how to play video in keynote presentation

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How to Use Apple Keynote (Ultimate Tutorial Guide)

In this guide, you'll learn the basics of how to use Apple's Keynote presentation software. Learn all about Keynote whether you're a complete beginner or trying to improve on your existing skills.

Apple Keynote is slideshow presentation software that features an elegant and easy-to-use interface. You'll be creating great presentations in no time. It's built into Mac computers, making it a great choice for Mac users. Also, Keynote files can easily be converted to Microsoft's PowerPoint if necessary.

How to Use Keynote to Make Powerful Presentations

One of the best ways to create a powerful presentation with Keynote is to download and use a template. There are hundreds of professional Keynote templates you can use available through Envato Elements and GraphicRiver . Here are some examples of just a few of them:

How to Use this Tutorial

Learn all about using Keynote, from setting up your slide designs to working with text, images, video, charts, multi-media, and more. Learn how to work with Keynote's core presentation tools to make great presentations quickly.

If you only have a few minutes to spare, then be sure to watch a few of our one-minute Keynote tutorial videos. Otherwise, jump into one of these comprehensive beginner tutorials.

Note : Be sure bookmark this Apple Keynote tutorial guide to start working through each tutorial at your own pace.

What Is Apple Keynote Software? +How to Start Using It to Make Presentations

How to Create a Basic Keynote Presentation (On Your Mac)

How to Make a Great Presentation in Keynote With Template Designs

How to Use Keynote Slides (Layout Dimensions, Sizes, & Design)

How to Add Pictures & Backgrounds in Keynote Presentations

How to Rotate Text & Shapes in Keynote in 60 Seconds

Keynote Magic Move: How to Use Slide Transition Effects

How to Quickly Make a Timeline in Keynote With Templates

How to Add Video & Music Files in Keynote Presentations

How to Make Flowcharts & Gantt Charts in Keynote With Templates

How to Use Apple Keynote Live to Stream Presentations on the Web

How to Convert Keynote to PowerPoint (PDF, & More) on Export (+Video)

How to Convert PowerPoint (PPTX) for Mac Keynote Presentations (W/Video)

How to Quickly Change Keynote Custom Themes (In 60 Seconds)

What is the Apple Keynote App Advantage? (Create Presentation Designs Simply)

Keynote for Apple Mac: 15+ Top Presentation Tips & Tricks for 2019

How to Create a Keynote Presentation Template Design

Preparing Your Mac for a Presentation

Getting Started With Keynote on OS X

How to Embed a YouTube Video in Keynote

If you’ve ever wanted to embed a YouTube video in Keynote to create a more engaging slideshow for in-person or recorded presentations, don’t worry. It’s not complicated at all.

We’re going to take you through how to embed a YouTube video in Keynote step-by-step, and share a few tips for how to use video to supercharge your presentations.

You don’t need any special software, and you’ll be all set with a video-packed presentation in minutes!

Find the Perfect Keynote Template

Finding the perfect Keynote template can be tricky. With an Envato membership, you can explore thousands of high-quality Keynote templates, and many other design assets. It starts at $16 per month, and gives you unlimited access to a growing library of over 19+ million presentation templates, fonts, photos, graphics, and more.

Rockstar Template

Dope Keynote Template

Keynote Infographics

Explore Keynote Templates

Can I Embed a YouTube Video in Keynote?

Video content can be a great way to take a presentation to the next level. Moving content can be a great way to enhance the story you are telling to a live or online audience.

YouTube is one of the most used video platforms available, so it’s no wonder that you’d likely want to embed a video from this service into your presentation.

Keynote doesn’t actually provide a tool for embedding a YouTube video in a slide at this time, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to do it.

While there’s no one-click solution here – at least not yet anyway – you can add a YouTube video to Keynote fairly easily. The nice thing about these options is that you don’t have to have any extra equipment or capability to do it.

How to Add a YouTube Video to Keynote

You have two options that allow you to use a YouTube video in a Keynote presentation.

Option 1: Download and Embed

If you are pulling a YouTube video from your own channel, the best option might be to download the video to add it to keynote. (You can also use a tool such as Video Grabber .)

Choose the method that works best for you and save the video somewhere with easy access, such as your desktop.

Open Keynote and navigate to the slide where you want the video to appear.

Then navigate to the Insert menu and select “Choose.” Navigate to your saved video file and select it. Click “Insert” to add it to the slide that’s open on your screen.

The video will insert at full width. You can use the handles to scale the video up or down and drag and drop to position it in the location you want on the slide.

Click anywhere on the video to play. Click again to pause using a click to toggle action.

You can also add styles to the video frame using the Style menu. There are plenty of preset “Movie Styles” to choose from.

Use the Movie menu to adjust the volume or other video controls such as fast-forward or rewind.

Use the Arrange menu to adjust size, position, and rotation options.

Option 2: Connect with LiveSlides App

The LiveSlides app is a free add-in for Keynote that allows you to play video from YouTube in Keynote. You can download it here.

Once the file is downloaded, you’ll need to drag and drop the LiveSlides icon into your Application folder.

Open Keynote and navigate to the slide where you want to embed the video.

Open the LiveSlides app and paste the YouTube URL into the “Login” box. This will insert a placeholder panel in the presentation.

When you click “Play” the video will automatically start playing on that slide in Keynote.

