How to Embed a YouTube Video on Google Slides
Google & Microsoft are tech rivals. If one creates a tool, the other is sure to follow. Microsoft Office was (and still is) very popular. To compete with Microsoft, Google also launched its series of online tools like Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides. To add to the appeal of Google Slides presentations, you can embed YouTube videos. In this article, we will discuss the procedure for the same.
Embed a YouTube video on Google Slides
What is "Google Slides"?
Google Slides is Google’s version of Microsoft PowerPoint. Since Microsoft PowerPoint is a paid software as a part of the Microsoft Office package, users started using Google Slides which is a free alternative. Lately, Microsoft Office also introduced an online version free of charge to users, but Google Slides remained popular.
Why is "Google Slides" popular?
Google Slides is popular for 2 reasons. Firstly, it is free, and the second reason is that it has full support from Google. The presentations are directly embedded into Google Drive and can be easily shared as a link through Gmail. Microsoft PowerPoint is a premier software, and the online version is to be shared through Hotmail or Outlook email IDs, which is rarely used.
Why should one embed a YouTube video on Google Slides?
A video file can be very heavy and may even be in GBs. Unless you have a premium subscription to Google Drive, uploading a few such videos would saturate the space limit. However, if you embed videos after uploading them to a YouTube channel, no extra memory is used.
Furthermore, YouTube has a massive database of content. This content can be used effectively for adding value to your presentations.
How to embed a YouTube video on Google Slides?
Embedding a YouTube video on Google Slides is very easy. The procedure is as follows:
- Open the Google Slides presentation.
- Using the left pane, open the slide in which you wish to embed the YouTube link.
- Now, click on Insert on the top menu.
- Select Video from the list.
By default, the YouTube tab will be selected. You will notice the option to search for a YouTube video or copy-paste the URL.
If you search for the video, the results will appear similar to the results of a general YouTube search.
- Click on the video you wish to select.
- Alternatively, simply copy-paste the URL of the YouTube video you wish to embed.
- Click on Insert to Insert the video into Google Slides.
Now, you can use the sliders to change the size of the video. Other than this, you can drag and drop the video frame to change its position.
The video plays directly on the presentation itself. You don’t need to open YouTube.
What are the cons of embedding a YouTube video to Google Slides over directly uploading a video?
The main con of embedding a YouTube video is that the power lies with the video creator. If anyone removes the video, the presentation will show a blank frame. Other than this, if you download the presentation on your computer as a local file, the video will work only if your computer is connected to the internet.
Thus, it is for you to decide whether you wish to upload a YouTube video and save GBs or add a video directly.
How can you control the playback of YouTube videos embedded in a Google Slide?
The simplest method for controlling the playback is by using the Spacebar. Hit the Spacebar once to Play the video and hit it again to Pause the video. Other than this, you can use the miniature controls in the video frame to control the playback.
