Embedding YouTube videos in PowerPoint presentations is a great way to make them more engaging and informative. However, it can be frustrating when the videos refuse to play properly during the presentation. Here are the top reasons why YouTube videos may not play in PowerPoint and how to fix them.
Check Internet Connectivity
The most common reason a YouTube video won’t play in a PowerPoint presentation is lack of a stable internet connection. Unlike images and text boxes, online videos require constant connectivity to stream properly.
Before your presentation, always test that your Wi-Fi or mobile hotspot can stream YouTube without buffering. Also check that the venue you’ll be presenting at has strong Wi-Fi able to support streaming video.
As a backup, consider embedding shortened preview clips stored locally rather than relying solely on streaming full-length YouTube videos.
Verify Embed Code
Another major culprit for non-playing YouTube videos in PowerPoint is using the wrong embed code.
YouTube sharing options include both a video link and an embed code. The link merely opens the video in a web browser. The embed code is what you need to insert the actual video box into your PowerPoint slide.
When sharing a YouTube video, always click the Embed option rather than simply copying the URL. Paste this embed code into PowerPoint to add the working video.
Check Compatibility
PowerPoint’s ability to insert online videos relies on specific supported browsers, codecs, and other background dependencies. If these components are outdated or missing, videos may not load even with good internet.
In PowerPoint, go to File > Info > Check for Issues > Check Compatibility to scan for potential sources of errors like unsupported video formats. Let PowerPoint attempt repairs to improve compatibility.
Also ensure you have the latest updates installed for PowerPoint, Internet Explorer 11, and any relevant codec packs for your video types.
Try Presenter Mode Workaround
An odd specificity some users report is YouTube videos not playing in PowerPoint Presenter View, even though they work fine in normal slideshow mode.
As a quick workaround, apply an On Click animation to the YouTube videos. This forces users to click the slide to trigger video playback rather than having it autoplay. Videos then load properly despite the Presenter View quirk.
Clear Out PowerPoint Temp Files
Over time, cached data and temp files build up in PowerPoint which can interfere with inserting new online video elements.
Close all PowerPoint windows and open the temp folder location:
C:\Users[YOUR_USER_NAME]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\16.0\PowerPoint
Select all files/folders and delete them. Now reopen PowerPoint and try re-adding the YouTube videos from fresh.
Save Presentation as PPTX
PowerPoint’s default format has changed over the years from PPT to PPTX. The newer PPTX standard uses advanced compression and supports more media formats.
Try saving your presentation down to the latest .PPTX file type instead of legacy .PPT. Then attempt playing the YouTube videos again after the format upgrade.
Check Video Visibility
One simple mistake that can make YouTube videos not play in PowerPoint is if the video placeholder is hidden behind other elements on the slide.
On the video’s Format tab, locate the Size & Properties group and click the More drop-down arrow. Enable the setting for Don’t move or resize with cells.
Now with the video box layer unlocked, drag it forward past any shapes or text boxes that may be covering it. The video should then regain visibility and be able to play.
Embed Videos as Objects
As a last resort, remove the existing YouTube video links from the PowerPoint slides. Then re-add the videos by manually saving copies from YouTube and embedding them as local media objects instead.
This method gives you offline, self-contained videos at maximum quality without relying on live internet streaming. The tradeoff is much larger file sizes.
Conclusion
Fixing YouTube video playback issues in PowerPoint is usually just a matter of tweaking connectivity, compatibility settings, embed codes, and slide object positioning.
Test your presentation well before going live. And have an internet-free contingency plan like a saved offline video backup to smoothly power through any unexpected glitches!