You can use the handles and controls to adjust the size and position of the video box just as you would with any other image in Keynote.

3 Tips for Using Video in Presentations

Using a video in a presentation can add an element that can help keep the audience engaged and interested in what you have to say. It can break up the monotony of a speech and help get a message across more clearly.

Here are three tips for using video in presentations:

• Keep the video short. Less than 2 minutes is ideal and even just a few seconds of video can be engaging.
• Optimize video content for your surroundings. If sound is necessary, make sure the presentation environment supports it. If you are using live video, such as the LiveSlides app, make sure you have an internet connection where you’ll be presenting. (This can help avoind embarrassing technical glitches.)
• Make sure video clips are relevant to the overall presentation and don’t overuse them. Most presentations only contain one of two video clips.

YouTube videos are a quick and easy way to add extra engagement to a presentation. Even though you can’t directly embed in Keynote, there are some simple workarounds with allow you to add video files.

Playing Video Or Audio Across Keynote Slides

Check out Playing Video Or Audio Across Keynote Slides at YouTube for closed captioning and more options.

Comments: 16 Responses to “Playing Video Or Audio Across Keynote Slides”

I just tried this using the Magic Move transition, and had the video smoothly glide to a different position, and then smoothly enlarge to full screen! I especially like the example you gave of using a full-screen full-resolution video as a background!

I will say I was disappointed in the "Play Slideshow in Window" feature. There have been times when I've wanted this, but it doesn't show presenter notes or next slide preview, so not that useful for me personally.

Gary, can the playing video across Keynote slides process be used like a crawl to advertise something like a starting date and time of a class?

Jeanne: Sure, but it may be overkill. If you just want some text or graphics on several slides, just put those on those slides. No need to make it a video.

What would be nice now is to have the audio to fade in or fade out. Does that feature exist?

Michael: No, not in Keynote. Depending on what you are doing, you could build your thing in iMovie instead. Or, build in Keynote, export as video, bring into iMovie to add the audio. Or, if you are developing a presentation, not a video, then you can always use GarageBand or Audacity to add the fade in and out to versions of the audio files and use those files in Keynote.

Hello, Gary. This is very clear, thank you. There is a feature in PowerPoint called "Rehearse Timings" which allows you to play a slideshow in Preview and click when you want the slide to change. When you've finished the slideshow, PowerPoint allows you to save the timings, so you don't have to go through the laborious process of figuring out the timing for each slide. Does Keynote have an equivalent? Thanks!

John: Is the idea that you want the presentation to play automatically, advancing to each slide as you go? You can use Record Slideshow and Play Recorded Slideshow for that. There is a mute button in the recording interface to turn off the mic if you don't want it to pick up any sound.

That solved it. Also looked at your video on "Using Keynote to Create Narrated Videos." Very helpful, thanks for the quick response!

I tried this and works fine until i go backwards. As soon as I go back a slide, then the video stops. Is there a way to keep the video playing no matter which direction you go?

Kido: Not that I know of. It just works how it works.

have a Keynote (Mac) slide show with pre-recorded audio track set to automatically change. The first 7 slides work perfectly. All Following slides (20 total) will not advance. All are set with one second transitions, and set to "automatic". Have tried adjusting the transition lengths as well as small tweaks to the slide duration. I'm at a loss. Any ideas?

Tim: Just a matter of checking everything again. Check the Build Order for each slide and each element in the Build Order.

Thx Gary. I thought that maybe the fact the the one slide that was hanging up was very short in duration( 6 seconds), that using a simple 1 second dissolve was the issue? Nope. Re: your comment on the "build" Order. It's my understanding (and pls correct me), is for moving elements in the slides, title reveals etc. These are just static slides, no reveals etc. Titles on a static background. I've checked and double checked it. The first 7 slides perform perfectly. I'll keep looking

I think I'll delete that troublesome slide and re-generate it and drop it in. I have a scratch copy of the show and I just did the dissolve thing, and that one works. I'll let you know. thx again.

Strange occurance. Removing that specific slide fixes it. I re-built the troublesome slide (new) and dropped it into the sequence. Same problem. Crash. I can edit my audio to fix. Thx Gary.

Very helpful video. I discovered more than I was looking for! Thanks.

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How to use Keynote’s new Play Slideshow in Window feature with videoconferencing services

Keynote is designed best for presenters to work across two screens. One is typically a projector or large monitor; the other, a laptop screen or computer screen in front of the presenter. Keynote fills that second screen with a variety of presenter’s tools, like notes, thumbnails of the previous and next slides, and a time-elapsed clock.

In a normal two-screen Keynote presentation, slides occupy one screen (as at top), while presenter’s tools, including notes, fit on another screen.

In the new world of always-online meetings, whether professional or social club, you might have frequently been frustrated, even if you have two monitors at home. Full-screen app mode in macOS in general doesn’t interact well with Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and other videoconferencing tools, because you typically must stay in the app that’s gone full screen to keep it working in that fashion.

In particular, Keynote is tricky. In Zoom, for instance, you have to open the Keynote slide deck and not enter slideshow mode ( Play > Play Slideshow ). Instead, you switch back to Zoom, use its screen-sharing option to select the Keynote slide window, then return to Keynote and start the presentation.

