diff --git a/pipeline/coordinator.go b/pipeline/coordinator.go
index 12bb9932..e7050c1e 100644
--- a/pipeline/coordinator.go
+++ b/pipeline/coordinator.go
@@ -291,13 +291,16 @@ func (c *Coordinator) StartUploadJob(p UploadJobPayload) {
 		// Update osTransferURL if needed
 		if clients.IsHLSInput(sourceURL) {
 			// Handle falling back to backup bucket for manifest and segments
+			log.Log(p.RequestID, "Starting recording backup check")
 			sourceURL, err = clients.RecordingBackupCheck(p.RequestID, sourceURL, osTransferURL.JoinPath(".."))
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
+			log.Log(p.RequestID, "Completed recording backup check")
 
 			// Currently we only clip an HLS source (e.g recordings or transcoded asset)
 			if p.ClipStrategy.Enabled {
+				log.Log(p.RequestID, "Clipping enabled")
 				err := backoff.Retry(func() error {
 					log.Log(p.RequestID, "clippity clipping the input", "Playback-ID", p.ClipStrategy.PlaybackID)
 					// Use new clipped manifest as the source URL
@@ -311,6 +314,8 @@ func (c *Coordinator) StartUploadJob(p UploadJobPayload) {
 				if err != nil {
 					return nil, err
 				}
+			} else {
+				log.Log(p.RequestID, "Clipping not enabled")
 			}
 			// Use the source URL location as the transfer directory to hold the clipped outputs
 			osTransferURL = sourceURL