A Simple Step-by-Step Guide: How to Add Video to PowerPoint
- CEO at DeckLinks, Speaker, Podcast Host
- Published on October 9, 2022
- Updated on August 29, 2024
Table of Contents
It’s no secret that video format is one of the most engaging mediums out there. According to Alphabet (YouTube parent company), almost 5 billion videos are watched on YouTube every single day. It makes perfect sense to add video to PowerPoint presentations to capture attention of prospects and clients and increase sales engagement.
As early as 1984, Steve Jobs realized the power of inserting videos in presentations. Steve Jobs’ use of video in presentations like the now-legendary Super Bowl video and “Think different” videos established Steve as a master of using video in presentations.
In this guide, we will show you 5 different ways how to add video to PowerPoint presentations.
What is the difference between embedding and linking a video in an MS PowerPoint?
When you insert video into PowerPoint presentation via a link, you’re simply hyperlinking to a video file. The video file stored separately from the PowerPoint file. To play the video in PowerPoint, the viewer has to have access to the linked video. The video can be stored locally on a computer or online on a server.
Inserting videos in PowerPoint like that has the advantage of being very fast and easy to do. However, it also means that the video will not play if the file is moved or renamed. The video will also not play if it is a YouTube video and the viewer has no Internet connection.
When you embed video in PowerPoint presentation, the video is added to the PowerPoint file itself. This means that embedded videos will always play correctly. However, it also means that the presentation file size will be much larger, which can make it more difficult to share.
So, which should you use? It depends on your needs. If you need a quick and easy way to embed video in PowerPoint, then linking an offline or online video is probably your best bet. However, if you need to ensure that the video will always play correctly, then embedding video in PowerPoint directly is probably a better option.
PROS and CONS of linked video vs embed video in PowerPoint.
| TYPE | PROS | CONS |
|---|---|---|
| Linked video | Small PowerPoint presentation file size. Easy to share. | The inserted video will not play if the video link is disabled, the file is moved, or the viewer does not have access to an Internet connection (if it is an online video or a YouTube video). |
| Embedded video | Does not require an Internet connection to play. | Embedded videos significantly increase PowerPoint presentation file size. The recipient may not have a compatible PowerPoint version or the right video codecs installed. |
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How to insert a video to a PowerPoint presentation by embedding a video file?
As we mentioned before, if you directly embed video into PowerPoint, the embedded video file will play no matter what (assuming the viewer is using compatible version of PowerPoint that has the right video codecs). Although, the final PowerPoint’s file size will be significantly larger.
Follow these steps to insert a video file stored on your Windows computer or Mac to a PowerPoint presentation:
Step 1: Open your presentation and select the PowerPoint slide to embed a video.
Step 2: To embed a video in PowerPoint, switch to the Insert tab.
Step 3: Click on the button with a drop-down arrow that says Video and in the drop-down choose Video on my PC or Movie from File… (if you’re using Mac).
Step 4: Choose the video you want to embed in the PowerPoint slide and click Insert.
Step 5 (optional): Format the embedded video in the video format tab. Trim video option is also available.
Step 6 (optional): Modify playback options in the Playback tab.
To set when you want the inserted video to play, click on the drop-down arrow next to Start:.
You have 3 options in the playback tab to trigger the embed video:
In Click Sequence – The embedded video will be played when you activate the next action on the PowerPoint slide.
Automatically – the video will play automatically as soon as you select the slide with the embedded video.
When Clicked On – the embedded video will be played when it is manually triggered on a current slide.
How to add a video to a PowerPoint presentation by linking to a video stored locally?
As we mentioned before, if you insert a link to a video file located on your Windows computer or Mac the presentation file size will not increase. However, you need to make sure that the linked video file stays in the same location on your hard drive or not get deleted.
FYI when sharing a PowerPoint presentation with a linked video, your prospect or a client also has to have a compatible PowerPoint version and the right video codecs installed.
Follow these steps to embed a video to a PowerPoint presentation by inserting a video link to a file located on your Windows computer or Mac:
Step 1: Open your presentation and select the PowerPoint slide to embed a video.
Step 2: Select the Insert tab.
Step 3: Press the button that says Video and in the drop-down menu choose Video on my PC or Movie from File… if you’re using Mac.
Step 4: Choose video that you want to insert in the PowerPoint slide.