However, even with all that monkeying about, you must remain in Keynote to present. Some conferencing tools (including Zoom), let you have access through floating overlays to certain features. Zoom can show a resizable strip of the participants watching the session, for instance. (Keynote does offer the option to press H—not Command-H, but simply H—to hide Keynote in presentation mode and return to the previous app without breaking out of full-screen mode.)

With a new option introduced in July by Apple to Keynote, however, you can have more control and flexibility, particularly if you want to switch among other apps or remain largely in the videoconferencing app while presenting. My trick combines that new presentation option with the Keynote for iOS/iPadOS app.

Apple added Play > Play Slideshow in Window to Keynote, which presents slides with full interactivity in a regular window instead of the previously required single- or dual-monitor full-screen mode. The presentation window can be resized and moved around. You can start the slideshow and then share its window in a videoconferencing app, so you don’t have to show the raw Keynote interface at all before you start the presentation, as you do with a full-screen slideshow.

A slide presentation in Zoom using Play Slideshow in Window looks just as good as when using Keynote’s full-screen mode.

Because the Slideshow in Window option is a regular window, you can switch among apps without causing problems with Keynote. But two problems remain: First, you have to return to the window to advance slides (or go backwards). Second, none of the presenter’s tools are available.

That’s where the mobile app comes in. With Keynote on your iPhone or iPad, you can use the Keynote Remote feature to link the app to your Mac. (See Apple’s step-by-step instructions here on pairing your devices via the Keynote apps.)

Once paired, you can use this sequence to share a Keynote screen. The example that follows is for Zoom, but it works with any tool that allows screen-sharing of a window or portion of a window:

Open your slide deck in Keynote for macOS.

Choose Play > Play Slideshow in Window .

In an active Zoom meeting on your Mac, click the Share Screen button and select the Keynote window from the Basic tab. Click Share .

On your iPhone or iPad, use Keynote Remote to select your Mac and tap Play (even though the presentation is already playing—this tap asserts control by the Keynote mobile app).

Tap the side-by-side screen icon and select a mode that shows you notes and slides as you like. You can pick among Current and Notes, Next and Notes, and Notes Only to see your notes.

The mobile Keynote app lets you remotely control a presentation in macOS.

You can now get the best of all worlds. Advance or pick slides from the mobile app; read your notes as needed on the mobile app; have full access to macOS without worrying about disturbing the Keynote presentation.

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We’ve compiled a list of the questions we get asked most frequently along with answers and links to columns: read our super FAQ to see if your question is covered. If not, we’re always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours to [email protected] including screen captures as appropriate, and whether you want your full name used. Not every question will be answered, we don’t reply to email, and we cannot provide direct troubleshooting advice.

Author: Glenn Fleishman , Contributor

Glenn Fleishman’s most recent books include Take Control of iOS and iPadOS Privacy and Security, Take Control of Calendar and Reminders, and Take Control of Securing Your Mac. In his spare time, he writes about printing and type history. He’s a senior contributor to Macworld, where he writes Mac 911.

Recent stories by Glenn Fleishman:

• How to make noncontiguous selections in Pages, Numbers, and Keynote
• How to show fonts in Pages for macOS that don’t appear in the menu
• How to remove a Google Maps subscription

Tutorial: How to make animated videos with keynote

Many creators are hoping to create professional-looking videos for your online course, but are not sure where to start. Using Keynote (or its Microsoft equivalent, PowerPoint) is a simple and fun way to make beautiful videos at home . It’s relatively easy to make an animated videos with Keynote. We’ll show you how.

Transforming Keynote to video

Animation on Keynote is kind of magical. And it’s way more powerful than you might think.

For example, we made this colorful white-boarding presentation all on Keynote. But, you probably couldn’t tell right away by just looking at it. Just think about all the weeks or months you’d have to spend learning complex animation software to get the same results. Even the process of selecting animation software is overwhelming, and can be a huge barrier to new course creators.

You can harness this power too. And it’s not nearly as difficult as you might think. Below, we’ll walk you through step-by-step how to make animated videos with Keynote (without it even looking like Keynote at all).

Step 1: Make your presentation

Create a new keynote.

Create a new Keynote presentation to start. You’ll see that a new Keynote theme usually begins in “standard” size. Standard isn’t good for video, so you want wide instead.

Select “Wide” at the top and choose the theme you want to begin with.

Set up the right dimensions

Before you start changing around colors, or adding text and images, this is the most important action you’ll take. Customize your dimensions so they fit YouTube’s high-quality resolution. This will also upload seamlessly onto Teachable’s platform.

To do this, check out the righthand bar of your Keynote program. Select Document . Then you’ll see a category below named Slide Size . Click on that, and toggle to Custom Slide Size.

Next, enter the optimal custom slide size. We highly recommend 1920×1080 , which we will consistently use throughout the course of this tutorial on how make animated videos with Keynote.

Dimensions are really important. If you don’t get them right the first time, you’ll spend hours fixing it later.

Customize for brand colors and fonts

Now that your dimensions are set up, you can start on the design portion. It’s easy to customize Keynote slides to fit your brand colors and fonts.

You’ll find this customization on the right hand corner of your screen under Format > Edit Master Slide .

Editing the master slide means that you’ll pick the default colors and fonts for all the slides. This will make your life easier in the long run, because you won’t have to change font sizes, colors, and background colors every time you create a new slide.

You’ll get this warning because editing master slides will change all slides. Because you haven’t made any slides yet, though, this will be an asset instead of a problem. After you’ve selected your brand fonts, colors, backgrounds and overlays, you can finally get down to creating your course content.

