you are sure you have content with the right file extension, please proceed to step no. 2.
   • Video:
     • Upload video in any of the required formats (see i. above) automatically to Commons using the Video2commons software by clicking here.
   • Image:
     • You would first of all need to snap a picture with your mobile device.
     • Ensure your image carries the file extension .jpg or .jpeg or .png.
     • If not, please import/open the image on an image editor e.g., Adobe Photoshop, CorelDraw, MS Paint, etc., and save as with the .jpg image extension.
     • When your image carries the right extension code, you can then proceed to step no. 2.
2. Save yourself the stress and use the Upload Wizard to upload your file. Please click on: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:UploadWizard.
3. Click on Select media files to share if the file is in your device.
4. Find the location of the file and click on it to open. It brings you back to the Upload Wizard environment.
5. Wait for the file to upload.
6. Click on Continue on the right-hand side, to the bottom.
7. Click on This is my own work (if it is your own work indeed).
8. Click on Next.
9. On the description page just opened, change the Image title, add a Caption (a subject/topic on the image), Description, ensure the date is correct, and in the Categories part down, last, if it is a Tyap language related media, please type in the box Tyap language related media. Before you finish typing, it might even pop out, then click on it. Then click on the enter key and add another, Tyap Wikimedians Zaria Outreach.
10. Then, click on Publish files.
11. On the Add data page just opened, you will the caption up, and below it before your uploaded picture is a file name ending with an extension .jpg (for image), .ogg (for audio), or .ogv (for video). That is the actual line you need. However, you can proceed till the end of this uploading exercise by scrolling down to Skip this step.
12. Copy the first option for wiki. Keep what you copied safe. That is it!

B. Using a Media File on the Tyap Wikipedia or Wiktionary

If you want to use the media file you just uploaded on Wikimedia Commons, just copy the file extension of the image you just uploaded and go over to the Tyap Wikipedia to paste and publish it.

If you are adding an image previously uploaded, maybe, you created an article in the Tyap Wikipedia titled A̠bwu (Dog),

1. Just go to a Wikimedia Commons environment; you can still reach there via this link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:UploadWizard.
   • Click on it
   • Click on the "Search" icon to search Wikimedia Commons
   • Type into the box that would appear, “dog”
   • Click enter. All images having the Image titles or captions descriptions or categories on the dog would appear.
2. Select the image you need by copying the entire line having a file extension code at its end, e.g., File:abcdef_ghij.jpg.
3. Return to the article in the Tyap Wikipedia or Tyap Wiktionary to add the image as described above.

NB: Not all images audio or videos would carry the word “File:” at the beginning. But when adding it to your article, if missing, type “File:” before the file title. Everything looks like this:

[[File:FILE TITLE|thumb|CAPTION]]

Replace “FILE TITLE” with the media file name you copied on Wikimedia Commons or even in the Tyap Wikipedia, and replace the “CAPTION” above with a file description in Tyap. Publish your input and see the result for yourself!

If it doesn't go well, continue to re-edit until it looks okay.

Please don't hesitate to contact us for support if you've done your best and it's still not working.