Keeping an audience engaged and interested during a presentation is almost as crucial as providing valuable information. One surefire method of keeping an audience’s attention is through visual aids that add an extra layer of explanation beyond mere text.
That’s where video comes in, a form of visual media that is abundant online and can be incorporated into presentations to great effect. In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about adding a video in PowerPoint.
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How to add a video in PowerPoint
Step One: Find Your Video
Whether it’s from a third-party streaming site like YouTube or Vimeo or a video pulled from your own device, you need to identify the video that you want to use.
Copy the video file to your computer if you’re not streaming it from the internet to make sure that you won’t encounter any playback issues during your presentation.
Step Two: Insert the Video
Once you have your video selected, it’s time to insert it into your PowerPoint presentation. To get started, open PowerPoint and navigate to the slide on which you’d like to insert a video.
At the top of the PowerPoint window, click on the “Insert” tab, and then click on the “Video” drop-down.
Step Three: Choose Your Preferred Video Method
From there, you will have to decide the kind of video player that you want to insert. The options are either “Online Video” or “Video on My PC.”
If you already have a video downloaded or copied into your PC, “Video on my PC” is the best option. You will be taken to a file explorer where you can navigate to find the video you are looking for.
Click the insert button, and your video will appear on your slide. Alternatively, if you want to directly embed video from third-party websites, select “Online Video.” You will be presented with three options:
- “Search” – this will let you look for YouTube videos directly from the PowerPoint interface. You can browse, preview, and select the video you want.
- “From a Video Embed Code” – this will allow you to enter the video embed code from any video hosting website that supports sharing.
- “From a SharePoint Online Site” – this will let you link to a video file from your company’s SharePoint site.
Step Four: Adjust Video Settings
Once you have selected the video, the video will be added to your slide. At this point, you can resize the video player to fit your slide’s dimensions.
Pick the video player by clicking on the video border, then use the sizing points on the border to adjust it accordingly. PowerPoint allows you also to crop the video or use specific video styles.
Step Five: Test Your Video
After the video is inserted and positioned, ensure that you preview it by clicking on the “Play” button in the center of the video.
Play through the video for a couple of seconds to ensure that it plays smoothly to prevent any awkward pauses or stage fright during your presentation.
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Conclusion
Adding a video to your PowerPoint presentation is an excellent way to get your audience’s attention and convey your message effectively.
Following the steps provided should help you insert your selected video seamlessly. Remember to test the video, adjust the video settings, and ensure that it plays smoothly to guarantee a smooth presentation.