put powerpoint presentation on youtube

How to Upload a PowerPoint to YouTube: Step-by-Step Guide

Have you ever wondered how to upload a PowerPoint to YouTube? That’s a fairly common question among many Microsoft PowerPoint users.

After creating a PowerPoint presentation, you may want to share it on YouTube to reach a greater audience.

Unfortunately, YouTube can only accept video files.  A PowerPoint presentation may have video and audio elements embedded in it, but it is still not a video file.

You need to convert your presentation to a video file to upload it to YouTube. This tutorial will show you exactly how to do that.

Step 1: Create Your PowerPoint Presentation

Create your PowerPoint presentation as you normally would. However, keep in mind that you won’t be doing a live presentation, so try to include everything you need to make a great video, including audio clips.

Your audio could be music, sound bites, a narration (your voice recordings), or a combination of all these. Make sure to use them meaningfully.

Here is how to add audio to your presentation:

1. Click the Insert tab on the ribbon

2. Click Audio from my PC

Browse through the audio files on your computer and select the one you want to add to your presentation.

3. Click the Insert button to add the file

Step 2: Convert Your Presentation to a Video

This next step on how to upload a PowerPoint to YouTube is crucial because you can’t share your file on the widely accessible video platform without converting it to a video format.

Here’s how to convert your presentation to a video.

1. Click the File tab on the PowerPoint (2010 version or later)

2. Click the Export tab

3. Click Create a Video from the list of options

You can tweak some of the settings, including slide durations, video resolution, and narrations.

You can leave the resolution to full HD if you don’t know what to select. Simply let YouTube handle the file compression.

You can simply set how long you want each slide to display, especially if your presentation doesn’t have recorded narrations and timings. For example, you can set individual slides to show for 15 seconds.

4. Next, click the Create Video box below the settings

5. Click Save on the next dialog box to export your presentation in video format

Your PowerPoint presentation is now ready for YouTube.

Step 3: Upload to YouTube

Now that you’ve converted your presentation to a video, it’s time to upload it to YouTube. Here’s how to do that:

1. Sign in to your YouTube account or click the app on your mobile device

2. Click the Create icon on the top right corner of the window

3. Click Upload video

On a mobile device, tap the circled plus sign at the center bottom of the screen and tap Upload a video .

4. Locate the PowerPoint video file and click Open

You may be asked to create a YouTube channel if you don’t already have one. You can rename the file, write a description, set the privacy, and apply other settings when the upload is complete.

Tips to Make Your Video Better

Although your presentation will be viewed on YouTube, you still need to remember a few simple tips for a great video.

• Keep the visuals as simple as they can be; presentations generally work best that way. You don’t want to clutter the entire screen. Instead, allow a few empty spaces on each slide for improved readability
• Highlight only the most essential facts. Your audience should not have to endure a long list of bullet points. Remember that you are presenting, not writing a book
• Make use of themes or templates to give your presentation a uniform feel. You might mar an otherwise good presentation unless you are an expert with lots of experience creating eye-catching yet appealing presentations
• Use audios, effects, and transitions in meaningful ways. You want to engage your audience, but at the same time, you don’t want to appear cheesy

Why You Should Share Your PowerPoint Presentation on YouTube

Learning how to upload a PowerPoint to YouTube gives you the advantage of reaching a wider audience, whether or not they have a presentation program on their computers.

While Microsoft PowerPoint is a fairly popular presentation program, not everyone has ready access to it. Some of your clients, co-workers, students, or friends may not have the software on their computers. Others may have it (or some other similar application) but don’t know how to use it.

However, just about anyone can access YouTube from a computer, smartphone, or other mobile devices. It’s as simple as searching for your video on the platform and clicking play – no downloads or any other technical know-how required.

Closely related to this is that users don’t even need a computer to view your presentation. Not many mobile devices have a PowerPoint program, but they can all play videos, whether it’s an iPod, iPhone, or mobile phone.

Also, you don’t have to worry about specific PowerPoint versions. Usually, presentations in one version of PowerPoint might not work too well on another. A video eliminates all that worry. Users can even view the presentation on a DVD player by downloading it to disk.

You can easily embed the video in your blog or on any web page. Video files have better web support than presentation formats.

In a nutshell, more people can access your PowerPoint presentation if you share it on YouTube.  You can copy and share the link to your video to make it easy for people to watch it.

Wrapping Up

Hopefully, you now know how to upload a PowerPoint to YouTube. Don’t worry if your video presentation doesn’t come out as you expected at first. You can also tweak things around until you get exactly what you want. The key is to experiment with the settings during the conversion process.

You can reach more people you can ever imagine with a YouTube presentation. Remember to set proper metadata (or description) so that people can easily find your video on YouTube.

Jamie Keet is a Technology Instructional Coach with a deep-rooted passion for educational technology. With a background that combines a marketing diploma, a degree in management, and a master's in educational technology, Jamie has spent the last 25 years in education, working across all grades and adult learning. His experience in the classroom has shaped his approach to tech education, focusing on making technology accessible and engaging for everyone.

Jamie's goal is simple: to help users feel confident and successful with technology, encouraging them to explore and learn on their own. He believes in breaking down the barriers that prevent people from getting started with technology, whether they're students in a classroom or individuals looking to improve their tech skills.

Outside of his professional work, Jamie enjoys keeping up with the latest tech trends and finding new ways to incorporate them into his teaching. His approach is all about simplicity, clarity, and making technology fun and accessible for all.

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How to Upload PowerPoint Presentations to YouTube

Table of Contents

PowerPoint presentations have been a popular tool for decades, and they still hold power in the business world. From a small work meeting to a crowded TED Talk, there are many professional discussions and lectures made easier by PowerPoints.

PowerPoint presentations can be recorded and shared at a later date. By uploading PowerPoint presentations to YouTube , you can increase your reach to co-workers, clients or friends. Doing so also allows your audience to view presentations on their own time without missing any important information. Microsoft even does what it can to simplify this process, but you still have to follow a few important steps.

Here’s how to do it.

1. Record your PowerPoint presentation

The first step is to record your PowerPoint presentation so that once it’s uploaded, viewers will be able to hear and see the entire presentation. You can use the Insert menu to add individual recordings to each slide. To do this, go to Click Insert > Media > Audio > Record Audio.

To record the entire slideshow, go to the Slide Show tab, and select Record Slide Show. Then, choose whether to record from the beginning or from the current slide. This option will include all narration, animations and slide transitions in the PowerPoint video.

Click Slide Show > Record Slide Show > Start Recording

Once your presentation is fully recorded, it’s ready to be converted into a video and uploaded to YouTube.

2. Turn your PowerPoint presentation into a video

To upload a PowerPoint presentation, you must convert it into a video. That includes all of the media – narration, animation, pointer movements and slide transitions – that go with it. So, once the presentation is up on YouTube, viewers will be able to watch it as if they were viewing it in real time.

There are two main ways to convert a PowerPoint presentation into a video: saving the file in a video format and saving the presentation as a PowerPoint Show. The advantage of saving the file as a PowerPoint Show is that your presentation will automatically jump to full-screen mode when someone opens it. This is ideal for business owners who are looking to send their video presentation to certain people instead of uploading it to YouTube.

Video presentations are saved as Windows Media Video (WMV) files, while PowerPoint Show presentations are saved in their own PowerPoint Show format (PPSX).

To save the presentation as a video, select File > Export > Create a Video > Select Video Quality > Use Recorded Timings and Narrations> Create Video.

To save the presentation as a PowerPoint Show, simply save the file under a new format. Click File > Save As > Browse > Save as Type > PowerPoint Show > Save.

3. Add audio to your PowerPoint presentation

You can add audio to a PowerPoint presentation on a PC or a Mac. Audio options include sound bites, music and narration. Adding sound helps further engage viewers, especially if you’re including commentary like you would if you were actually presenting the PowerPoint slideshow.

While in edit mode for your PowerPoint presentation, follow these steps to add audio to a PowerPoint presentation on a PC:

Click Insert > Audio. Then, select Audio on my PC from the available menu options. All available audio files on your computer will come up in the dialog box. Select the file you want to add to the presentation and click Insert at the bottom of the dialog box.

Choose Audio Tools Playback to edit the options for the presentation. From here, you can edit options such as Fade, Sequence and Loop Mode.

Here’s how to add audio to a PowerPoint presentation on a Mac:

Click Insert > Audio. Select either Audio Browser or Audio from File. The former allows you to add the audio from iTunes, while the latter browses your computer for the correct file. Choose the audio file. From the Audio Format tab, you can edit options such as Loop Mode, Play Across Slides and Hide During Slideshow.

After you edit a presentation with audio, you can preview the results using the playback option. Save all progress before exiting the program.