Add images and text

Keynote leaves you plenty of versatility to add shapes, photos, charts, GIFs.

We especially love using their “Shape” section to animate our own videos. You can select as many of these icons as you want, then customize the color or add dimension.

For the SEO course we created, we used the free Keynote icons under “Shape” to animate the introductory video. Here’s an example of how it can look:

Play around with animation

Once you’ve added all the imagery and text you want for each slide, you’ve finally arrived to the part that makes this program special: animation.

This is where you can bring your keynote slides to life and make them look like a professionally animated video. Think of this as a shortcut to making professional, fun, highly engaging video, with just a few clicks of a button.

Click on the piece of text or image that you want to animate. Make sure you’ve toggled to the Animate button in the right hand corner, which sits between Format and Document.

Here are what the Keynote animation features mean:

• Build in – Whenever you build something in, it means you’re introducing that image or text to the viewer for the first time. The build in action you choose will bring your selected object into the slide.
• Action – The action button is for any object that is already in the slide. It won’t appear, it will already be there on the screen. You’ll use this feature when you want to animate or emphasize something that’s already on the screen.
• Build out – When you build out an object, you make that object leave the screen. The object will already be on the screen, and this exits with your build out of choice.

The best part? There are all different kinds of animations. Toggle around and hit the preview button to see what they’re like.

They’ll make your selected text or objects bounce, fly, go up in flames, burst into fireworks, or wipe away. With such a variety, you can make your videos look way more fun and engaging.

For example, in this part of my video, we used the transitions Move In , Scale , and Move Out . We also checked the Bounce box to give the objects a little pep.

Other features worth mentioning when learning how to make animated videos with Keynote:

• Duration – Duration means how long the selected animation will last. You can choose between a fraction of a second and a whole minute. Play around and see what pacing fits your video best.
• Direction – From which direction will your object appear? With most text and images, you can choose any different corner of the slide.
• Order – This part is important. You don’t want your supporting bullet to enter the slide before your headline. You can select your chosen object and then decide its order when building in and building out. Test all of your slides together to make sure they pop up in the right order.

Want to see more keynote to video clips? Here’s another Keynote animation example of the slides.

Note that we’ve put this in GIF format for easier viewing, but the frame rates are seamless and clean in the actual video.

Step 2: Change your screen formatting

Once you’ve completed your animation, you’re ready to prepare for recording. Many people hit snags in this process because the format of their screen is different from the format of their slides.

First, download SwitchResX , or a similar screen resizing software.

Once you’ve installed it, you can temporarily change the resolution size of your screen. Go to SwitchResX > Color LCD > Current Resolutions . You’ll see what your screen is already at (mine is usually set at 1680×1050).

Remember how we formatted the Keynote slides to 1920×1080 in the beginning? You’ll select the same screen resolution here to make sure your slides and your screen are perfectly aligned.

You’ll notice your screen resolution shift and things will look a little different. Don’t worry, that just means it’s working. Now, you’re ready to record.

Step 3: Select your recording method

There are several different ways to record your Keynote to video once it’s ready for action. Which method you choose largely depends on your preferences, but I’ll list some pros and cons of each.

Keynote recorder

As it turns out, Keynote has its very own recording app.

• You can read your slideshow notes while you’re recording, without them showing up in the end product.
• You’ll be taken to a recording “staging” area that will help you see your Keynote animations and slides one step ahead. That means you’re less likely to flub up your lines.
• It might be hard to set up an external mic if you would prefer your own while you’re recording the slides.
• You’ll have to do a proper recording all in one shot. It’s harder to redo recordings with this feature.

Screenflow is an app that can simultaneously record your screen and your computer audio at the same time.

• Allows you to record your voice and slides at the same time.
• Many people find easy to use.
• Can be buggy.

Consider recording the screenflow first and then bring in audio recorded from an external mic in later.

You can also see your Keynote program while using QuickTime. All you have to do is enter the program and then select File > New Screen Recording . You can select the entire screen instead of cropping because you’ve already formatted the screen correctly.

Once you’ve completed recording a video, make sure to export it in the correct dimensions as well. (See why we wanted you to know about all of them!)

For example, with QuickTime, once the recording is over, you’ll want to save the file in the correct dimensions as well. You can do this by going to File > Export As > 1080 . This fits the YouTube-style resolution we’ve been consistently using throughout.

Step 4: Choose your assembling method

Now, it’s time to mix your animated slides and audio together.

If you’ve decided to go with a computer mic and recorded this all together on Keynote, you may even skip this step. (We do recommend that you use an external mic or headphone mic if possible. You can read more about recording quality sound here .)

If you’d like to add intro and outtro slides, music, or other effects, you’ll need video editing software to complete the job. Here are some basic options, along with the pros and cons.

Apple Movie

Apple Movie comes with Macs and has an incredibly simple user interface.

• Very beginner friendly.
• Drag and drop makes it easy to visualize where your animated video and audio are aligning.
• Overly simple. Doesn’t allow you to edit your video in a more advanced way.
• Can sometimes be more slow and clunky than more advanced programs.

Adobe Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere Pro is the industry standard for video editing. The industry standard used to be Final Cut Pro, until their product became too similar to Apple Movie.

