Add a Video in PowerPoint

Do you need to add a video to your presentation without leaving PowerPoint? In this new Slidesgo School tutorial, you’ll learn how to add your own videos to your presentation and how to embed a video from YouTube or other platforms.

How to Embed a YouTube Video

To embed a YouTube video into your PowerPoint presentation, follow these steps:

• Open your presentation in PowerPoint and select the slide where you want to add the video.
• On the Insert tab, in the Media group, click the Video drop-down arrow.
• You’ll see two options. To add a video from YouTube (or a different online platform such as Vimeo), choose Online Video… Please note that you need the URL of the video you want to add.
• A new window will open, where you must enter the URL of the video you want to add to your presentation. If you don’t have the latest version of PowerPoint, only URLs of videos from YouTube will be supported, but you’ll also find another option to paste and embed code for videos from other websites. Once the video is loaded, it will appear in the slide.

How to Insert a Video

Inserting a video from your computer into a PowerPoint presentation involves a few simple steps:

• Ensure that your video file is in the correct format, such as .mp4, .mov, or .avi. Microsoft recommends using .mp4 files with the H.264 codec.
• Open your presentation and select the slide where you want to add the video.
• On the Insert tab, in the Media group, click the Video drop-down arrow.
• Click Video on My PC. A new window will open, prompting you to locate the video that you want to include in your presentation.
• After selecting the video, click the drop-down arrow next to Insert. You’ll see two options:
  • Insert: This option directly inserts the video into the presentation, increasing the PowerPoint file size.
  • Link to File: This option creates a link to the video file, which reduces the PowerPoint file size. However, if you use the presentation on a different computer, you may need to link the video again.
• Click the desired option to add the video to the selected slide.
• To export a video from your PowerPoint presentation, select the video, right-click, and choose Save Media as… Note that this option is only available for videos inserted from your PC.

How to Edit a Video — Video Format Tab

When you need to adjust the format of a video, follow these steps:

• Select the video you want to modify. A new set of tabs called Video Tools will appear on the toolbar.
• On the Video Format tab, you’ll find options similar to those available for pictures. You can change the color, position, size, and effects of the video (like Reflection, Bevel, or Shadow). There are also several presets to choose from.
• In the Accessibility group, you can add alternative text to the video to make it more accessible for individuals with visual impairments. If this option doesn’t appear on the toolbar, right-click the video, select Format Video and look for it in the panel that appears.
• The Video Format tab also includes an option to crop the video to suit your needs.

How to Edit a Video — Playback Tab

To modify playback settings for your video, do the following:

• Select the video. The Video Tools will appear on the toolbar. On the Playback tab, you can find settings to determine when to start the video, add bookmarks, and modify different playback options. Note that these settings are only available for videos stored on your computer.
• In the Bookmarks group, use the option to add bookmarks that will be visible in the timeline. This feature is helpful for quickly navigating to key points in your video during the presentation.
• The Editing group offers options like adding fade-in and fade-out effects. The Trim Video option allows you to set start and end points for the video.
• In the Video Options group, you can adjust playback settings, such as volume levels, looping, rewinding, or hiding the video when it’s not playing. Use the Start drop-down arrow to determine when the video should begin.
• The Caption Options group has an option to add captions in WebVTT format, although this feature is only available in the latest version of PowerPoint.