4. Upload your PowerPoint presentation to YouTube

After converting the presentation into a video format, sign in to your YouTube account, and click Upload at the top of the page. Select the presentation video you want to upload, and then adjust the video privacy settings.

Once the video is uploaded, click Publish to make it viewable to others. Be sure to use a catchy title that best represents the topic of your presentation so the right audience can find it.

5. Share your PowerPoint presentation with co-workers

Uploading presentations to YouTube is a great way for colleagues and customers to learn about a business on their own time. It also can be a great way to advertise changes or updates to a business. Make sure your connections know where to find your presentation and encourage them to share it with their own network. Share the link on your LinkedIn page and social platforms , email it to co-workers, include it in an email marketing newsletter . There are many ways to market your presentation and increase its reach, so you can build a loyal audience and continue to post engaging content.

Turning PowerPoint presentations into YouTube videos is an easy process that can be completed in a few straightforward steps.

Tips for creating a good video

When putting together your presentation, you don’t want to do the bare minimum and hope it impacts viewers. Here are some tips for creating an engaging PowerPoint presentation video your audience will love:

• Use simple visuals: Presentations work best when the visuals are simple. Don’t clutter the screen; embrace white space for improved readability. Limit pages full of long lists of bullet points. Instead, highlight only the most important facts.
• Choose a theme that fits the topic of your presentation: PowerPoint offers templates, but you may want to customize one to avoid coming across as cookie-cutter. Remember that the use of color is important to convey messages. Cool tones, such as blue and green, work best for background colors, while warm shades, such as red and orange, are best for text and charts.
• Include video clips and audio in meaningful ways :A crashing symbol between slides is more likely to come across as cheesy than engaging. Use engaging yet professional videos and audio clips that add to the presentation, not distract the audience from the topic. This includes narration, an explainer video that is relevant to the subject or simple transitions from slide to slide.
• Remember your audience: The top tip for creating a good video is to always keep your audience in mind . Imagine the video from viewers’ perspective and allow that to shape the features you add.
• Don’t overcrowd your slides with text: Using too many words on each slide will be overwhelming to your audience following along. Instead, include one-sentence summaries or bullet points (but limit them), then add audio commentary to expand on them further.
• Tell a story: While you want to approach the presentation in a professional manner, don’t turn it into a lecture. Use anecdotes and engaging stories to communicate your message. Rather than talking to your audience, have a discussion with them — even if they can’t interact in the moment. Approach the entire presentation like a conversation rather than a lecture.

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How to Upload a PowerPoint 2016 Presentation to YouTube

Once you've finished your  PowerPoint presentation, you may want to share it with the world as a video on YouTube. Luckily, the software comes with a tool to convert to .MP4, a format that YouTube accepts.

Here are our step-by-step instructions for converting a PowerPoint presentation to a YouTube video. If you just want to share the video file with a friend, skip step 6. 

MORE: How to Use Microsoft Word Like a Pro

1. Click File. 

2. Click Export.  

3. Click Create a Video.

4.  Click Create Video.  If you want to change the video quality, change the added narrations or time spent on each slide, you can tweak those settings here.

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5.  Click Save.

You've converted your YouTube slide into a video.

6. Visit  https://www.youtube.com/upload  to upload.

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How to Embed a YouTube Video in PowerPoint (Step-by-Step)

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• February 25, 2015

This is your  SUPER GUIDE  for how to embed a YouTube video in PowerPoint, covering all versions of PowerPoint (find your version below).

Adding videos to your presentations is a great way to create more engaging content and backup your main points with PROOF.

Before you get started embedding your video though, there are 3 considerations to take into account

Note:  You are limited to what you can do with online videos in PowerPoint, compared to videos you embed from your computer. To learn all about these differences,  read our guide

YouTube Video Considerations

1. which version of powerpoint you are using.

There are various techniques for the different versions of PowerPoint and add-ins you can install to make this process (and your life) easier.

The guide below covers PowerPoint versions 2007, 2010, 2013 and the latest Office 365 version of PowerPoint.

2. Do you want the YouTube video’s entire playlist on your slide?

If so, you need to navigate to your video through the YouTube channel’s playlist, which drove me crazy when I was trying to figure this out.

Also, inserting a playlist isn’t available in PowerPoint 2007.

3. Do you need to trim your YouTube video?

If you want to take advantage of all the PowerPoint video editing features, you will need to find a way to download your YouTube video and embed it in PowerPoint.

That’s because the FULL range of PowerPoint video editing tools is only available for videos you directly embed into PowerPoint from your computer.

To see everything you can do with videos embedded directly from your computer (instead of from an online source like YouTube),  read our guide here .

PowerPoint 2019 (Office 365) Embed a YouTube Video

1. find your youtube video’s proper url.

To find the right URL for your YouTube video to embed into PowerPoint, follow these steps:

• Navigate  to  YouTube.com
• Use the  Search Bar  to find your video
• Select  your video to open the YouTube Player
• Click  Share  at the bottom of the video player
• Click  Copy

The same is true if you are using an online video from another source.

You want to make sure you use the Share button (or similar feature) to get the proper URL for your video before you embed it into PowerPoint.

Otherwise it might not play properly, as discussed below.

WARNING: Get the right YouTube URL

You want to make sure you copy your video’s URL using the share button. DO NOT use the URL from your web browser.

That’s because the URL in your web browser tends to start where you last left off in the video and not at the beginning of the video.

In the picture above this is reflected in the URL with T=60s. This means the video will start 60 seconds into the video, and not from the beginning.

This can lead to an embarrassing presentation, where you play the video at the punchline that you want to make instead of the full video that leads up to the punch line.

2. Embed your YouTube video into PowerPoint

To embed a YouTube video in PowerPoint, simply:

• Navigate to the  Insert  tab
• Select the  Video  drop down (within the Media group)
• Choose  Online Video
• Where it says  Enter the URL for the Online Video ,  Paste  in (Ctrl + V) your URL
• Click  Insert

Clicking  Insert , a message at the bottom of your screen will tell you the video is processing. Once it’s done, the video appears on your slide as you can see below

How to trim a YouTube video

Keeping in mind that you are limited in what you can do with online videos in PowerPoint (like YouTube videos), you can adjust the start time of your YouTube video.

This allows you to start your YouTube video at a certain time within the video, so you can just show the most relevant part of the video that backs up your presentation.

The trick to doing this is to adjust it BEFORE you copy the YouTube video’s URL.

If you want to trim both the start and end times of your video, you’ll need to download the YouTube video, embed the video from your PC and then use the Trim command.

To learn how to embed a video in PowerPoint (including trimming the video’s length),  read our guide here .

To trim a YouTube video to a certain start time, simply:

• Open  your YouTube video’s watch page
• Click the  Share  button
• Adjust the video’s  Start at  time

Adjusting the YouTube video’s start time, you’ll see the new start time reflected in the URL, as pictured below.

PowerPoint 2013: Embed a YouTube video in PowerPoint

There are two ways to embed YouTube videos in PowerPoint 2013: the new dedicated YouTube option in PowerPoint, and the old embed code method.

Warning: New YouTube Option

Although the new YouTube option in PowerPoint simplifies the embedding process…you DO lose the capability to format your YouTube videos and/or embed an entire YouTube playlist.

To format the appearance of the YouTube video in PowerPoint 2013 or to grab a playlist, you still need to use the old embed code method (the second method).

I’ve covered both methods in the tutorials below. You’ll notice I used an image of a computer screen to frame the video and create a cool effect…just another tip for making your videos come to life!

There are two methods for adding YouTube videos in PowerPoint:

Method #1 –  The dedicated YouTube option (simplest but least flexible)

Method #2 –   Using the embed code (most flexible)

Although the words ‘embed code’ wig most people out, rest assured that you don’t need to know ANYTHING about coding to pull the second method off…YouTube does all of the hard work for you

Method #1: Dedicated YouTube option

1. search the youtube dialog box.

Within the online video dialog box, go to the YouTube search box and type the name of the video you are searching for (in this case I’ve typed ‘breaking up your bullet points’), and then hit Enter.

The dialog box searches YouTube and displays the video results. In this case the video we want is on the far left so I will select it and hit Insert.

2. Resize the YouTube video to fit your screen

Note:  If you are using an image like I am, you want to extend the YouTube video until its controls cover up the bottom of the picture…which will make it look more realistic.

With the video setup, double-click the embedded YouTube video to load the video and see what it looks like.

What about the playlist and other formatting options?

Although this new YouTube embedding method is EXTREMELY fast and easy, notice that you are not given any options to remove the YouTube controls (on the bottom or the top of the video) and there was no option to include the entire YouTube playlist (assuming there is one associated with that video).

