Cloutal support
How can we help?
Most questions are answered below, and billing and license problems you can fix yourself in under a minute. If you still need us, customers can open a support case. We reply within 3–5 business days.
Billing, licensing & account
How do I change my plan, update my card, or cancel?
Everything billing lives in your own portal. Switch between monthly and annual, update your card, download invoices, or cancel. Go to Manage subscription and we'll email you a sign-in code. There's no password to remember. A Cloutal Media plan is managed in your Cloutal Media account instead.
I never received my license key, or I've lost it.
Use Resend my license key with the email you purchased with, and we'll send every key on file to that address. If nothing arrives within a few minutes, check your spam folder. The mail comes from an
@cloutal.com address. A key that came with a Cloutal Media plan is emailed to the plan's owner; you can have it sent again from Cloutal Media › Software keys.Can I get a refund?
See the Refund & Cancellation Policy for what qualifies. Cancelling stops future renewals and you keep access through the end of the period you already paid for.
What happens to my license when I cancel?
It stays active until the end of your current billing period, then stops renewing. Nothing is deleted from your Mac, and re-subscribing later reactivates the same email.
What data does Cloutal hold about me?
The Privacy Policy covers this in full. In short: for Cloutal Tether and Cloutal Live, the order and subscription details needed to run your license. Your photos and recordings stay on your own drives unless you upload them to Cloutal Media.
When can I start using Cloutal Media?
Today. Choose a plan on the pricing page and sign up. Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial; you add a card when you start it and are not charged until the trial ends. Plans are available to studios based in the United States for now.
Who gets paid when a customer buys from my storefront?
You do. You connect your own payment account and set your own prices, and payouts go straight to you. You are the seller of record and Cloutal just runs the software. See the pricing page for the platform fee on each plan.
What counts against my storage allowance?
Everything you upload, with archived galleries counting at a quarter of their size. If you need more, recurring storage blocks can be added to any plan. The sizes and prices are on the pricing page.
Can my customers keep their photos after I archive an album?
Yes, that's what preservation is for. Customers can buy five-year coverage for the media they purchased, so it stays available to them after you archive the album. It covers what they bought; it isn't a general cloud drive.
Do my videos use processing hours?
Only if they need converting. Web-ready video, an MP4 or MOV with H.264 video and AAC audio (what most cameras and editing apps export), plays exactly as you uploaded it and uses none of your processing hours. Other formats are converted for viewing on any device: Starter includes 5 hours a month up to HD, Studio 15 hours up to 4K, and Professional 30 hours up to 4K.
Are my originals exposed before someone pays?
No. Customers browse watermarked previews and originals are only released on purchase, with optional expiring links on top.
How many Macs can I use one license on?
A license you buy is for one person, on up to two Macs. The key that comes with a paid Cloutal Media plan is emailed to you and works on one Mac. Sign the old Mac out to move it, and if a Mac is lost, replace the key in Cloutal Media › Software keys (once every 30 days). Manage your Macs inside the app under Devices. Signing out a Mac you no longer use frees its place immediately, so a replaced machine never locks you out.
Does the app work without an internet connection?
Yes. Activation needs one network request, after which the app holds a signed entitlement and keeps shooting offline. Reconnect within 30 days so it can refresh. Capture is never blocked mid-shoot.
My camera isn't detected.
Check the camera is in the supported list for your build, connect it by USB directly rather than through a hub, set it to PC/PTP connection mode, and make sure no other tethering software is holding the connection. Compatibility depends on your camera model and the version of macOS you are running.
Which cameras and Macs are supported?
Cloutal Tether comes in two versions, and each works with one camera maker's cameras only. The version for Canon EOS cameras uses Canon's EOS Digital SDK; the version for Sony cameras uses Sony's Camera Remote SDK. Both are native Mac apps and run on current Macs. If your Mac is too old for the camera SDK, the app tells you so on launch and says what it needs. They are separate apps with separate license keys, so choose the version for your cameras when you download or subscribe; a key for one does not activate the other. See Camera SDK Notices. Cloutal Tether is developed and supported by Cloutal and is not sponsored, endorsed, certified, or supported by Canon or Sony.
Photos aren't reaching my backup drive or NAS.
The mirror queue retries on its own when a volume drops, so give it a moment after reconnecting. Confirm the destination is mounted, that the volume has space, and that macOS has granted the app access to that location under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Files and Folders.
How does the free trial work?
Download the app and click Start Free Trial when it opens. The trial runs for 14 days on that Mac with everything unlocked, and needs no card. The app asks for your email so we can send you one reminder 3 days before the trial ends; that is the only email the trial sends, and it has a link to stop it. To keep using it, subscribe on the Cloutal Tether page and enter your license key in the app. To cancel a subscription, go to Manage subscription, enter the code we email you, and choose Cancel.
Still stuck?
Open a support case
Pick the product you need help with and give us an email address. We'll send you a link that opens the case form, so we know we're talking to the person who can actually receive our reply.
- We reply within 3–5 business days.
- Every case gets a reference so you can follow it, on the web or by replying to our email.
- Have your app version, macOS version, and camera model to hand. It saves a round trip.
Covers Cloutal Media, Cloutal Tether, Cloutal Live and Cloutal Viewer. Using the address you bought with helps us find your account faster, but it isn't required.