Today, I’m going to show you how to embed a video in PowerPoint to make your presentations come to life. I'm also going to cover some of the best practices for creating a PowerPoint presentation, as well as the frequently asked questions about inserting video in PowerPoint.

So, shall we get started?

How to upload a video to PowerPoint from your desktop or laptop

Embedding video in PowerPoint makes your file size larger. But it allows you to share a video with your audience without frantically looking for it on your computer while presenting. This tutorial is for PowerPoint 365. If you’re using an older version there might be some differences but you should still be able to follow along just fine.


Just follow these five easy steps:

1. Start by opening your PowerPoint presentation and navigating to the slide where you want to insert your video.

2. Then, click the “Insert” tab.

3. Now, in the top right corner, click the arrow under the "Video" button, or in PowerPoint 365, click the arrow beside the "Video" button.

4. Next, click "Video on My PC/Movie from File" and select the video you want to insert. Then, click the “Insert” button.

5. The video will now appear on your slide. You can resize it or move it around on the slide as you see fit.

And that’s it. You’re good to go! Don’t forget to preview your entire presentation to ensure your video plays exactly as you want it to. 

How to link a video in PowerPoint 

Another method for inserting video in PowerPoint is to link the media on your slide to an external source or file. It will keep your presentation file size small as it will launch the video from its location on your PC. However, the link may be broken if you move the source video to a different location on your computer.

Here’s how to do it:

1. In the top left corner, click the “Insert” tab.

2. Then, click the arrow under the “Video” button

3. On the drop-down menu, click “Video on my PC/Movie from file.”

4. Now, click the drop-down arrow beside or under “Insert” and select “Link to file.” If you’re using PowerPoint 365, click the “Option” button, then select “Link to file.”

4. Choose your video, then click “Insert.” 

And voila! You’re all set! We suggest keeping your linked video and your PowerPoint presentation in the same folder so as not to lose either of them. 

How to put a YouTube video in a PowerPoint

You can also add an online video to your PowerPoint presentation. This is a much better approach because you won’t have to download a video and it won’t add anything to your PowerPoint’s file size. However, to play the video during your presentation, you must have an internet connection.

Embedding a video from YouTube depends on the version of your PowerPoint. I’ll walk you through the process for PowerPoint 365, but it’s not that different from the earlier PowerPoint versions.  

1. Copy the video’s URL from the address bar of your computer's web browser.

2. Choose the PowerPoint slide onto which you want to insert the video and click the "Insert" tab 

3. Now, click “Video,” then choose “Online Video/Movie…

4. Once the online dialog box appears, paste the YouTube video URL and click “Insert.”

5. Now, click Play Video to ensure the video was successfully added.

Best Practices for Video PowerPoint Presentations from Ben, VEED’s Head of Enterprise

Download your videos to avoid issues from a bad internet connection when making and presenting your video PowerPoint

While inserting online videos in PowerPoint is a convenient way to avoid increasing the file size, you'll need an internet connection to play them while presenting. And what if your internet connection goes down during your presentation? Will you find your way out of this mess? Most likely, but it’s better to prepare for this situation. 

Download video files from websites such as YouTube, Vimeo, or VEED, so you don't have to worry about retrieving them if your internet goes down. It's also a good idea to save your completed PowerPoint so you can present it if there are any connectivity issues during an in-person presentation.

Know when to upload a video vs. link to a video inside a PowerPoint

If you have lots of videos in your PowerPoint presentation, expect the file size to be huge. What you can do is to choose videos you can do without or whose content you can explain on your own, and then link to that video and let it stream over the internet. This is a great tip in case an internet connection issue arises. But, it’s always best to download the video as a backup just in case something happens.

Why should you embed a VEED video instead of a YouTube video for professional PowerPoint presentations?

Youtube videos play distracting off-topic advertisements, which we don’t want to see during a presentation. You’ll never have that problem with videos you create, edit, save, and share with VEED.

You can also use VEED to clean your audio, add subtitles to your video, and even translate it. This is useful when presenting to a global audience. 

VEED can also help you take your presentation to the next level. Use our teleprompter to avoid forgetting your lines. You can also use our screen recorder tool to record yourself talking through your PowerPoint slides. Turn on your camera to keep your video personalized.