You can see the difference in this picture:

For more control over these additional features, you need to know how to embed a YouTube video using the embed code method, which is SUPER straightforward and easy…continue reading on to see how.

Method #2: Using the embed code

This technique not only works for embedding a YouTube playlist into your presentation, but will also work for embedding other online videos into your presentation.

1. Navigate to your YouTube video through the channel playlist

Assuming that you want a video’s entire playlist, you need to navigate to the channel where the playlist exists, and open the video through the playlist. If you don’t care about the playlist, simply search YouTube as you normally would.

This might seem SUPER weird, but as you will see in a minute, it works.

To get the playlist for this video, you can see that I’ve navigated to the Nuts & Bolts channel page (fancy that!), selected the playlists option, found my playlist and then found the video that I want within the playlist.

Select the video (through the playlist) to open the video in YouTube as you normally would. Notice in the picture below, to the right of the video, you can see the entire playlist.

2. Navigate to the embed code

3. Choose how you want your video to play

When embedding a YouTube video in PowerPoint 2013, there are few options you want to pay attention to, primarily:

Option #1: Show Player Controls –  This includes the pause, play and other navigational features at the bottom of the YouTube video.

Option #2: Show Video Title and Player Actions –  This includes the tile of the video, share buttons on the far right and a playlist dropdown…assuming the video is part of a playlist and you navigated to it through the playlist itself.

Leaving these selected, the YouTube video will play in PowerPoint as demonstrated below.

If you uncheck both of these options, your YouTube video will play in your PowerPoint presentation as pictured below (you can obviously do a hybrid of these controls as well).

Other video options include:

Video size  – Not terribly important as you can manually resize your video within PowerPoint anyway.

Show suggested videos when the video finishes –  This is optional and depends on whether you want people to continue watching other videos once the video finishes. This option is not available if you navigate to the video through the playlist as I described above.

Enable privacy – Enhanced mode –  This last option is only relevant if you are embedding the YouTube video on a website…choosing this option will not work in PowerPoint.

4. Copy and Paste the Embed Code

Alternatively, you can simply right-click the video, select ‘Get embed code’ and then hit CTRL + C to copy.

With the embed code copied, back in PowerPoint 2013, navigate to the Insert tab, open the Insert Video dropdown and select Online Video.

In the dialog box that pops open, in the ‘From a Video Embed Code’ option, hit CTRL + V on your keyboard to paste the embed code into the dialog box and then hit Enter.

A black box is inserted into your layout that you now want to resize and position.

If you are using a blank TV or computer monitor image (as I am in this example) you want to stretch the video down to cover the bottom of the monitor so that the YouTube controls cover the controls on the static image…it will look more realistic this way.

Note:  Going this route has given us more control over the look and feel of our YouTube video and we were able to get the playlist feature in the upper left-hand corner.

PowerPoint 2010: Embed a YouTube video in PowerPoint

Believe it or not, there are three ways to embed YouTube videos in PowerPoint 2010:

• The free add-in (see Method #1 on the PowerPoint 2007 tab)
• Using the Shock Wave ActiveX Control (see Method #2 on the PowerPoint 2007 tab)
• Using the dedicated YouTube embed option

In this tutorial, I will focus on the third and newest method, which is a HUGE improvement over the previous methods: using the dedicated YouTube embed code option.

This method gives you the most flexibility in formatting your YouTube video in PowerPoint  AND  it allows you to embed an entire playlist…something that was not possible in PowerPoint 2007.

For the tutorial, I used an image of a computer screen to frame the video and create a cool effect…just another tip for making your videos come to life!

1. Find your YouTube video

When embedding a YouTube video in PowerPoint 2010, there are few options you want to pay attention to, primarily:

Option #2: Show Video Title and Player Actions –  This includes the tile of the video, share buttons on the far right and a playlist dropdown (see ‘getting the playlist’ below) on the left…assuming the video is part of a playlist.

Leaving these selected, your YouTube video will play in PowerPoint as demonstrated below.

If you uncheck both of these options, your YouTube video will play in your PowerPoint presentation as displayed here:

Video size  – This is not terribly important as you can manually resize your video within PowerPoint anyway.

Show suggested videos when the video finishes –  This is optional and depends on if you want people to continue watching other videos once the video finishes.

Enable privacy – Enhanced Mode –  This is only relevant if you are embedding the video on your website…choosing this option will not work in PowerPoint.

As YouTube states  “Enabling this option means that YouTube won’t store information about visitors on your web page unless they play the video.”

4. Copy and paste the embed code

With the YouTube embed code copied, back in PowerPoint, navigate to the Insert tab, select Video and then select the ‘Video from Web Site’ option.

In the dialog box that pops open, hit CTRL + V on your keyboard to paste the YouTube embed code into the dialog box, and then click on Insert.

A black box is inserted onto your slide that you then want to resize and position.

Note:  If you have the option to show the player controls at the bottom of your video, you will want to stretch the video out to cover the image you are using (in this case a blank computer screen) so that the YouTube video controls show on top of the controls on your image.

That way, when you play the video, it will look more realistic.

To see how the video lines up within your frame (which can be tough when you have a black box on top of a black frame), simply double click the video in the Normal View, and the YouTube video will load.

Notice in the picture below how the YouTube controls replace the controls on the bottom of the static picture I’m using, creating a more realistic effect in PowerPoint.

PowerPoint 2007: Embed a YouTube in PowerPoint

There are two methods for inserting YouTube videos in PowerPoint 2007, and a number of trouble shooting issues you need to be aware of.

Method #1: The Easy Way  – Using add-ins like the free one built by Microsoft MVP Shyam, which does all of the hard work for you.

Method #2: The Harder Way  –  Adding the Developer tab to your Ribbon, adding a Shockwave ActiveX Object, and then manually manipulating the URL of your YouTube video.

Which one is best depends on how many YouTube videos you need to add to your PowerPoint presentations and how often you plan to do so.

If you frequently need to install YouTube videos in PowerPoint, you should definitely get the free add-in for PowerPoint 2007 and/or consider upgrading to a more recent version of PowerPoint which gives you additional YouTube options like adding playlists.

Warning: Compatibility Issues

If you are sharing your files with people using other versions of PowerPoint, you also need to be aware of the compatibility issues.

YouTube videos inserted in more recent versions of PowerPoint (2010 and 2013) will not necessarily play when opened in PowerPoint 2007…they might, it just depends on how they were added.

That said, any YouTube video successfully inserted in an earlier version of PowerPoint, will always play in a later version.

Method #1: The Easy Way

Embedding YouTube videos in PowerPoint 2007 normally requires getting and manipulating the video’s URL. This easy method of using an add-in is awesome because it does all of the hard work for you!

It takes a minute in the beginning to download and install the add-in, but once it’s all set up, with just a few clicks (as you’ll see below), you can quickly grab your YouTube videos and play them directly in PowerPoint.

A big thanks to Microsoft MVP  Shyam Pillai  for developing this great free add-in!

1. Download the free add-in

2. Extract the zipped file

3. Copy the PowerPoint add-in

4. Add the PowerPoint add-in

Back in PowerPoint 2007, open the Windows button in the upper left-hand corner and select PowerPoint Options.

Select Add-ins on the left, use the drop-down at the bottom of the screen to filter to PowerPoint Add-ins and the select Go.

In the Add-Ins dialog box that opens, select Add New.

Clicking OK, a macro dialog box might open. If it does, select Enable Macros.

You should now see the YouTubeVideo2k7 add-in in the window with a check mark next to it. Click Close.

With the add-in installed, if you now open up the Insert tab in PowerPoint 2007 or 2010, you will have an added command at the end of the Insert Tab for quickly embedding YouTube videos.

Now that you have the PowerPoint 2007 Add-In installed, let’s take a look at how to use it.

5. Navigate to YouTube and copy your video’s URL

Warning: Get the right URL

Be VERY careful here!

PowerPoint 2007 cannot play YouTube playlists, which you can tell by the length of the URL. Notice in the picture below the difference in length between the video and the video plus its playlist.

If you accidentally embed the longer URL into PowerPoint 2007, the YouTube video will not play, regardless of how you try to troubleshoot. If you want to embed a playlist in PowerPoint, you need to upgrade to PowerPoint 2010 or PowerPoint 2013.

You need to grab the shorter URL which is everything up until the ‘&list’ or ‘&index” separator. With the shorter URL selected, hit CTRL + C on your keyboard to copy it.

6. Insert the YouTube video using the add-in

Hit CTRL + V to paste in your YouTube URL, then hit Next.

You can select options for your video like Play and Loop. I will simply hit Next.

You can then choose to resize the video here if you like. But as we can do this on our own in a second, I will again simply hit Next.

On the last screen, hit Finish

The YouTube video is now inserted into your slide as a white box with an X through it.