• Offers advanced options for special effects, audio gain, and lighting.
• Seamlessly integrates with AfterEffects, Audition, and all other Adobe software.
• Is easier to layer narration, music, sound effects, and different types of visuals.
• Costs money for a subscription.
• Has highly advanced features that can be harder for beginners to understand.
• Can be easy for beginners to accidentally mess up and damage their files.

Overall, the choice of video editor is yours! Do your research to see which one would best fit your needs and your process to make animated videos with Keynote.

Step 5: Triple check your dimensions

We’ve talked about dimensions a lot in this post. But this is tip a million and one: Check your dimensions throughout every step of the process when it comes to understanding the process to make animated videos with Keynote. Here is where you’ve ensured your dimensions are 1920×1080 so far:

• Keynote slides
• Screen resolution before recording
• Saving the completed screen recording at the correct resolution

Next, you’ll have to look out for these, too:

• Setting up your video editor for the correct dimensions
• Exporting video for the correct dimensions
• Uploading for the correct dimensions

Step 6: Upload and share

You’ve created your slides. You’ve learned how to make animated videos with Keynote. And then you’ve edited and uploaded them with the perfect dimensions in mind. Once you complete these steps, you’ll have gorgeous, animated videos built for an exceptional online course .

Still curious what they can look like? Here’s another video we produced with Keynote:

And a couple others we found online:

Those videos will look so professional and may give you the justification to charge more for your courses .

More like this

Kristin Hoppe , Kristin is a writer and content marketer in New York City.

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How to automatically play, loop, or restart a slideshow in Keynote

Learn how to set up your Keynote slideshow to play, loop, and restart automatically so your presentation keeps going without you having to interact with it continuously.

When you’re presenting a slideshow, the last thing you need to worry about is actually playing it. That should be the easiest part. Keynote offers a few simple ways to play your slideshow automatically . You can set it to start, loop, and restart without lifting a finger. This is handy for presentations that you want to play continually in a waiting room, conference room, or trade show.

Automatically play, loop, or restart a Keynote slideshow

You have a few different options depending on your situation and when or where you’re playing your presentation:

• Automatically play upon opening: You can set the presentation to automatically play when you open it. This is handy if you set up the slideshow and someone else needs to start it.
• Loop the slideshow: This is an easy way to continually replay the slideshow after it ends.
• Restart when idle: Maybe you don’t want to loop the presentation but have it automatically restart after a set amount of inactive time.
• Open your presentation in Keynote on your Mac and then access the settings by clicking the Document button on the top right.
• Make sure the Document tab is selected at the top of the sidebar.
• Check the box for the action you want to use: Automatically play upon open , Loop slideshow , or Restart show if idle for [time period]. You can use more than one at a time, too, if you like.

On iPhone and iPad

• Open your presentation in Keynote on your iPhone or iPad and then access the settings by tapping the three dots at the top.
• Select Presentation Options > Presentation Type .
• Enable the toggles for Loop Slideshow and/or Restart Show if idle [time period]. To automatically play the show, tap Self-Playing to mark a check for that option. This is different than playing the slideshow when it opens, like on Mac. Take a look at our how-to for the self-playing option .
• Finally, tap Done to save the changes.

These convenient options let you play your slideshow, so you don’t have to keep hitting a button to start or restart. Just set it up and let it play your way.

Are you going to use one of these automatic settings for your next Keynote presentation? Let us know how the one(s) you pick work for you!

Related tips:

• How to use the Play Slideshow in Window feature in Keynote
• How to animate objects on a slide in Keynote on Mac
• How to play a movie or audio across slides in Keynote on Mac and iOS

What is a Keynote Presentation? A 2024 Guide

Learn how to create engaging Keynote presentations and understand the differences between Keynote and PowerPoint.

What is a Keynote Presentation?

How to make a keynote presentation.

• Open Keynote : Start by opening the Keynote app on your Mac or iOS device. You can choose from a variety of templates that Keynote provides to get a head start.
• Choose a Theme : Select a theme that suits the tone and purpose of your presentation. Keynote offers a range of themes with pre-designed backgrounds, fonts, and color schemes.
• Add Slides : Click on the "Add Slide" button to insert new slides. Keynote provides different slide layouts to help structure your information, such as title slides, bullet points, images, or charts.
• Insert Text and Graphics : You can add text boxes, shapes, and images by dragging them into the slide. Keynote supports drag-and-drop functionality, which makes it easy to organize elements on each slide.
• Incorporate Multimedia : Enhance your presentation by adding videos, music, and voiceovers. Keynote supports various multimedia formats, making it simple to integrate them into your presentation.
• Animate Your Slides : Use Keynote’s animation features to create dynamic transitions between slides or to animate elements on the slides themselves. This can help to keep your audience engaged and make your presentation more memorable.
• Rehearse and Export : Rehearse your presentation using Keynote's built-in presenter tools. Once you are satisfied, you can export your presentation in a variety of formats, including PDF, PowerPoint, and even as a video.

What is the Difference Between PPT and Keynote Presentation?