Step 5: Press Options button, click the check box Link to file and click Insert.
You can format the video in the video format tab, trim video, and modify playback options the same way we described in our previous example.
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Check PowerPoint version before embedding YouTube videos into PowerPoint
Depending on your operating system and the version of PowerPoint you have, the process for embedding YouTube videos in PowerPoint will be different.
Here’s how to check your version of PowerPoint:
How do I find out what version of PowerPoint I have on a Mac?
Follow these steps to find out what version of PowerPoint you have on a Mac:
- Open Microsoft PowerPoint.
- Click on PowerPoint in the Mac menu bar.
- In the drop-down menu click on About PowerPoint.
- Check the version you have in the About PowerPoint pop-up.
Follow these steps to embed YouTube videos in PowerPoint 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 (2003 and 2007) on a Mac.
Follow these steps when embedding YouTube videos in PowerPoint 365 on a Mac.
How to check PowerPoint version on Windows PC?
The process of checking the version of your PowerPoint on a Windows PC will vary based on the version of PowerPoint you have.
Follow these steps to check the version of your PowerPoint on Windows PC:
PowerPoint 2003 version.
Unlike later versions, PowerPoint 2003 still uses a menu bar and toolbar rather than the PowerPoint Ribbon.
To check the exact PowerPoint 2003 version number follow these steps:
- Click on Help in the top menu bar.
- Then select About Microsoft Office PowerPoint.
- The version number should be displayed in the About window.
Follow these steps when embedding YouTube videos in PowerPoint 2003.
PowerPoint 2007 version.
The PowerPoint Ribbon, a panel at the top of the window that organizes functions, was first added in PowerPoint 2007.
PowerPoint 2007 can be easily identified by the round button in the top left corner that contains the Microsoft Office icon. PowerPoint 2007 is the only version of PowerPoint that has this button.
To check the exact PowerPoint 2007 version number follow these steps:
- Press the round button with the Microsoft Office icon in the top left corner.
- In the menu choose PowerPoint Options and then click on Resources.
- You’ll find the exact version number under About Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007.
Here are the steps to follow when embedding YouTube videos in PowerPoint 2007.
PowerPoint 2010 version.
Microsoft switched the round Office Button for the File tab in PowerPoint 2010.
To check the exact PowerPoint 2010 version number follow these steps:
- Go to the File tab.
- Press Help from the top menu.
- The version number will be displayed right by the Microsoft Office logo.
If you have a 2010 version, then follow these steps to embed YouTube videos in PowerPoint.
PowerPoint 2013 version.
In PowerPoint 2013 version Microsoft moved away from heavy use of shadows in their design.
To check the exact PowerPoint 2013 version number follow these steps:
- Go to the File tab.
- Click on Account.
- Press the About PowerPoint button.
- The version number can be found in the About section.
To embed a video from YouTube in PowerPoint 2013, follow these steps.
PowerPoint 2016, 2019, and 365 versions.
You can easily tell apart PowerPoint 2016, 2019, and 365 versions from the 2013 version by the PowerPoint Ribbon tab names. In the PowerPoint 2016, 2019, and 365 versions, the tab names are not capitalized.
To check the exact PowerPoint 2016, 2019, 365 version number follow these steps:
- Select the File tab.
- Click on Account.
- Click the About PowerPoint button.
- The version number will be displayed in the About section.
Follow these simple steps when embedding YouTube videos in PowerPoint 2016 and 2019.
Or these steps to embed a video from YouTube in PowerPoint 365.
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How to add a YouTube video to a PowerPoint 365?
PowerPoint 365 is the latest version of the platform. Make sure you have access to Internet connection when adding a video from YouTube to PowerPoint.
Follow these steps to add a YouTube video to PowerPoint 365 on a Mac or PC:
Step 1: Open your presentation and select the PowerPoint slide to which you want to add a YouTube video.
Step 2: To add the video from YouTube, switch to the Insert tab.
Step 3: Click on the button that says Video and choose Online Video or Online Movie.
Step 4: Copy the URL of the YouTube video from your browser address bar.
Step 5 (optional): Format the YouTube video in the video format tab. Trim video option is also available.
Step 6 (optional): Modify playback options in the Playback tab.
To set the video play sequence, make sure you have the video from YouTube selected then go to the Playback tab and click on the drop-down arrow next to the Start: button.