7. Resize the YouTube video

As you resize the video, the entire box might turn white, but no worries, you are still fine.

8. Launch the YouTube video

Assuming you are connected to the internet, the video will load and you will be able to play the video directly from within your PowerPoint 2007 presentation.

Method #2: The Hard Way

If that sounds scary to you, I highly recommend the easier method described above, using the free add-in.

1. Add the Developer Tab to your ribbon

2. Insert a Shockwave file

Within the dialog box, navigate down to Shockwave ActiveX Control, click OK.

And then draw a rectangle on your slide (where your YouTube video will go).

Note that you cannot draw the Shockwave ActiveX Control on top of another object, so you will have to draw it on a blank part of your slide (assuming you have something on your slide).

The Shockwave ActiveX object will look like a white box with an X through it. Resize and position the object on your slide, in this case I’m stretching it out to fit on top of my blank computer screen image.

Now we are ready to get our YouTube video

3. find your youtube video’s url.

Navigate to YouTube and find your Video’s URL…but be VERY careful here! PowerPoint 2007 cannot play YouTube playlists, it can only play individual videos, so you need to be careful you don’t accidentally grab a video + its playlist.

If you want to embed a playlist in PowerPoint, you need to upgrade to PowerPoint 2010 or PowerPoint 2013 and use the embed code method. See the PowerPoint 2013 tutorial below.

With the shorter URL selected, hit CTRL + C on your keyboard to copy.

4. Open up the properties of your Shockwave ActiveX object

In the Properties dialog box, scroll down to the Movie section and paste in your URL.

5. Adjust the YouTube URL within the dialog box

To get the YouTube video to play correctly in PowerPoint 2007, you need to make two adjustments:

#1: Delete the ‘watch?’ from the URL #2: Replace the ‘=’ with ‘/’

With the URL adjusted, hit OK to close the dialog box.

6. Run your presentation

So that’s how to embed a YouTube in PowerPoint, regardless of which version of PowerPoint you have.

This allows you to quickly and easily add interactive media features to your presentation.

The other advantage of embedding a YouTube video, is it does not increase the size of your presentation. That means that you don’t need to worry about compressing your presentation.

If you enjoyed the depth of this post and want to boost your PowerPoint skills for the professional world,  visit us here .

What’s next?

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About The Author

This Post Has 5 Comments

You may use Allavsoft to download YouTube video to AVI, WMV to put a youtube video in PowerPoint

Thanks for the tip!

This article certainly is thorough. Just an FYI, we’ve built a PowerPoint add-in at https://www.liveslides.com/websites/youtube/ that makes it significantly easier to embed and play YouTube videos (any web content really) directly in PowerPoint. Seriously, just a couple steps and you’re ready to roll.

Thanks for sharing, Jason. I’ve never used your software but we usually like anything that helps us save time. Cheers

Hey John, and thanks for sharing the software! Sounds like a handy program that can save you time – we like that! Just make sure you don’t abuse any copyright issues when downloading videos from the web 😉

Comments are closed.

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Insert a video from YouTube or another site

In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, PowerPoint 2021, or PowerPoint 2019, you can insert an online video from YouTube or Vimeo on a slide.

In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, version 1907 or later, you can also insert an online video from Microsoft Stream, a video service for enterprises—people in an organization can upload, view, and share videos with one another.

The video plays directly from the website, and it has the site's controls for playing, pausing, volume, and so on. The PowerPoint playback features (Fade, Bookmark, Trim, and so on) don't apply to online videos .

Because the video is stored on a web site, rather than in your presentation, you must be connected to the internet in order for the video to play successfully.

Insert a web video

In your web browser, locate the video you want.

Copy the URL of the web page from the Address bar of your browser.

Switch back to PowerPoint and select the slide where you want to place the video.

On the Insert tab of the ribbon, select Video > Online Video .

In the Online Video dialog box, paste the URL you copied in step 2.

Select Insert .

Play the video

If a video is inserted successfully, you can play it either in Normal view or Slide Show. 

A Play button appears on the video in Normal view.

In Slide Show, you can interact with videos just as you would in a web browser.

By default, videos from YouTube and Vimeo play in "click sequence." You can play the video without having to click the Play button. Just tap the spacebar to advance to the next step in your click sequence.

Troubleshooting

Not all online videos from these sites are allowed to be embedded. You should check on the video site to find out if a certain video can be embedded. 

Internet Explorer 11 is required on your computer

Note:  Microsoft 365 apps and services will not support Internet Explorer 11 starting August 17, 2021. Learn more . Please note that Internet Explorer 11 will remain a supported browser. Internet Explorer 11 is a component of the Windows operating system and follows the Lifecycle Policy for the product on which it is installed. 

For the purpose of playing videos in PowerPoint, Internet Explorer 11 is required to be on your computer. You don't have to use it to browse the web; you simply have to have it installed, because under the covers, PowerPoint needs its technology to play videos on Windows. 

If your operating system is Windows 10, then you already have Internet Explorer 11 installed. If you have an older version of Windows, you can go to this Internet Explorer Downloads page for instructions. 

Want to insert a video from your computer instead?

See Insert and play a video file from your computer for all the details.

Terms of Use and Privacy policies

Terms of Use

Privacy Policy

Microsoft Stream:

SlideShare.net:

In PowerPoint 2016, you can insert an online video with an embed code or search for a video by name. Then you can play it during your presentation.

The video plays directly from the website, and it has the site's controls for playing, pausing, volume, and so on. The PowerPoint playback features (Fade, Bookmark, Trim, and so on) don't apply to online videos.

Insert the online video with an "embed" code

On YouTube or Vimeo, find the video that you want to insert.

Below the video frame, click Share , and then click Embed . (If you neglect to click Embed , you'll end up copying the wrong code.)

Right-click the iFrame embed code, and click Copy .

If the highlighted text that you copy begins with "http", STOP. It's the wrong code to copy. Return to step 2 and click Embed :

In PowerPoint, click the slide that you want to add a video to.

On the Insert tab, click Video > Online Video .

In the From a Video Embed Code box, paste the embed code, and then click the arrow.

A video rectangle is placed on your slide, which you can move and resize as you like. To preview your video on your slide, right-click the video rectangle, select Preview , and then click the Play button on the video.

Note:  If your video doesn’t embed correctly, double-check that you have installed the required Office updates.

Search for the YouTube video by name

Click the slide that you want to add a video to.

In the Search YouTube box, type the name of the video that you want to insert, and press Enter.

Select the video from the search results, and click Insert .

Note:  If your video doesn’t insert correctly, double-check that you have installed the required Office updates.

Preview the video

Once the video rectangle is on your slide, select it, right-click it and choose Preview .

A Play button appears on the video.

Click the video's Play button.

Because the video is on a web site, rather than actually in your presentation, you must be connected to the internet in order for the video to play successfully.

Embed content from Slideshare.net

On a slide in PowerPoint, you can embed content from Slideshare.net , a sharing web site for presentations, infographics, and documents.

On Slideshare.net, any content that can be embedded elsewhere has a Share button on it. That button opens a window where you can copy an embed code like an embed for a video.

On Slideshare.net , find the content you want to embed.

Select the Share button beneath the content frame.

Sharing codes appear in the video frame.

Select the box named Embed .

All the text in the box becomes selected when you do this.

Right-click the selected text and choose Copy .

The text you've copied contains more information than you need, so it needs to be trimmed and re-copied.

Paste the copied text into a text editor such as Word or Notepad.

Select the portion of the text that begins with <iframe src ... and ends with </iframe> . Copy that text.

That's the embed code you need for inserting the content into PowerPoint.

In PowerPoint, go to the slide where you want to insert the content.

On the toolbar ribbon, select the Insert tab, select Video , and then select Online Video .

The Insert Video dialog box opens.

Paste the embed code in the box named From a Video Embed Code , and then press Enter.

It takes a moment for PowerPoint to absorb the content. When it has done so, a black box appears on your slide.

Requirements

Your use of online videos is subject to each provider web site's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

SlideShare.net

In PowerPoint 2013, you can insert an online video, and then play it during your presentation.

Note:  To use this feature, you must be using the desktop version of PowerPoint 2013 and have installed the April, 2014, Office updates and be using IE 9 (MS12-037) or IE10 or later (recommended). You can view a complete list of requirements and supported formats.

A video rectangle is placed on your slide, which you can move and resize as you like. To preview your video on your slide, right-click the video rectangle, select Preview , and then click the play button on the video.

Switch to the Playback tab of the ribbon to make choices about how and when the video plays:

Once the video rectangle is on your slide, select it, then select the Playback tab on the PowerPoint ribbon.

At the left end of the Playback tab, select the Preview button.