• User Interface : Keynote is often praised for its clean, intuitive interface, which many find easier to navigate compared to PowerPoint.
• Graphic Capabilities : Keynote typically offers superior graphic capabilities, with better support for animations and video. The quality of visual effects and ease of embedding multimedia are generally better in Keynote.
• Compatibility : PowerPoint is available on both Windows and Mac, making it a more versatile option in mixed-device environments. Keynote, while primarily designed for Mac, does offer iCloud functionality for accessing presentations on Windows via the web.
• Collaboration : Both platforms support real-time collaboration, but Keynote's integration with other Apple services provides a more seamless experience on Apple devices.
• File Compatibility : Keynote can export to PowerPoint formats and vice versa, but some features and formatting may not transfer perfectly due to the differences in software capabilities.

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How to Embed a Video in PowerPoint Like a Pro

In today’s digital age, where attention spans are shorter than ever eight seconds  incorporating a video into your presentations can be a game-changer.

Did you know that  a single minute of video is worth 1.8 million words?

That’s right videos can convey complex information quickly and effectively, making your PowerPoint presentations engaging but also more memorable.

Whether you’re looking to captivate your audience, illustrate a point more vividly, or add a dynamic element to your slides, embedding video can transform your presentation from mundane to magnificent. 

In this blog, we’ll walk you through embedding a video in a PPT and talk about the advantages and best practices. Let’s dive in!

Table of Contents

Boosts audience engagement, simplifies complex topics, saves time with quick and effective messaging, elevates your professionalism, approach 1: add video into powerpoint from a file, approach 2: add a video from a link, step 1: open powerpoint, step 2: navigate to the desired slide, step 3: click ‘insert’, step 4: choose ‘video’, step 5: select the video source, step 6: insert video, step 7: adjust size and position, step 8: customize playback options, step 9: save the presentation, movie file (mpg, mpeg), adobe flash media (swf), windows media video file (wmv), windows video file (asf, avi), mp4 video file (mp4, m4v, mov), fine-tune your voiceovers for a perfect delivery, bring your videos to life with natural, expressive voices, connect with a global audience through multilingual support, why embedding videos in a ppt is a game-changer.

PowerPoint presentations are a staple in corporate and academic settings, but a static slide show can sometimes fall flat. Your audience craves dynamic content that grabs their attention and holds it from start to finish. 

Videos do just that! They breathe life into your PPTs, changing them from mundane speeches into captivating experiences. Here’s how adding videos can transform your presentations:

Visual content is king. With 88% of professionals prioritizing it, adding videos to your presentations is necessary. They break the monotony of static slides, making your presentation more interactive and lively. 

For instance, a PPT on environmental conservation might use a video display of a wildlife habitat with a voiceover to grab attention. This dynamic display turns a passive audience into an active one, keeping them hooked.

People retain 95% of a message they watch in a video compared to only 10% when reading it. Videos provide a visual and auditory learning experience that enhances information comprehension and retention. They can break down complex information that is difficult to explain with text and images alone into digestible chunks, making it easier for the audience to understand.

A video can deliver your message in seconds, keeping your presentation sharp and impactful. Instead of a lengthy explanation, insert a short clip reinforcing your point. This efficiency allows you to cover more ground, saving time.

Besides, embedding a video in PPT makes it a permanent part of your presentations. You can share or access it anytime, creating a reusable knowledge base perfect for consistent training and onboarding.

Most people prefer learning about products or services through video. Inserting videos in your PowerPoint slideshow meets this expectation, making your presentation look professional and well-curated. This attention to detail can impress your audience and enhance your credibility as a presenter.

Ready to turn these benefits into reality? Let’s explore the step-by-step process of incorporating a video into PowerPoint presentations.

Different Ways to Embed a Video into a PowerPoint Presentation

Adding a video to your PowerPoint presentation is straightforward, regardless of the operating system you use. Choose from these two simple methods: inserting a video from an existing file or using a web link. Let’s walk through the steps:

Step 1: Fire up the PowerPoint App

Launch Microsoft PowerPoint from the ‘Start’ menu on your PC or the ‘Applications’ folder on your Mac.

Step 2: Select the desired slide

Open your PowerPoint presentation in the ‘Normal View.’ Choose the slide where you want to embed the video.

Step 3: Click on the ‘Insert’ tab

Click the ‘Insert’ button in the top menu bar to access options for adding various media types.

Step 4: Choose the desired video file

Select ‘Video on My PC’ (or ‘Video on My Mac’ if you’re using a Mac). Browse your computer to find and select the downloaded video file. Click the ‘Insert’ radio button on the bottom right of the dialog box or press ‘Enter’ to add the video.

What do you do if you want to insert a video from a web page or directly link a YouTube video? Follow these steps:

Step 1: Open your browser

Open the desired web page on your computer. Locate the YouTube video or any clip you want to embed. Then, copy the URL from the address bar.

Step 2: Go to the desired slide

In the PowerPoint presentation, navigate to the slide where you want to insert the video from the link. Then, click on the ‘Insert’ radio button in the top menu bar.

Step 3: Select Online Video

Click ‘Video’ and select ‘Online Video’ from the drop-down menu.

Step 4: Paste the video URL

Paste the URL of the online video, such as a YouTube video link, and select ‘Insert.’ PowerPoint will validate the link and insert the video into your slide, ready to stream during your presentation.

What are the Steps to Embed an Online Video in PowerPoint Slides? 

Embedding a video into your PowerPoint slide involves nine simple steps. Here’s a detailed guide to help you get it right:

Click on the PowerPoint icon from your desktop, taskbar, or start menu. Ensure you have the latest version for the best compatibility with multimedia elements.

