How to Put a Video in Google Slides

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Adding videos to your Google Slides presentations can make them more engaging, informative, and memorable for your audience. However, if you’re new to Google Slides, embedding a video can seem daunting.

In this article, we’ll walk through the step-by-step process for adding videos from YouTube, Google Drive, or by URL to your slides. We’ve also included some best practices to optimize your embedded videos in Google Slides.

Whether you want to add a product video to a marketing deck or show an instructional clip in an educational presentation, read on to learn how to easily put videos in Google Slides.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Add Videos in Google Slides

Get Started in Google Slides

First, open Google Slides in your web browser or mobile app. You can use an existing presentation or start a new one by clicking on the multicolored “+” icon.

Next, navigate to the specific slide where you want to embed your video.

Add a YouTube Video

Here are step-by-step instructions for adding a YouTube video:

  1. Click “Insert” then “Video” from the top menu.
  2. Go to the “Search” tab in the pop-up window.
  3. Enter keywords related to the YouTube video you want to add.
  4. Hover over the desired video thumbnail from the search results and click “Select.”
  5. Resize or reposition the video by dragging the corners or edges within your slide.

Alternatively, you can manually add a YouTube URL:

  1. Click “Insert > Video” from the top toolbar.
  2. Go to the “By URL” tab.
  3. Enter the full YouTube video URL and hit return.
  4. Verify the correct video is showing in the preview window.
  5. Click “Select” then adjust sizing and placement accordingly.

Upload a Video File from Google Drive

Adding a video stored in Google Drive only takes a few quick steps:

  1. Click “Insert” then “Video” in the Google Slides menu.
  2. Select the “Google Drive” tab.
  3. Navigate to and select your desired video file.
  4. Confirm it’s added to your slide then resize and reposition as needed.

Insert a Video Using its URL

Don’t have the video uploaded to Google Drive or YouTube? No problem! As long as you have the video URL from the hosting platform, you can embed it with just a URL.

Follow these instructions to add a video by URL:

  1. Click “Insert > Video” from the Google Slides toolbar.
  2. Choose the “By URL” tab.
  3. Paste your video’s URL into the text field.
  4. Check the video preview to confirm accuracy.
  5. Insert into your presentation slide then adjust sizing and placement.

Best Practices for Adding Videos in Google Slides

Now that you know how to insert videos into Google Slides, let’s go over some tips for optimizing your video content:

Keep Videos Short

Long videos can cause viewers to lose interest. Aim to keep your embedded videos under 2 minutes in length. For longer presentations, break up long videos into multiple shorter clips.

Use High Quality Videos

Prioritize videos with stellar resolution, smooth playback, and clear audio. Review your video quality before inserting to ensure it meets standards.

Credit Your Video Sources

If using third-party videos, be sure to credit the creator underneath the video. This gives proper attribution and builds trust with viewers.

Emphasize Key Points

Only embed full videos when every second is essential to communicate your message. Otherwise, trim down and showcase short 5-15 second clips highlighting key moments.

Check Streaming Speeds

Test video performance by presenting slides in Google Slides preview mode. Ensure your videos don’t buffer excessively across devices and connections.

FAQs About Adding Videos to Google Slides

Here are answers to some common questions about working with video content in Google Slides:

Can I trim or cut a video in Google Slides?

Unfortunately, the native video editor in Google Slides doesn’t allow trimming capabilities. You’ll need to edit and export your video first in a program like OpenShot Video Editor or VSDC Free Video Editor. Then, you can upload the trimmed video file to Drive or YouTube and embed within slides.

Is there a file size limit for videos?

Google hasn’t published an official file size restriction, but extremely large videos can fail to embed properly. We recommend keeping videos under 100MB when possible to prevent formatting or loading issues.

Can I record video directly in Google Slides?

Google Slides doesn’t have built-in recording tools, so you’ll need to use third party software to capture videos. Popular options include Screencastify for screen recordings and Open Broadcaster Software for webcam videos.

Embed Videos to Enhance Presentations

Adding videos to your Google Slides gives presentations more visual appeal and helps communicate complex topics. Use this guide to seamlessly integrate YouTube clips, Google Drive videos, or third-party embeds into your next deck.

With the right multimedia mix and an engaging narrative, your presentations will leave a lasting impact on audiences. So put these video tips and tricks to work for show-stopping Google Slides.

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