Terms of Use   Privacy Policy

In PowerPoint for the web, you can insert an online video from YouTube or Vimeo on a slide. (If you have a Microsoft 365 business or education subscription, you can also insert an online video from Microsoft Stream.)

Insert an online video

On a separate tab in your web browser, locate the video you want.

Copy the address of the web page from the Address bar of your browser.

Switch to PowerPoint for the web and select the slide where you want to place the video.

On the Insert tab of the ribbon, in the Media group, select Online Video .

In the Online Video dialog box, paste the address you copied in step 2.

The video is inserted on your slide. You can move the video by dragging with the mouse, and you can resize the video frame by selecting a corner and dragging.

To play the video, you must run Slide Show. On the ribbon, switch to the View tab, and in the Start Slide Show group, select From Current Slide .

(If you've turned off the Simplified Ribbon, you don't have a Slide Show tab; instead use the View tab to start the slide show.)

Slide Show opens, and then you can click the play button to begin.

For related information, see Play a video in PowerPoint for the web .

Trimming a video

PowerPoint for the web can't trim videos, and online videos can't be trimmed. If you have a video that you want to trim, you must save it to your computer, then insert it on your slide in a desktop version of PowerPoint. 

Newer Mac versions

In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 for Mac, PowerPoint 2021 for Mac, or PowerPoint 2019 for Mac, you can insert an online video from YouTube or Vimeo on a slide.  Earlier versions of PowerPoint for macOS don't support inserting an online video.

In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 for Mac, you can also insert an online video from Microsoft Stream, a video service for enterprises—people in an organization can upload, view, and share videos with one another. This feature requires PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 for Mac version 16.27 or later.

Switch to PowerPoint and select the slide where you want to place the video.

On the Insert tab of the ribbon, in the Media group at the right end, select Video . Then select Online Movie .

In the dialog box, paste the URL you copied in step 2.

Click Insert .

The video is added to the slide.

To preview the video, click the Play button that appears on top of video.

Inserting and playing an online video requires a recent version of macOS and PowerPoint for macOS:  

PowerPoint version 16.15.18070902 or later

macOS 10.13.4 (High Sierra) or later

A Mac manufactured in 2012 or later

Why can’t I embed a video in PowerPoint?

Add audio to your presentation

Add text to a video

Video and audio file formats supported in PowerPoint

Video: Insert a video from YouTube in PowerPoint 2013

How to Make an Eye-catching YouTube Thumbnail

Create a video for YouTube with a template

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How-To Geek

How to embed a youtube video in powerpoint.

During a presentation, a mix of media always performs best.

Quick Links

Finding a youtube video’s embed code, embedding a youtube video in powerpoint, searching the youtube video in powerpoint.

During a presentation, a mix of media always performs best. Using images, graphs, charts, and videos not only makes your presentation more informative but also more engaging for the audience. If you have a YouTube video you’d like to use during your presentation, it’s as simple as embedding it in a slide. Here’s how.

Rather than linking to a YouTube video in your presentation, embedding it in the slide is usually the better option. It gives your presentation a more professional look because you won't be leaving your slide to pop open the YouTube website. Keep in mind, though, that even with the video embedded in your presentation, you’ll still need to be connected to the internet to play the video.

First, head over to YouTube and find the video you want to embed. Once you’re there, select the “Share” option, which you'll find in the video description.

A window will appear, giving you a few different vehicles for sharing the video. Go ahead and click the “Embed” option in the “Share a link” section.

Another window will appear, providing the embed code along with a few other options.  If you wanting to start the video at a particular time, select the “Start at” box and enter the time when you’d like the video to start. Additionally, you can select whether you’d like to player controls to appear and if you want to enable privacy-enhanced mode.

Note: Privacy-enhanced mode keeps YouTube from storing information about visitors that visit your website that the video is embedded on unless they play the video. Since we will be using the embed code in a PowerPoint presentation, this option is not necessary.

Select “Copy” at the bottom right of the window to copy the embed code to your clipboard. Alternatively, select the code and use the Ctrl+C shortcut.

We’re finished with YouTube, for now, so head on over to PowerPoint and open your presentation.

Select the slide where you want to embed the YouTube video. On the “Insert” tab, click the “Video” button.

On the drop-down menu, select the “Online Video” option.

The Insert Video window that appears lets you search YouTube for a video or paste in that embed code you copied from the YouTube website. Paste the embed code and click the arrow to complete the action.

Your video will now appear in the presentation. To resize the video, click and drag the corners.

Note that at first, the video will appear as a black rectangle. Don’t worry---this is normal. Simply right-click the video and then select “Preview.”

This will give you a quick preview of how the video will look during your presentation.

You can also search for a YouTube video from that Insert Video window in PowerPoint. Type in your search terms and then click the search icon.

Several options will appear---888,341 in the case of the Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up video for which we searched. Select the one you want to use.

Then select “Insert” at the bottom-right of the window.

That’s all there is to it. Generally, we recommend searching the actual YouTube website and using the embed code the way we described earlier---mostly because the site is much easier to search and you can watch the videos before selecting the one you want. Still, if you know exactly what you're after, this method might work fine for you.

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How to embed a YouTube video in PowerPoint

We all know that Microsoft’s PowerPoint software has been a presentations staple for a few decades now. And whether you only used it in school once or twice, or you use it for work on a daily basis, there’s always something new to learn about the classic Microsoft platform. For example, did you know that you can embed YouTube videos in your PowerPoint presentations?

Embedding a YouTube video into PowerPoint

Customizing the embedded youtube video, inserting a video file directly into powerpoint, how do i get a youtube video to automatically play on powerpoint, why isn’t my embedded video playing in powerpoint, what you need.

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PC or laptop

Those custom animations and fanciful fonts are only going to hold your audience for so long, and nothing says “yay, a break from reading” like a two or three-minute YouTube clip. In this guide, we’re going to teach you how to add YouTube videos to PowerPoint slides, and answer a few frequently asked questions about this subject, too.

Step 1: Head to the slide where you want to embed a YouTube video by clicking it in the sidebar section, where all your slides are located. Now, click the exact area where you want to add the video, such as the title header or within the main body of text underneath.

Step 2: Click the Insert tab at the top. Select the Video icon. From the drop-down list that appears, choose Online Video .

Please note that if you're using PowerPoint 2019 or newer, you'll be able to insert online videos from YouTube by just copying and pasting the video URL into a slide.

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Step 3: Open the video you wish to embed on YouTube. Under the video player, click Share and then the Embed icon. Under the Embed Video title, click the Embed Code once, which will select the entire code section. Click the Copy button or use the keyboard shortcut ( Ctrl + C on Windows).

Step 4: Go back to your PowerPoint presentation window after you’ve copied the necessary code. Within the From a Video Embed Code section, paste the code into the adjacent field. Click the Enter button on your keyboard or click the small, grayed-out Arrow .

Step 1: You can customize how you want the video to play on your slide. Click the Playback tab and make any necessary adjustments, such as the video playing automatically or only letting it play when you click the video itself.

Step 2: You can also click the video frame, then right-click and select the Format Video tab for further modification tools, such as the video’s brightness, size, and more.

If you’d prefer to embed a video into your PowerPoint presentation with a video contained within your system, Microsoft provides an option to do so.

Step 1: Choose exactly where you want to add a video file. Click the Insert tab and select the Video icon. Click the Video on My PC field.

Step 2: Navigate to the video you want to insert, then double-click it or click it once and select the Open button. Microsoft PowerPoint will embed the video with its own media player.

Please remember that if you do prefer the option to insert a video directly from your PC and you'll need to show the presentation via an external system, don't forget to save both the PowerPoint and video files onto your USB, external hard drive, etc. Otherwise, it won't be able to play the video. Moreover, add both of them into a single folder so they're interconnected to ensure playback.

If you want your YouTube to start playing the moment you open the slide it’s pasted to, the first thing you’ll need to do is make sure your slideshow is in Normal view. Next, click the YouTube video. Now click Playback > Start > Automatically .

You can also set up Play in Click Sequence , which automatically plays a slide’s YouTube video when you press the spacebar, right arrow key, or any other key that advances to the next slide.

There’s a couple of reasons your YouTube video may not be playing in PowerPoint. For starters, you should check to make sure the video you’re attempting to embed is compatible with PowerPoint. Popular formats like MP4, AVI, and WMV are supported. If your video isn’t in a PowerPoint-supported format, you could always convert it using programs like HandBrake .

If you’re playing an embedded YouTube video, the device you’re running PowerPoint on will need to be connected to the internet, too. If you know you’re going to be in a situation where you don’t have internet access, it’s probably a better idea to download the YouTube video to your computer first, and then place the video into your PowerPoint.

