Embedding Video in PowerPoint

There are various ways to embed a video in a PowerPoint presentation, and the method depends on the version you have installed.

PowerPoint for Office 365 or 2019 for Windows

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

In PowerPoint for Office 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.

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 website, rather than in your presentation, you must be connected to the internet for the video to play successfully.

Insert a web video

  1. In your web browser, locate the video you want.
  2. Copy the URL of the web page from your browser's "Address."
  3. Switch back to PowerPoint and select the slide where you want to place the video.
  4. On the "Insert" tab of the ribbon, select "Video" > "Online Video."
  5. In the "Online Video" dialog box, paste the URL you copied in step 2.
  6. 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 space bar to advance to the next step in your click sequence.

PowerPoint for Office 365 for Mac or PowerPoint 2019 for Mac

In PowerPoint for Office 365 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 (such as versions 2016 and 2011) don't support inserting an online video.

In PowerPoint for Office 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. This feature requires PowerPoint for Office 365 for Mac version 16.27 or later.

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 website, rather than in your presentation, you must be connected to the internet for the video to play successfully.

Insert a web video

  1. In your web browser, locate the video you want.
  2. Copy the URL of the web page from your browser's Address bar.
  3. Switch to PowerPoint and select the slide where you want to place the video.
  4. On the "Insert" tab of the ribbon, in the "Media" group at the right end, select "Video." Then select "Online Movie."
  5. In the dialog box, paste the URL you copied in step 2.
  6. Click "Insert."

The video is added to the slide.

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

Want to insert a video from your computer instead?

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

Requirements

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

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

PowerPoint 2016 for Windows

  1. Go to the "Insert" tab.
  2. From the video dropdown menu, select either "Video from file" or "Video from YouTube."
  3. If you have the video saved to your computer, make sure it's saved in .mp4 format for the most compatible use.
  4. If you search for a video on YouTube, it will place the video within the slide.


Insert online video

PowerPoint 2016 for Mac

  1. In Normal view, select the slide on which you'd like to add a video.
  2. On the "Insert" tab, click "Video." Select the option you want to use for inserting a video.
    • Note: The Movie Browser helps you browse through existing videos on your computer from iPhoto or Photo Booth. If your video is stored in a different location, you can find it by selecting "Movie from File."
  3. Select the movie you want to embed. Or, if you just want to add a link to a video, choose "Movie from File" and select the "Link to file" check box.
  4. For further instructions on PowerPoint 2016 for the Mac, visit Microsoft's support pages.

Visit LinkedIn Learning for further training on PowerPoint.

Was this helpful?
0 reviews
Print Article