How to add a video to PowerPoint

Are you in search of an eye-catching or engaging visual for your presentation? Do you want to show instructions or a demonstration in an effective way? For these types of situations and many more, consider adding a video to your PowerPoint slideshow.

You can insert a saved, stock, or online video easily onto your slide. Additionally, you can capture a screen recording on the spot directly from PowerPoint.

We’ll show you how to add each of these video types in PowerPoint along with how to edit the video, improve its appearance, and use Plus AI to create an entire presentation from a video.

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Method 1: Add a saved video

If you have a video saved to your device, you can insert it onto a slide in PowerPoint in just a few clicks.

1. With the slide in view, go to the Insert tab, open the Video menu in the ribbon, and choose This Device. some text
   • On Mac, you can pick Movie from File to browse for the video or Movie Browser to add one from an app like Photos or Photo Booth.

2. Navigate to the location of the video, select it, and click Insert. some text
   • If you’re using the Movie Browser on Mac, simply drag the video onto the slide.

3. You’ll then see your video with the Play/Pause button on the bottom left along with Move Back, Move Forward, and Mute/Unmute/Volume controls to the right.

Method 2: Add a stock video

Maybe you’d like to search for a video to use in your PowerPoint presentation. You can choose from a collection of options provided by Microsoft.

1. With the slide in view, go to the Insert tab, open the Video menu in the ribbon, and choose Stock Videos.

2. When the Stock Images window opens, you’ll see Videos selected by default at the top. You can then use the Search box to find a video by keyword or choose from the topics to narrow down your choices.

3. Select the video you want to use and click Insert to place it on your slide.

4. You can then move the video where you want it or resize it by dragging a corner. And, you have the same buttons described earlier to Play, Pause, Move Back or Forward, and adjust the Volume.

Method 3: Add an online video

Is the video you want to use on a website like YouTube, Vimeo, or Stream? You can grab the URL for the video and enter it in PowerPoint to add the video to your slide.

1. Visit the site containing the video and play it as you normally would. Select the link to the video in the address bar of your web browser, right-click, and pick Copy. Alternatively, you can look at the site’s sharing option for the video to obtain the link.

2. Return to PowerPoint and open the slide. Go to the Insert tab, open the Video menu in the ribbon, and choose Online Videos.

3. Place your cursor in the box at the top of the pop-up window, right-click, and pick Paste.

4. When the preview of the video displays, click Insert to add it to the slide.

Tip: Look at additional ways to add a YouTube video to PowerPoint.

Method 4: Add a screen recording

One more way to add a video in PowerPoint is to capture a recording of your screen. This is handy if you want to show steps for an application or how to perform an action on your computer.

1. With the slide in view, go to the Insert tab and choose Screen Recording.

2. When the toolbar displays at the top, click Select Area to drag the red dotted line around the area of the screen you want to record.

3. Optionally, click the Audio and Record Pointer buttons to include the sound and cursor in the video. Note these buttons are gray when selected as shown below.

4. Use the remaining buttons during the recording:some text
   • Click Record to capture the screen recording.
   • Click Pause to temporarily stop recording and Record to resume.
   • Click Stop (red square) to stop recording and insert the video on your slide.

You’ll then have the screen recording as a video for your presentation.

Edit the video playback in PowerPoint

After you insert your video, you can edit it using the tools in PowerPoint. So, you can do things like trim the video, add a fade in or out effect, and loop the clip until you manually stop the playback.

Note: You have limited options when using an online video.

Select the video on the slide and head to the Playback tab that displays.

Trim: Select Trim Video to open the editing pop-up window. Drag the green or red slider to remove portions from the beginning or end of the video. Alternatively, you can use the Previous Frame or Next Frame button to trim in small increments or enter the Start Time and End Time in the corresponding boxes. Select OK when you finish.

Fade In or Out: Enter the timing in the Fade In or Fade Out box. You can also use those arrows to move up or down in small increments.

Loop: Check the box for Loop until stopped in the Video Options section of the ribbon.

You can also look at the other features on the Playback tab for how to Start the video, Play it in Full Screen, or Rewind after Playing the video during the presentation.

Adjust the video appearance in PowerPoint

Along with the playback options, you can adjust the appearance of the video in PowerPoint.

Select the video on the slide and head to the Video Format tab that displays. Then, use the following sections of the ribbon to make your changes.

Adjust: Change the brightness and contrast or recolor the clip.

Video Styles: Choose a design, add a border, or include an effect.

Arrange and Size: Rotate, align, resize, or crop the video.

Create slides from a video with Plus AI

Using artificial intelligence, you can quickly and easily create a presentation based off of a video. With Plus AI, you simply enter the link to the video and you’ll have a PowerPoint slideshow in no time!

When you open a blank slideshow and access the Plus AI add-on to make a new presentation, insert the video URL as the prompt. Then, create the presentation or generate an editable outline.

From there, you can adjust the presentation as you normally would in PowerPoint and get helpful tips from Plus AI to enhance the slideshow.

Visit the Plus AI website for more information on features and to start your free trial!

Conclusion

Adding a video to your PowerPoint presentation can greatly improve your slideshow if used correctly. To show instructions, a demonstration, a music video, a movie trailer, or whatever complements your main topic, consider using this popular media type.

FAQs

How to embed a video in Slides?

If you use Google Slides instead of or in addition to PowerPoint, you can insert a video there just as easily. Select Insert > Video in the menu and then search YouTube, paste the video link, or choose a saved video from your Google Drive.

How to embed a video in PowerPoint to play automatically?

To start the video playback as soon as you land on the PowerPoint slide, select the video and open the Playback tab. Next to Start, choose Automatically in the drop-down list.

How do you link a video in PowerPoint instead of embed?

You can add a link to text or another slide element if you prefer to access your video that way instead. Select the text and go to Insert > Link > Insert Link. In the Insert Hyperlink window, pick Existing File or Web Page on the left and enter the link to the video in the Address box. Click OK to insert the video link.