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How to Embed a YouTube Video in PowerPoint

Make your presentations engaging, not boring

Sitting through a monotonous PowerPoint presentation can be pretty miserable. As a presenter, you want your audience to stay focused and enjoy your slides instead of making them yawn. One way to make your PowerPoint slideshow more engaging is to add a YouTube video to your presentation.

Depending on what version of PowerPoint you’re using, there are different ways to insert a YouTube video into your presentation. Learn how to embed YouTube videos in PowerPoint and why you might want to do it in the first place. 

Why Add YouTube Videos to Your PowerPoint Presentations

You want your audience to enjoy a presentation and also learn new information from it. The best formula for a well-balanced PowerPoint presentation is to mix your media, including text, images, charts, and videos. This will make your slideshow not only informative, but also captivating. 

Some people learn more from visuals, while others remember things that they hear better than what they see. A YouTube video in your presentation will ensure that everyone gets the key takeaways from the meeting. 

If you want to add a YouTube video to your PowerPoint presentation but don’t know where to start, follow the steps below.

• Open YouTube and find the video you want to embed in PowerPoint.
• Under the video, select Share .

• From the Share menu, select Embed .

• Select Copy to copy the embed code. 

Now that you have the embed code of your video, head over to your PowerPoint presentation. 

• Open PowerPoint and open the slide where you want to insert the YouTube video.
• From the menu bar, select the Insert tab.

• Select Video . Then from the drop-down menu, select Online Video . 

• In the Insert Video window, select From a Video Embed Code and paste the embed code that you copied from YouTube. Select the forward arrow to confirm. 

You’ll see the YouTube video appear on the slide in your PowerPoint presentation. 

If you want to change the layout of your slide , you can move and resize your video by dragging its corners. 

Things You Should Know When Embedding Your Video in PowerPoint 

There are a few tips and tricks that you should know of when adding YouTube videos to your PowerPoint presentation. 

Should You Embed Your Video or Add a Link to Your Slide Instead?

Many users simply link to a YouTube video in the presentation, thinking this option is easier. Embedding is a better choice. It gives your presentation a more professional look, and also makes it easier for you as a presenter. If the video’s embedded, it’ll play as soon as you click on it without leaving the slide to open the YouTube site. 

You can easily find the embed code for any video under the option to Share it on YouTube. 

How to Search YouTube Videos Inside PowerPoint

There’s a trick that you can use to embed a YouTube video in PowerPoint without leaving your slide. 

When adding your video to the slide, in the Insert Video window select Search YouTube and type in the name of the video you’re looking for. After you select the search icon to confirm, you’ll see the list of options from YouTube. Pick the video you want to use in your presentation and select Insert to embed it on your slide.

What If the Video Appears Black Inside Your PowerPoint Presentation?

After you’ve added the video to your PowerPoint slide, it might appear as a black rectangle at first. If you want to change the look of it to see the video’s preview right in your presentation, right-click the video and select Preview . You can then check what the video will look like on your slide during the presentation. 

How to Embed a Local Video in PowerPoint

If you’re worried that you might run into internet connection problems during your presentation and/or already have the video you’d like embedded in PowerPoint downloaded, there’s an easy way to insert it into your slides. 

To embed a locally stored video in PowerPoint, follow the steps below.

• Open PowerPoint and open the slide where you want to insert the video from your computer.
• Find the Insert tab and select Video . 
• From the drop-down menu, select This Device . 

• Find the video you want to embed in PowerPoint and select Insert . 

You’ll see the video appear on the slide in your PowerPoint presentation. You can move and resize it by dragging its corners. 

Embedding a locally stored or downloaded video in PowerPoint is a good solution for when you can’t ensure stable internet connection for your presentation. However, it’ll make the PowerPoint file much larger which in turn can cause performance problems. 

Jazz Up Your Next PowerPoint Presentation 

Adding a YouTube video to your slideshow is an effective way to make your presentation engaging for your audience. If you often work with PowerPoint, you can also learn how to insert other formats of media to your presentation like music , PDF files , or even animated GIFs . 

How do you make a PowerPoint presentation more interesting and entertaining for your audience? Share your best PowerPoint practices with us in the comments below. 

Anya is a freelance technology writer. Originally from Russia, she is currently a full-time Remote Worker and Digital Nomad. With a background in Journalism, Language Studies, and Technical Translation, Anya couldn't imagine her life and work without using modern technology on a daily basis. Always looking out for new ways to make her life and location-independent lifestyle easier, she hopes to share her experiences as a tech- and internet-addict through her writing. Read Anya's Full Bio

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How to Embed a YouTube Video in PowerPoint

Table of Contents

• Click on the thumbnail of the web video and click the Insert tab.

Pros and Cons

• Quick and easy
• Requires that viewers have a stable internet connection
• Playback is not customizable
• Can’t be done in PPT version 2007 and earlier

2. How to Add a Video in Presentations Using an Embed Code

A more advanced way to embed YouTube videos in PowerPoint presentations is to use the embed code. This method allows you to customize the YouTube video’s attributes by using the YouTube API parameters.

Here’s a brief guide on how to embed a YouTube video in your PowerPoint slide:

•  Click on the Insert button or Enter.

Note: Before you add the YouTube video to PowerPoint, you can add some parameters to the code to make the video play the way you need it to. For example, you can let the video start playing automatically after a user opens the PowerPoint slide it has been placed in, or you can specify how many seconds from the start the video will begin and when it will end.

You can read about all the available YouTube API parameters here .

• More control over the online video’s playback and appearance with the help of parameters
• More time consuming than inserting a link
• An internet connection is required

3. How to Insert YouTube Videos in PowerPoint as Screencasts

While all of the above tips require viewers to have an internet connection, you can make your presentation internet independent by making a screen capture of the YouTube video by using the built-in screencasting tool. This option is available in PowerPoint 2013 and later versions. 

Here is how to embed a YouTube video in PowerPoint as a Screencast:

• Open the YouTube video you want to add and click Select Area on the control menu. You’ll see a cross-haired cursor. By clicking on it and dragging it, you can select the area of the screen that you want to record. Note: It automatically records the audio and the mouse pointer. To turn off these options, deselect Audio and Record Pointer on the control dock.

• When you’ve finished, save your presentation with a video: File tab > Save . The recording is now embedded in the selected PowerPoint slide.
• Video can be played offline
• The quality of the captured video content is lower than that of the original version
• Requires more time than other techniques (the time required depends on the duration of the video you capture)
• May violate author’s rights

4. How to Put a YouTube Video in PowerPoint via iSpring Suite

This method assumes that you need to add YouTube videos in PowerPoint presentations and then turn your PPT deck to HTML5 so users can open and view them in a browser or convert the entire PowerPoint presentation to video format . This is a perfect way to go if you want to insert a YouTube video into a PowerPoint document and then share your presentation online and protect it from plagiarism and unfair use. You can do this easily with the help of iSpring Suite, one of the most robust PowerPoint add-ins.

iSpring Suite

Fully-stocked eLearning authoring toolkit for PowerPoint. No training required to start!

Here are the simple steps on how to add a YouTube video to a PowerPoint deck before publishing it to the Web:

• Download iSpring Suite and install it on your computer. 

• Click on OK to insert a video into PowerPoint.
• To see how your PowerPoint presentation looks in a browser, click on the Preview button.

• Sharing options: slides can be shared online so learners can see them in a browser from any device (PC, laptop, tablet, or smartphone) and on any OS (Windows, Mac, etc.)
• Presentation can’t be edited by external sources after conversion, so copyrights will be protected
• Slides are safe behind a wall of protections – watermarks, passwords, and time and domain restrictions
• The PowerPoint presentation can’t be opened in offline mode
• Requires downloading third-party software

More than just a converter!

With iSpring Suite, you can not only insert a YouTube video into PowerPoint and convert your presentation to an online format, but you can also create versatile eLearning content. This is a top-rated authoring toolkit that allows you to create engaging online courses, quizzes, video tutorials, role-plays, and eLearning interactions. And no experience or tech skills are required. 

Start your free iSpring Suite trial now →

How to Choose the Best Way to Embed YouTube Videos in Presentations

To simplify matters, take a look at this chart. It compares the pros and cons of all described methods in one place, so you can choose the one that’s most suitable for your needs.

FAQ on How to Embed YouTube Videos in PowerPoint

1. what video formats are supported in powerpoint presentations.

Here are the video file formats you can add to your presentations.

• Windows Video (.asf)
• Windows Video (.avi)
• MP4 Video (.mp4, .m4v, .mov)
• Movie (.mpg, .mpeg)
• Windows Media Video (.wmv)

2. How do you embed YouTube videos in PowerPoint Presentations and have them play automatically?

This method works for the “Embed It as an Online Video” option. Once you’ve added a video in PowerPoint, you can control how it will play: automatically, when clicked, or in the click sequence. 