You have 3 options in the playback tab to trigger the embed video:
In Click Sequence – The embedded video will be played when you trigger next action on the PowerPoint slide.
Automatically – The video will play automatically right after you select the slide with the embedded video.
When Clicked On – The embedded video will be played when it is manually triggered.
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How to add a video to PowerPoint on Mac from YouTube?
Be sure your Mac has access to Internet connection before inserting a Youtube video into PowerPoint presentation.
Follow these steps to add a video to PowerPoint on Mac from YouTube:
Step 1: Get the link of the YouTube video you want to embed. Click on the Share button and in the Share pop up click COPY. You can also copy the YouTube video URL from your browser address bar.
Step 2: Open your presentation and select the PowerPoint slide to which you want to add the YouTube video.
Step 3: To embed YouTube video into PowerPoint. Go to the Insert tab.
Step 4: Click Add-ins and select Store.
Step 5: Search for Web video player and press Enter.
Step 6: Choose Web video player and then press Add.
Step 7: Paste the YouTube video link in the Web video player pop-up and press Set video.
Step 8 (optional): Format and trim the YouTube video in the Playback tab.
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How to put YouTube video on a PowerPoint 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2010 on a PC?
You will need an Internet connection to embed YouTube video in PowerPoint presentation.
Depending on the version of your PowerPoint and the video codecs you have installed, this method may also work in the 2003 and 2007 versions too.
Follow these steps put YouTube video on a PowerPoint presentation on a PC:
Step 1: To embed a video from YouTube you will need to get the embed code:
- Click on the Share button under the YouTube video.
- In the Share pop up press Embed.
- In the Embed Video pop up click COPY to get the embed code.
Step 2: Open your presentation and select the slide to which you want to add the YouTube video.
Step 3: Go to the Insert tab.
Step 4: Click on the Video button and in the drop-down menu select Online video or Video from Website.
Step 5: In the video embed code box click Paste Embed Code Here and paste the video embed code.
Step 6: In your presentation select the video and go to the Playback tab.
Step 7: Select the video trigger in the Start drop-down menu.
Step 8 (optional): Format and trim the YouTube video in the Playback tab.
How to add video to PowerPoint online?
In today’s remote world, PowerPoint presentations are used to convey important information to prospects, clients, and colleagues virtually. However, the process of embedding a video into PowerPoint can be quite a challenge.
You have to deal with different video format types and PowerPoint version compatibilities when you embed video into PowerPoint.
When sharing presentations with embedded videos, you have to make sure the recipient has a compatible version of PowerPoint and video codecs to be able to play the video.
The file size of a presentation with embed videos can get out of control, and sharing a large file via email will become problematic.
Embedded online video or YouTube video may get deleted or the video link may get disabled.
Some corporate email clients may not let large email attachments go through their security system.
So how can you deliver an amazing viewing experience for your prospects and clients without all that hassle?
Using DeckLinks of course! DeckLinks is a video platform for sales and marketing teams. It will allow you to embed video from YouTube and video from your computer. You will also be able to video narrate your presentations too!
PDF Documents Tracking
Identify the most engaged viewers and understand how they interact with your PDF presentations and documents. Learn more.
The online video presentations can be shared in a single trackable link and can be accessed on any device. This ensures that every prospect and client will always have an excellent viewing experience no matter what.
Not only that but with DeckLinks granular engagement analytics you can easily identify the most engaged prospects and clients and see which slides of your presentation get the most attention.
Video presentation analytics help sales reps and BDRs strategically prepare for meetings and better understand when and how to follow up! See how DeckLinks works.
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Why I cannot insert video in PowerPoint presentation?
When trying to insert video in PowerPoint you may see an error message like that:
“PowerPoint cannot insert a video from the selected file. Verify that the necessary 64-bit codec for this media format is installed, and then try again.”
“PowerPoint cannot insert a video from the selected file. Verify that the necessary codec for this media format is installed, and then try again.”
There are 2 main reasons why you cannot insert video in PowerPoint presentation:
- The file is in a video format that is not supported by PowerPoint. Microsoft recommends .MP4 files encoded with H.264 video (MPEG-4 AVC) and AAC audio.
- The computer is missing a codec that decodes video files.
How to solve: Try installing a K-Lite Codec Pack.
