How to Put Video in PowerPoint

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Adding video to your PowerPoint presentations can make them more engaging and memorable for your audience. PowerPoint makes it easy to embed video directly into your slides from online sources or video files stored on your computer.

Insert Video from Online Sources

You can insert videos hosted online from sources like YouTube and Vimeo directly into PowerPoint. Here are the steps:

  1. Open the PowerPoint presentation and navigate to the slide where you want to add the video.
  2. Click the Insert tab.
  3. Click the Video dropdown and select Online Video.
  4. In the Insert Video window, paste the URL of the online video you want to add.
  5. Click Insert to add the video to your slide.

By embedding videos instead of linking, you ensure the video will be playable even if you move or share your PowerPoint file later.

Insert Video Files from Your Computer

You can also add video files stored on your computer like MP4s and MOVs to your presentation slides:

  1. Open your presentation and go to the slide you want to add video to.
  2. On the Insert tab, click the Video dropdown and choose Video from My PC.
  3. Browse and select the video file you want to add from your computer folders.
  4. Click Insert to add the selected video file to your slide.

The video will be embedded into your presentation. Remember to always embed instead of link files for better portability.

Adjust Video Playback Options

Once your video is inserted, customize how it plays with PowerPoint’s Video Tools playback options:

  • Trim – Cut unwanted sections from the start or end.
  • Fade in/out – Add smooth fades at the beginnings and ends.
  • Volume – Boost or lower the sound level.
  • Play Full Screen – Make the video fill the entire slide.
  • Start – Choose when the video starts playing.
  • Loop – Make the video repeat continuously.

Experiment with these tools to control precisely how videos play for your audience during presentations.

Resize and Position Videos

Videos you add will appear at their original size by default. To make them fit your slide better:

  1. Click the video to select it. Sizing handles will appear around it.
  2. Drag the handles to resize the video and position it where desired.

For a professional look, scale your video to fit nicely on the slide without distortion.

Optimize Video Files for PowerPoint

For best results, use MP4 video files encoded with H.264 video and AAC audio whenever possible. These formats have wide device compatibility and compress well to keep file sizes manageable.

Convert unsupported videos to MP4 before adding them to PowerPoint if needed. There are many free video converter tools available online.

Add Styles and Animations

Make your embedded videos stand out by adding animations like fly ins or fade ins. You can also apply video styles with just one click from the Format or Video Tools tabs.

Animations and styles make videos feel like a natural part of your slide content instead of an afterthought. Take advantage of them to create truly professional, integrated presentations.

Present Videos Seamlessly

Use Presenter View during slideshows to control video playback as you speak. Pause, play, rewind, or skip videos on the fly without fumbling by using the convenient media controls.

With a little practice, you can confidently present videos as part of a smooth, flawless presentation delivered with perfect timing.

Putting video into PowerPoint is easy and can tremendously boost engagement and recall of your key messages. Follow the steps in this article to add videos from online or files correctly, adjust playback, and present them seamlessly. Great PowerPoint videos let audiences sit back, watch, and absorb the information you want to share with them in a memorable way.

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