Automatically Playing an Embedded YouTube Video in PowerPoint 2019

I have moved all my blogs to my new website:  https://helpfulofficetips.com/2019/04/13/automatically-playing-an-embedded-youtube-video-in-powerpoint-2019/  From now on, all updates will be at the new site, and all links will take you directly to that site.  Please check it out!

PowerPoint 2019 can now embed and automatically play a YouTube video during your slide show!  (Over the last few years Microsoft and Google have changed this process many, many times.  We will see how long this update and cooperation lasts.)

These instructions work as of April 13, 2019.  Tomorrow, you may be on your own.

For PowerPoint 2016 and earlier versions, click here:  https://helpfulofficetips.com/2016/08/02/automatically-playing-an-embedded-youtube-video-in-powerpoint-2016/

YouTube

Using the internet, find your YouTube video.  (Watch the entire video, start to finish, to be sure it is appropriate for your presentation.)  Pause the video (because it’s annoying when it’s running and you’re trying to think).  If you want to practice, here is the URL for a really cute Oreo commercial from India that I show to all my classes:  https://youtu.be/Oe6lBGO6OSk

Click on the word Share below the video.  The Share window will appear.  In the bottom “Share a link” portion, you will see the URL with the word “COPY.”

Click “COPY.”  Copy will place the video’s URL in the computer’s clipboard memory until you need it or copy something else.

PowerPoint 2019

Now return to PowerPoint and the slide where you want to play a YouTube video.  Go to the Insert tab.  On the far right is the word “Video” with a drop-down arrow.  Click Insert tab>Media section>Video>Online Video.



The Online Video window will appear.  Click inside the URL box and right-click>Paste or press Ctrl-V to paste the YouTube video URL.  Click Insert to insert the video-link into your slide.



Your video will appear on the slide.  Drag the corners to fit the slide, usually to the edges.  (To drag the corners, click on the top left corner and hold the mouse button down.  Move or “drag” the mouse to the top edge of the slide.  Do the same for the bottom right corner.)

Notice that when you have selected the video, new special tabs appear in the menu ribbon.  There are two Video Tools tabs:  Format and Playback.  When you inserted the video, PowerPoint selected the Video Tools>Format tab, in case you want to recolor, add a frame or crop the video.   Instead, click the Video Tools>Playback tab.  Remember, these menu tabs only appear if you have selected your video.

 

Play "Automatically" or "In Click Sequence"

The important option in the Video Tools>Playback tab is in the Video Options>Start.  Click the drop-down menu next to Start.


Three options will appear.

1. In Click Sequence:  The slide will pop-up showing a still frame with the YouTube play button in the middle.  To start the video, click the mouse anywhere (or press the space bar or forward on your pointer), and the video will begin.  
2. Automatically:  As soon as you begin this slide, the video will begin.   This is great for a self-running show, but you will not get a chance to introduce the video.
3. When Clicked on:  You will need to move your cursor to the video and click for the video to begin. You do not need to click exactly on the YouTube play button as you did in the past.

For me, I would probably click either In Click Sequence if I want to introduce the video or Automatically if I used a previous slide to set the stage.

Timings and order may be changed via the Animations Pane, but that is another lesson!

Automatically Playing an Embedded YouTube Video in PowerPoint 2016

I have moved all my blogs to my new website:  https://helpfulofficetips.com/2016/08/02/automatically-playing-an-embedded-youtube-video-in-powerpoint-2016/  From now on, all updates will be at the new site, and all links will take you directly to that site.  Please check it out!

If you are using PowerPoint 2019 or MS Office 365 after April 2019, click here for the updated procedure:  https://helpfulofficetips.com/2019/04/13/automatically-playing-an-embedded-youtube-video-in-powerpoint-2019/  

(Updated for PowerPoint 2016 on September 3, 2018 for after YouTube changed its Embed Codes slightly.)

I'm getting ready to teach another PowerPoint class, so I got out my previous class notes.  I teach this class about once a year, and with every new update from Microsoft or Google's YouTube, I know my instructions will be out of date.  Sure enough...

First, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Microsoft has added an “Online Video” option for adding video.  It even has an option to search for a video on YouTube. Great, right?

It’s only great if you want that big red YouTube play icon right in the middle of your PowerPoint show.  You also have to click on the big red YouTube play icon to play your video.  This is not always the easiest thing to do if you are in a presentation hall and using a laser pointer.

My class is beginning PowerPoint, so of course, I will show them how to do it with the big red YouTube play icon, but I was sure I could still use the old instructions.  Right?

Wrong again.  The old version used the “Old Embed Code” which is no longer available from YouTube.  I googled and googled for a workaround and found several, but none that were recognized by PowerPoint.

If finally decided to try my limited HTML skills and combine the old with the new, right?  IT WORKED!

These instructions have been updated and work as of August 2, 2016. Tomorrow, you’re on your own.

1. Using the internet, find your YouTube video
2. Pause the video (because it’s annoying when it’s running and you’re trying to think).
3. Click on the word Share below the video.
4. Click on the word Embed below Share.
5. Scroll down below "Embed Options" and unclick those boxes (at least, that's what I do), especially “Show suggested videos when the video finishes”
6. Scroll back up so you can see the HTML code.
7. Here is the tricky part.  After the video name which is a bunch of gobbledygook like “Oe6lBGO6OSk” you’ll see a question mark (?).  Be sure to uncheck those Embed Options or the question mark may not show up. 
8. Place your cursor to the right of the question mark and type this:
   
   
   ;autoplay=1;
   
   
   (those are semicolons, not colons)  
9. Click the "Copy" button in the Embed Video window, and the HTML code will be copied to your Clipboard.
10. Go back to PowerPoint, click on the Insert tab>Online Video.
11. Instead of using the built-in YouTube search, click on the Video Embed Code box, and paste the embed code by Right-click>Paste (or Ctrl-V).
    
12. Now hit enter, and a black video box should show up on your slide. 
13. Adjust your frame, and as always, preview the current slide in Slide Show tab and to see if it worked.

MS Office: For Command Shortcuts at your Fingertips, Customize the Quick Access Toolbar

How often in Word or Excel, do you look for a quick way of opening a new file, saving your current file under a different name or previewing your document before printing?

All these commands, and more, are available to you after your customize the Quick Access Toolbar.  This is the small line of icons on the top left of your screen whenever you open an MS Office program.

Your Quick Access Toolbar will look different than mine.  This is my custom toolbar from MS Word.  To customize yours, click on the drop-down arrow at the end of the icons.  This will give you the Quick Access Toolbar Menu.  Click on More Commands to get all your choices.

This will open the Quick Access Toolbar Menu, listing the “Popular Commands” by default.  I always switch to “All Commands.”  This gives you all available commands in alphabetical order.

For Word, my shortcuts are always:  New, Open, Save, Save As, Close, Undo, Redo, Quick Print, and Preview and Print.  I use a separator, a small vertical line, between the file icons and the rest.  Once you add your shorctus, use the up and down arrows on the right to move each icon where you want it.  Click OK when you are finished.

Do this for each MS Office program.  For Excel, I use these shortcuts:

From left to right:  New, Open, Save, Save As, Close, separator, Undo, Redo, Fill Down, Fill Right, Paste Value, separator, Quick Print, Preview and Print.

Customize with your favorites – or if you always forget where a command is, put it here.  If you use more than one computer, you will have to customize each program on each computer separately.  I haven’t figured out how to share the toolbars yet.  Let me know if you know that trick!