To set this up, go to the Playback tab of the PPT ribbon. It appears when you select the video on a presentation slide.

Then click the drop-down menu next to Start and choose Automatically if you want the video to begin as soon as you open the slide.

3. Why can’t I embed YouTube videos in my PowerPoint Presentation?

There may be different reasons why you can’t embed YouTube videos in PowerPoint. To understand this issue, check out this article by Microsoft.

4. PowerPoint can’t insert a video from the selected file. How can I fix it?

There could be several reasons why PPT isn’t allowing you to insert a video from the selected file. The first possible issue is a video format compatibility — PPT may not support the format of the video you are trying to insert. One more reason is codec issues. Codecs are software used to compress or decompress a video or audio file. If your system doesn’t have the correct codec, the file will not play. Check out this article by Microsoft to find out details.

5. Can I download YouTube videos?

There are certain limitations and legal aspects that you should be aware of. YouTube’s Terms of Service specify that videos are intended for streaming, not for downloading, and unauthorized downloading can violate copyright laws. There are also third-party services — free YouTube downloader apps that allow you to download videos from YouTube. But using such services might be against YouTube’s policies, potentially leading to the suspension of your account.

YouTube offers an official way to access videos through its own app for offline viewing, which is YouTube Premium, a subscription-based service. This is legal and permitted by YouTube’s policies.

Additionally, if you are the owner of the content or have explicit permission from the owner, you can download the video directly from YouTube’s site.

There are several ways to add YouTube videos to PowerPoint. Embedding YouTube videos may require different amounts of time and have various playback options. If you want to customize video playback, the best option will be to embed video content in your slide. If your task is capturing a video and inserting it into a PowerPoint presentation that will be played offline, record a screencast. And, finally, in case you want to share your presentation online and are concerned with its security, use iSpring Suite . 

Useful Resources on PowerPoint

We hope you found our step-by-step guide helpful. Are you a PowerPoint lover? If so, here are some other helpful articles that will provide all the tips on how to get the most out of PowerPoint and grab your audience’s attention:

• How to Share a PowerPoint Presentation Online
• How to Protect PowerPoint Presentations
• How to Add Narration to a PowerPoint Presentation
• How to Convert PowerPoint Presentation to an eLearning Module
• How to Remove the Background From a Picture in PowerPoint

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Content creator:

Helen Colman

She enjoys combining in-depth research with expert knowledge of the industry. If you have eLearning insights that you’d like to share, please get in touch .

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Blog > How to add a YouTube Video in PowerPoint

How to add a YouTube Video in PowerPoint

07.08.20   •  #powerpointtips.

Sometimes, you want to show your audience a YouTube video during a presentation. Some people do so by opening the browser, going to YouTube and then typing the video title into the search bar, when in fact there is a much easier and more convenient way. In the this post, you'll learn how you can directly insert a YouTube Video into PowerPoint that plays automatically on your slide. Also, we have got some great suggestions about videos you could show your audience.

You can watch our video (which is by the way inserted from YouTube as well) down below and learn how to add a video to your slides in just one minute! If you don't feel like watching the video, you can also follow the step-by-step guide down below.

Step-by-Step Tutorial

• Go to Insert in the PowerPoint task line on the top.
• Click on Video on the top right corner. Then choose the option Online Video .

• A window will open which will ask you to insert the video’s URL.

• Open the YouTube video you would like to embed in your browser. You can simply right click on the address bar in the browser and copy the URL. Alternatively, perform a right mouse click on the video, and then click on Copy Video URL .

• Go back to PowerPoint and insert the URL by either pressing CTRL+V or right click and then Paste . Then click on Insert .

• Your video will then be inserted on your current slide. Just like any element, you can change its size or move it around now.
• To start the video (either while editing or in presentation mode), simply click on the play button.

YouTube video with offline playback

With the previously described option, it is necessary to have a stable internet connection while presenting. As that can not always be guaranteed, there is also a way of inserting YouTube videos that work offline. Follow these steps:

• Open the YouTube Video in your Browser. Copy the URL by clicking the address bar and then Right Click > Copy.
• Open the website y2mate.com . Paste your copied URL into the text field, then click Start .

• Choose one of the options for download (and click the Download button. We recommend 1080p or 720p.

• A window will open, and your video will convert. When it's ready, click Download .mp4" .
• After your file has downloaded, you should see it in your Downloads folder in the browser. By clicking "Show in folder", you'll see where it's saved on your device.

• Right click on the file in your folder and click Copy .
• Go to the PowerPoint slide where you want your video to be placed. Right click and Paste . Your video should now appear and play if you click on it.

What kinds of videos can I use in a presentation?

Videos are an amazing way to liven up your presentation. Especially when you're talking for a long time, the audience tends to get tired. That's where a variation of multimedia elements, such as videos, can be helpful. We recommend putting videos in the main part of a presentation, but of course you may also start or finish by presenting a video to your audience. There is no limit for the type of video, the only guideline you should follow is relevance. Before mindlessly pasting a video to your slide, ask yourself: "What purpose does this video fulfill within my presentation?" Is it supposed to inform and teach the audience, is it something you really want everybody to see, or is it just a funny little clip to lighten the mood? All of those purposes are fine. With this tip, you're one step closer to a wonderful presentation! If you want to learn more about successful presentations and Audience Engagement, check out our blogpost Top 10 Tools for increasing Audience Engagement .

Set the start of your video

After you've added a video from YouTube, it starts to play by default when you click anywhere on the slide during the presentation. That's usually fine, but can sometimes be annoying, e.g. when you have more than one video on one slide. In that case, it is helpful to set the Start to When clicked on . The video then won't start until you click directly on it. You can do that by first clicking on your video, going to the Playback tab on the right and then select When clicked on in the Start-selection. By choosing Automatically here, your video will start automatically, without having to click on it.

Add a video from your device

If you want to add a video that is saved on your computer, you can do so by following the tutorial in our article Insert a local Video .

Useful Keyboard Shortcuts

How can I insert a YouTube video to PowerPoint?

Go to Insert > Video > Online Video. Copy the video URL from the address bar and paste it to the window that opens. Click Insert and your video should appear instantly.

Can I play a video directly on my PowerPoint slides?

Yes. You can insert a video from YouTube by using the URL, and it will be played directly on your slide. In our tutorial , you'll learn how to do so.

Can I play an offline video from YouTube in PowerPoint?

Yes, it is possible to play an offline YouTube video on your PowerPoint slides. We show you how it is done in our tutorial .

Related articles

About the author.

Pia Lehner-Mittermaier

Pia works in Marketing as a graphic designer and writer at SlideLizard. She uses her vivid imagination and creativity to produce good content.

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How to Insert a YouTube Video into a PowerPoint Presentation

Using embed or downloading the video

If you’re trying to get a YouTube video into your PowerPoint presentation, there are a couple of ways you can do it. The easiest method is to simply copy the embed code from the YouTube video and paste it into PowerPoint. However, that option require you have an active Internet connection during the presentation because the video will be streamed from the Internet.

The second option is to download the video from YouTube and then insert it as a movie file into PowerPoint. This is harder process because you’re going to have to find a website or tool to download the videos, which is not something YouTube officials supports, except for downloading your own videos. Then you’ll have to convert the files to AVI or WMV because PowerPoint doesn’t support the default format that YouTube videos are encoded in.

In this article, I’ll walk you through the steps to get your YouTube video into PowerPoint using both of these methods, however, you’ll have to Google around and find a way to download the YouTube video yourself.

Method 1 – Use Embed Code

If you’re using PowerPoint 2010 or higher, then there is a really nice option now that lets you insert videos from video-sharing websites like YouTube. Open PowerPoint and then click on Insert on the ribbon.

You’ll see a Video button and if you click on that, you’ll see the option for Video from Web Site . A box will pop up that asks you to paste in the embed code. Now you have to go get the embed code from YouTube. To do that, go to the video and then click on Share and then Embed .

Copy the code from the box that starts with <iframe width and then paste that into the box in PowerPoint.

Click Insert and your video should now be in the PowerPoint slide. You can move it around and even resize it just like any other PowerPoint object. When you play your slideshow, the video will start to play when the slide comes up.

Note that in order versions of PowerPoint, you will have to follow method 2, which means you’ll have to download the video, convert it and then insert it into PowerPoint. The second method is also for anyone who wants to include a YouTube video, but doesn’t have an Internet connection when the slideshow plays. With no Internet, the video won’t stream.

Method 2 – Download and Convert

As I mentioned above, downloading your own YouTube videos is very easy. Log into your YouTube account and click on your picture up at the top right. Then click on Creator Studio .

Now click on Video Manager in the left menu and you’ll see a list of all your videos. Click on the little down arrow next to Edit and click on Download MP4 .