How to link to a VEED video inside of PowerPoint

1. Upload your video to VEED. You can even import a YouTube video from the video’s URL.
2. (Optional) Edit the video if needed
3. Click on export
4. Click on ‘share’ to copy and paste the video share link to the text (or image) on your presentation that’ll be hyperlinked.

Keep videos between 30 to 90 seconds long

Use videos to enhance your presentation, not to replace it. People don't have long attention spans, so keep it short but sweet. You only have the first 2.7 seconds of your video to capture your audience’s attention before they tune out.

In general, 60 to 90 seconds is the video duration sweet spot for engagement. 

According to Forbes, the ideal video length for a presentation is only 30-60 seconds long because studies have shown that 75% of people will likely stick with a video if it’s only 60 seconds long.

Cover only one idea per video so the content is easy to digest. 

Look into your camera’s lens and pace yourself

When recording, look directly into the camera lens. This is like looking your audience in the eyes.. They’ll feel as if you are speaking directly to them.

You can edit or re-record your lines using VEED's screen recording and teleprompter tool. You can also cut out the pauses before returning your gaze to the camera.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you link to a video in Powerpoint? 

1. Take a screenshot of the video. For Mac users, simply press command + shift + 3; for PC users, press the PrtScn (Printscreen) key on your keyboard.

2. Click the slide where you want to insert the image. 

3. Insert the screen-grabbed image onto the slide by clicking “Insert'' then clicking “Picture from file.” 

4. Resize your image

5. Click the image, then go to “Insert,” then toggle down to “Hyperlink.”

6. Copy and paste the video link into the hyperlink dialogue box, then click OK. Use a YouTube video link if you don’t mind ads running. Use a video share link from VEED for an ad-free PowerPoint presentation.

How do I embed a video in a PowerPoint without a link?

The best option is to download it to your computer, then follow the steps for uploading video to PowerPoint from your desktop or laptop. You can also use VEED to download videos. Just paste the video’s URL into the upload screen. Export the video, then click “Download MP4”.

Why can I not embed a video in PowerPoint?

If you cannot insert video in PowerPoint, it’s possible the video you’re trying to embed isn’t compatible with Microsoft Office PowerPoint, the file is missing, the file moved, or the file is corrupted. It could also be because the actual PowerPoint file is missing plugins needed to insert the video.

How do you embed Vimeo videos in PowerPoint

1. Go to your Vimeo video library and find the video you want to embed.

2. Click on the “Link” icon.

3. Then select “Copy Video Link” or “Copy Embed Video.” It doesn’t matter which one you choose, as you’ll need the internet to play the video anyway. 

4. Paste the URL or embed code into the PowerPoint, then proceed as if you were embedding a YouTube video.

How do you make a video on Powerpoint?1. Create slides- Structure your video with a title, body, and concluding slides by adding images, texts, and layer elements.

2. Add animations- Go to the animation ribbon and animate the key elements on your slide.

3. Insert video into PowerPoint- Navigate to the "Slideshow" tab and click "Record Slideshow" to insert an existing video or create screen recordings.Then hit the “Record” button.

4. Insert Audio- Go to the "Insert" tab and then click on the Audio in the top right corner of the PowerPoint. Then, from the drop-down menu, choose "Audio on My PC" or "Audio from file."

5. Export- Once you’re done adding animations, videos, and sound to your PowerPoint slides, it’s time to export the presentation as a video by clicking “File” and then “Export.” Then click on “Create a Video,” or for those using MS PowerPoint 365, choose where to save the video and change the file format to MP4. 

How do you put a YouTube video in PowerPoint without ads?

1. Copy the YouTube video's URL that you want to embed.

2. Go to VEED.IO and paste the URL in the upload screen.

3. Export the video.

4. Click and copy the share link to put the ad-free YouTube video in the PowerPoint.

Make video presentations people love to watch quickly and easily

Now that you know how to embed a video in PowerPoint it's time to go give it a shot! 

Make your presentation stand out by inserting videos in PowerPoint. Need to make a sales presentation at work? Make a screencast and use VEED’s screen recording and teleprompter tools. Harness the power of videos and make your PowerPoint more interesting.

Whether you’re an editing pro or a beginner, VEED can help you make and share videos people will love quickly and easily. No need to download any software! It’s an online video editor readily available to you! Try using it for your first or next PowerPoint presentation.