Open the PowerPoint file where you want to embed the video. Create a new PowerPoint presentation if you don’t have an existing file ready.

Next, head to the specific slide where you want to insert the video. Use the navigation pane on the left side panel of the screen to select it.

Click on the main menu bar at the top of your PowerPoint window and then on the ‘Insert’ tab to open a new dialog box with options for inserting different elements into your presentation.

Within the ‘Insert’ tab, look for the ‘Video’ group. This dialog box contains different options for adding videos to your slide. Click on the ‘Video’ button. A drop-down menu will appear.

Choose ‘This Device’ to locate a desired video file on your computer (PC or Mac). If you prefer an online video, select ‘Online Video’ and paste the video link.

After selecting the video source, select ‘Insert’ to embed it into your PowerPoint presentation. The video will now appear on your slide.

Once the video is on your slide, adjust its size and position. Use the corner handles to resize the video and drag it to the desired location.

Click on the video to access playback options. Here, you can decide how to play the video during your presentation:

Start Automatically: The video will play as soon as the slide appears

On Click: The video will play when you click on it

Loop: The video will continue until you move to the next slide

Go to ‘File’ in the top menu, then right-click ‘Save As’ to choose your save location and name your file.

Best Video File Formats for PowerPoint

PowerPoint supports a variety of video file formats. Knowing which formats are compatible can save you time and prevent playback issues. Check out this brief breakdown:

MPG and MPEG are excellent choices for inserting videos in PowerPoint. They deliver to-notch output with efficient compression, which is ideal for slide shows requiring sharp clips without large file sizes.

Top use cases:

Product demos

Event highlights

SWF files support interactive content and animations, making them great for dynamic presentations. While less common today, they are still valid in older PowerPoint versions. Convert these files to a more supported format for better compatibility and security.

Interactive tutorials

Legacy presentations

WMV files offer high compatibility and seamless integration with PowerPoint. This format is beneficial if you use the Windows operating system because you don’t have to embed code or need additional software to run it on Windows.

Training videos

Corporate presentations

ASF and AVI are universal and widely supported formats. AVI is known for its high-quality video and audio, perfect for outstanding presentations. ASF is excellent for streaming content, ensuring continuous play from a web page.

Streaming media

MP4 and its variations are the most popular video formats due to their compatibility across different devices. They offer excellent finesse and compression, ensuring your PowerPoint slideshow looks great without consuming much storage space.

Cross-platform presentations

Comprehensive video content

Use these supported video formats to create more dynamic and engaging PowerPoint slides. Seamless video integration will enhance your audience’s experience.

How to Enrich Your Presentations Using Murf Studio?

Imagine captivating your audience with a video presentation that is so engaging that it feels like a conversation. That’s the power of Murf Studio, an innovative tool that transforms your videos with professional-grade voiceovers.

Embedding these enriched videos into your presentations elevates the impact and effectiveness of your message. Here’s how Murf turns your videos into compelling stories, guiding your audience throughout:

Murf lets you customize every aspect of your voiceover pitch, speed, and pauses. This precise control ensures a seamless, engaging experience that enhances video content.

For example, you can slow the pace for complex information or add strategic pauses for emphasis, making your video more digestible and impactful.

Choose from 120 + natural, expressive voices that sound incredibly human-like. Murf offers voices across various accents, tones, and styles, ensuring you find the perfect match for your video. 

Need an authoritative tone for a corporate presentation or a warm, friendly voice for a more casual meeting? Whatever your project demands, Murf has the perfect voice to bring your videos to life and set the right vibe.

Create voices in multiple languages to ensure your message resonates with global viewers. It is especially beneficial for international companies or educators who must communicate with a diverse audience. By providing voiceovers in multiple languages , you can make your video accessible and relatable to non-native speakers, expanding your reach and impact.

Bottom Line

Embedding videos in PowerPoint can transform your presentations, making them more engaging, professional, and globally accessible. Using suitable file formats and Murf’s powerful features will boost your presentation’s impact.

Ready to elevate your presentations? Try Murf Studio today and create videos that captivate your audience from start to finish.

1. How do I adjust the size and position of the embedded video?

It’s easy! Click on the video to select it, then use the handles around it to resize. Drag the video to your desired position on the slide.

2. Are there any limitations on the length of the video to be embedded?

No strict length limits exist, but longer videos can increase the size of your presentation file. It might cause performance issues, so keep your PPT concise and impactful.

3. Will the embedded video play automatically during the presentation?

Indeed! PowerPoint offers action buttons, so you can adjust the settings in the playback options to fit your presentation style.

4. How do I ensure the embedded video works on different devices?

Stick to widely supported formats like MP4. Test your presentation on various devices to ensure everything is flawless.

5. Is it possible to loop the embedded video continuously?

Yes, you can! In the playback settings, select the “Loop until stopped” option. Your video will keep playing until you decide to move on.

6. How do I use Murf’s voiceover for any video before inserting it in text to speech?

Upload your video to Murf, create the perfect voiceover with your desired settings, and export the final video. Then, follow the steps to embed this video in your PowerPoint presentation. Easy and effective!