Why are my videos not playing on PowerPoint?
There are 7 main reasons that can cause your videos not to play in PowerPoint:
Reason #1. If you have linked video via a URL, the online video file may have been moved or deleted, or the video link was disabled.
How to solve: Try playing the linked video outside of the PowerPoint presentation. If the online video fails to play, find a working video link (or an embed code) or reupload your video to the online video host of your choice (we recommend YouTube – free and Vimeo – paid) and replace the video link or embed code in your presentation.
Reason #2. If you have linked the video from your computer, the video file may have been moved or deleted.
How to solve: Find the video file on your computer or Mac and replace the broken video link. If you are linking video files like that to your PowerPoint presentations, we highly recommend you keep the video file and the PowerPoint presentation in the same folder.
Reason #3. The playback option may have been disabled in PowerPoint.
How to solve: Go to the Playback tab and check the playback settings.
Reason #4. The video file may be corrupted.
How to solve: Try playing the video file outside of the PowerPoint presentation. If the video file fails to play or it is showing artifacts, most likely it is corrupted. Try rerendering it in your video editing software. Microsoft recommends .MP4 files encoded with H.264 video (MPEG-4 AVC) and AAC audio.
Reason #5. The video format may not be supported by your version of PowerPoint or it is missing a video codec.
How to solve: Try installing a K-Lite Codec Pack. Codecs decode video files. If the video is still not playing, most likely it is in the wrong video format. In this case, you will need to rerender it in your video editing software. Microsoft recommends .MP4 files encoded with H.264 video (MPEG-4 AVC) and AAC audio.
Reason #6. The video file is too heavy.
How to solve: Try not to embed videos into PowerPoint that are of higher resolution than Full HD (1920×1080). If you absolutely need to embed a video that is very high resolution then you should compress it. You can compress the embedded video right inside PowerPoint by going to File and then Info. Press on the Compress Media button in the Media Size and Performance section in the bottom left. This option is not available on older versions of PowerPoint.
Reason #7. Enabled hardware graphics acceleration is causing choppy playback.
Depending on your hardware, the hardware graphics acceleration may cause issues with embed video playback.
How to solve: Head to File then Options. In the PowerPoint Options pop up look for Disable Hardware Acceleration option and make sure it is disabled.
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FAQs
Can I trim or edit a video before adding it to PowerPoint?
Yes, you can use the Trim Video option under the Video Tools tab to cut unwanted sections of a video before inserting it into your PowerPoint presentation. This allows you to customize the video length.
Can I play a video automatically in PowerPoint?
Yes, under Playback Options on the Play tab, check the box next to “Play Automatically” and the video will start playing immediately when the slide appears without needing to click Play.
How do I insert a video from YouTube into PowerPoint?
On YouTube, click Share below the video, copy the embed code, go to your PowerPoint slide, paste the embed code into the Insert Video box, and click Insert. This embeds that YouTube video into the slide.
Can I resize a video when adding it to PowerPoint?
Yes, click the video and drag the handles on the corners and sides to resize it. For precise sizing, go to Video Tools > Format and enter height and width values.
How do I add captions or subtitles to a video in PowerPoint?
Right click the video, select Edit Video, click the Credits icon, and choose Captions to add open or closed captions to the embedded video.
Can I set a video to play on click in PowerPoint?
Yes, under Playback Options on the Play tab, select “Play on Click” so the video only starts playing when you click on it during the presentation.
How do I add bookmarks or links within a PowerPoint video?
On the Playback tab, select the video, click the Bookmark icon, enter a bookmark name, set the time, and click Add. This creates clickable links inside the video to jump to certain parts.
About the Author
Lidia Vijga is a seasoned professional with 10 years of first-hand experience in B2B sales and B2B marketing. She has a proven track record of driving growth for companies across various industries. Throughout her career, Lidia has led numerous successful sales campaigns and implemented innovative marketing strategies that have significantly increased revenue and reduced customer acquisition cost for her clients. Lidia regularly shares her insights and experiences on LinkedIn, webinars, and public speaking engagements. Lidia believes in the power of personal qualities such as kindness, empathy, and the willingness to understand others. She is committed to empowering client-facing teams with tools that enhance their talent instead of automating it, and she firmly believes that teams that show their human side grow companies much faster.
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