When you go back to PowerPoint, this time you click on Insert, Video and then Video from File . Find your downloaded movie and it will be inserted into the presentation. Again, inserting the video this way will ensure you can play the video even if you don’t have an Internet connection.

If you want to download a YouTube that’s not your own, you’ll have to search Google for that first. Once you have downloaded the video, you can check out any of these two free sites for converting the Flash video to MP4, AVI or WMV.

http://www.online-convert.com/

http://convert-video-online.com/

Depending on the version of PowerPoint, the video formats supported may differ so here’s a breakdown for each version:

PowerPoint 2013 – AVI, MP4, M4V, MOV, MPG, MPEG, SWF, or WMV. Nothing has to be installed to insert these formats.

PowerPoint 2010 – SWF, AVI, MPG, MPEG, WMV. If Apple QuickTime is installed on the computer playing the presentation, then it can also support MP4 and MOV file formats.

PowerPoint 2007 – AVI, MPG, MPEG, WMV

Go ahead and convert your video to the appropriate format for your version of Office and then insert it using the method I showed above. That’s about it! If you have any trouble inserting videos into your PowerPoint presentation, post a comment and we’ll try to help. Enjoy!

Founder of Online Tech Tips and managing editor. He began blogging in 2007 and quit his job in 2010 to blog full-time. He has over 15 years of industry experience in IT and holds several technical certifications. Read Aseem's Full Bio

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The horror of the Key Bridge disappearing overnight

The bridge symbolized technological prowess and human connection. its collapse triggers darker emotions..

The video of the Francis Scott Key Bridge’s collapse now exists as a global icon, giving several billion people a seemingly intimate and shocking memory of a bridge they may never have seen or heard of until social media and journalism made it ubiquitous.

The video is fascinating, terrifying, mesmerizing, and it may confirm superstitions we often feel about things beyond our individual comprehension. How is it that airplanes stay up in the air, and tunnels don’t collapse under the weight of water and earth? Even the most agnostic brains will make quiet and reflexive supplication for protection before crossing a bridge as dramatic as the one that collapsed this week.

The loss of the bridge is first a human tragedy, for those injured or killed by its collapse. And then it is an economic shock, with a radiating toll that won’t be fully understood for years , and perhaps decades. But it’s also a powerful symbolic shock, given the metaphorical power of bridges as a form of connection, a symbol of our technical prowess, a point of civic pride and persistent desire to master and reshape the landscape.

On the day the Francis Scott Key Bridge opened in March 1977, the Baltimore Sun celebrated the views from the top of its giant steel-truss crossing: “In every direction from the harbor span lie dramatic vistas of the Port of Baltimore.” That included a marine terminal, the giant Bethlehem Steel plant and the Penn Central Canton rail yards. After delays and cost overruns, the new bridge was welcomed as yet more proof of the city’s ambition, its engineering prowess and its economic might.

The city hasn’t fared well in recent decades, and the newspaper’s breathless boosterism for new infrastructure sounds strangely dated. So, too, the name the bridge bears. We remember Francis Scott Key not only as the author of our national anthem’s lyrics, but also as an enslaver and staunch opponent of abolitionism. There is little enthusiasm for creating new memorials to him.

The Style section

But the Key Bridge was a marvel, and it remained a high point of any drive around the city of Baltimore until its collapse, early Tuesday morning, after being struck by a giant container ship. Since the middle of the last century, American infrastructure has been laid heavily and bluntly on the social and natural landscape. Interstate highways were plowed recklessly and cruelly through urban areas, too often dividing and polluting neighborhoods of the poor and people of color. Outside of cities, the standardized width, grades and slopes of the interstate highways seem designed to deny any connection to topography.

The Key Bridge, however, was a rare moment when your car seemed to soar, giving you a not-quite-bird’s-eye view of the peculiar geography and history of the East Coast. Any trip by train or highway along the heavily populated Mid-Atlantic seaboard involves myriad long bridges and tunnels to cross the bays, estuaries and wide rivers that stretch deep into the coastal plains. Baltimore is situated where it is because it provides safe harbor for ships. And many seemingly landlocked cities, like Richmond and Fredericksburg, lie near the last navigable point of major rivers that stretch fingers of trade and commerce into the country’s interior. Unlike the tunnels that carry Interstate 95 and I-895 across the harbor and Patapsco River, the Key Bridge offered an exhilarating experience of the landscape, and its connection to the early economy of colonial America.

A symbolic shock like Tuesday’s tends to lead the public toward darker emotions — horror, of course — but also fear, suspicion and even cynicism.

Like the photographs that emerge from wars or disaster, bombings, floods and earthquakes, the video of the bridge collapse doesn’t explain the things that feel most inexplicable. The more you watch it, the less it yields, until finally the mind flirts with some kind of metaphor or parable to make sense of it. Perhaps there is a fable of American decline or corruption or incompetence. It’s best not to amplify or extend the toxic theories that circulated in the immediate aftermath. But they are symptoms of the same phenomenon, a sudden, overwhelming craving for meaning, into which unscrupulous people will project their ugliest fancy.

In the video, the bridge faltered first on the left side of the frame, then in the center, and then its long truss snapped and the right span fell, all in a matter of a few seconds. The speed of its failure offers the first of the fables, that something must be desperately wrong with the design for it to collapse so quickly. But its rapid failure is directly related to the properties of a long, steel-truss bridge. Put simply: Each part of this bridge’s main span is helping the other parts do their work. Its elements are integrated into a whole, which allows less steel to bear more weight.

The engineering is fundamental to the bridge’s beauty. The main span of the Key Bridge, the one that flew high above the river allowing passage to ships beneath, sat on its four piers like a bird. Seen from a distance, it looked spidery and delicate. For centuries, advances in bridge technology have created a tension between efficiency — the ability to span greater distances with less structure — and an intuitive belief that bridges should be solid, heavy, formidable in their construction. When 18th-century London debated the design of a new Blackfriars bridge, Samuel Johnson argued vehemently for a heavier structure of semicircular arches, rather than what was built, a series of slightly more graceful semielliptical arches.

“The first excellence of a bridge built for commerce, over a large river, is strength,” he wrote in a 1759 public letter. He lost the argument, but his appeal to what seemed common sense — the old, round Roman arch was stronger and thus always preferable — still haunts our thinking about infrastructure, if we think of each project individually and unrelated to larger needs and systems.

But infrastructure isn’t just a collection of individual projects, but a larger collection of problems and responses. And to meet those demands efficiently, you build not the strongest bridge possible in every case, but the strongest necessary to meet a reasonable set of expectations and risks.

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The giant steel bridges the world began building in the 19th century embody the man-made sublime, delighting the eye and terrifying the mind with their ambition. Walt Whitman used to visit the great Eads Bridge in St. Louis to feast on the poetry of its design: “I have haunted the river every night lately, where I could look at the bridge by moonlight.” It was, he said, “a structure of perfection and beauty unsurpassable,” a sentiment more common when this technology was still new, and dazzling, and wasn’t routinely value-engineered out of the final design.

But when Benjamin Baker and John Fowler designed the equally beautiful Forth Bridge in Scotland, they had to demonstrate the engineering in a way that made its forces of tension and cantilevers intelligible to ordinary people. So, they had a picture taken of three men using chairs, broomsticks, weights and their arms to reproduce the logic of his design. In the middle, miraculously suspended in midair, sat Kaichi Watanabe, a Japanese engineer who was studying in the United Kingdom.

The image not only explained the bridge, but also made it human, extending its metaphorical power as a collective human project with collective benefits. It enacted in an almost comical way the basic trust we place in engineering that defies our individual comprehension.

There will be investigations and essential lessons learned from the tragedy earlier this week. People trying to bypass Baltimore will be inconvenienced, and people who live there will be unnecessarily burdened , but there will also be workarounds and adaptation. And slowly, the images, fables and analogies that govern our thinking about bridges will revert to where they have been for centuries: They are a means of connection, essential, often beautiful, sometimes terrifying, and never more so than when they are miraculous in their efficiency of design.

Baltimore bridge collapse

How it happened: Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being hit by a cargo ship . The container ship lost power shortly before hitting the bridge, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said. Video shows the bridge collapse in under 40 seconds.

Victims: Divers have recovered the bodies of two construction workers , officials said. They were fathers, husbands and hard workers . A mayday call from the ship prompted first responders to shut down traffic on the four-lane bridge, saving lives.

Economic impact: The collapse of the bridge severed ocean links to the Port of Baltimore, which provides about 20,000 jobs to the area . See how the collapse will disrupt the supply of cars, coal and other goods .

Rebuilding: The bridge, built in the 1970s , will probably take years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars to rebuild , experts said.

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