You should also read:

Why Marketers Should Use AI Voice Over for Marketing Videos

How to Create Training Videos in Seven Easy Steps

How to create engaging videos using TikTok text to speech

Keynote User Guide for Mac

• What’s new in Keynote 14.1
• Intro to Keynote
• Intro to images, charts, and other objects
• Create a presentation
• Choose how to navigate your presentation
• Open or close a presentation
• Save and name a presentation
• Find a presentation
• Print a presentation
• Undo or redo changes
• Show or hide sidebars
• Quick navigation
• Change the working view
• Expand and zoom your workspace
• Customize the Keynote toolbar
• Change Keynote settings on Mac
• Touch Bar for Keynote
• Create a presentation using VoiceOver
• Add or delete slides
• Add and view presenter notes
• Reorder slides
• Group or ungroup slides
• Skip or unskip a slide
• Change the slide size
• Change a slide background
• Add a border around a slide
• Show or hide text placeholders
• Show or hide slide numbers
• Apply a slide layout
• Add and edit slide layouts
• Change a theme
• Add an image
• Add an image gallery
• Edit an image
• Add and edit a shape
• Combine or break apart shapes
• Draw a shape
• Save a shape to the shapes library
• Add and align text inside a shape
• Add 3D objects
• Add lines and arrows
• Animate, share, or save drawings
• Add video and audio
• Record audio
• Edit video and audio
• Add live video
• Set movie and image formats
• Position and align objects
• Use alignment guides
• Place objects inside a text box or shape
• Layer, group, and lock objects
• Change object transparency
• Fill shapes and text boxes with color or an image
• Add a border to an object
• Add a caption or title
• Add a reflection or shadow
• Use object styles
• Resize, rotate, and flip objects
• Move and edit objects using the object list
• Add linked objects to make your presentation interactive
• Select text
• Copy and paste text
• Use dictation to enter text
• Use accents and special characters
• Format a presentation for another language
• Use phonetic guides
• Use bidirectional text
• Use vertical text
• Change the font or font size
• Add bold, italic, underline, or strikethrough to text
• Change the color of text
• Change text capitalization
• Add a shadow or outline to text
• Intro to paragraph styles
• Apply a paragraph style
• Create, rename, or delete paragraph styles
• Update or revert a paragraph style
• Use a keyboard shortcut to apply a style
• Adjust character spacing
• Add drop caps
• Raise and lower characters and text
• Format fractions automatically
• Create and use character styles
• Format dashes and quotation marks
• Format Chinese, Japanese, or Korean text
• Set tab stops
• Format text into columns
• Adjust line spacing
• Format lists
• Add a highlight effect to text
• Add mathematical equations
• Add borders and rules (lines) to separate text
• Add or delete a table
• Select tables, cells, rows, and columns
• Add or remove rows and columns
• Move rows and columns
• Resize rows and columns
• Merge or unmerge cells
• Change the look of table text
• Show, hide, or edit a table title
• Change table gridlines and colors
• Use table styles
• Resize, move, or lock a table
• Add and edit cell content
• Format dates, currency, and more
• Create a custom cell format
• Highlight cells conditionally
• Format tables for bidirectional text
• Alphabetize or sort table data
• Calculate values using data in table cells
• Use the Formulas and Functions Help
• Add or delete a chart
• Change a chart from one type to another
• Modify chart data
• Move, resize, and rotate a chart
• Change the look of data series
• Add a legend, gridlines, and other markings
• Change the look of chart text and labels
• Add a chart border and background
• Use chart styles
• Animate objects onto and off a slide
• Animate objects on a slide
• Change build order and timing
• Add transitions
• Present on your Mac
• Present on a separate display
• Present on a Mac over the internet
• Use a remote
• Make a presentation advance automatically
• Require a password to exit a presentation
• Play a slideshow with multiple presenters
• Rehearse on your Mac
• Record presentations
• Check spelling
• Look up words
• Find and replace text
• Replace text automatically
• Set author name and comment color
• Highlight text
• Add and print comments
• Send a presentation
• Intro to collaboration
• Invite others to collaborate
• Collaborate on a shared presentation
• See the latest activity in a shared presentation
• Change a shared presentation’s settings
• Stop sharing a presentation
• Shared folders and collaboration
• Use Box to collaborate
• Create an animated GIF
• Post your presentation in a blog
• Use iCloud Drive with Keynote
• Export to PowerPoint or another file format
• Reduce the presentation file size
• Save a large presentation as a package file
• Restore an earlier version of a presentation
• Move a presentation
• Delete a presentation
• Password-protect a presentation
• Lock a presentation
• Create and manage custom themes
• Transfer files with AirDrop
• Transfer presentations with Handoff
• Transfer presentations with the Finder
• Keyboard shortcuts
• Keyboard shortcut symbols

Make a presentation advance automatically in Keynote on Mac

You can set your presentation to advance automatically, like a movie, with no interaction needed. You can also set it to play immediately when it’s opened, or to play continuously in a loop.

Click the Presentation Type pop-up menu, choose Self-Playing.

You can adjust the controls next to Delay to modify the transition or build effects timing.

In Slideshow Settings in the sidebar, select any of the following playback options:

Automatically play upon open: The presentation begins playing immediately after it’s opened.

Loop slideshow: At the end of the slideshow, the presentation returns to the first slide.

Restart show if idle for: Use the up or down arrow to set the amount of idle time with no viewer interaction before a presentation returns to the first slide.

To change the presentation back to one that’s manually advanced by clicking a mouse or trackpad, or by pressing the Right Arrow or Left Arrow key, click the Presentation Type pop-up menu, then choose Normal.