Microsoft Stream: Private Video Hosting
If your firm subscribes to any of the Microsoft 365 business licenses that include Teams and SharePoint, then you probably have the video hosting platform Stream. You can host ad-free videos, create playlists, create and edit videos, share videos with permission, and much more. You can create training documentation, client video tutorials, share recorded Teams video conferences, and other recorded video media. Unlike YouTube, Microsoft Stream does not have ads, and unlike Vimeo, Microsoft Stream does not require a separate payment since it is part of your Microsoft 365 subscription.
The Basics
What is Stream? Stream is like YouTube but built to house videos for an internal team. You can find it in your apps list at www.office.com or go to https://www.microsoft365.com/launch/stream and log on with your work account. You can upload videos, such as recorded PowerPoint training videos or recorded Zoom meetings, into Stream. Stream is on SharePoint, so you can easily share videos with people in your office or organization.
Stream is a web application, and is launched in browsers like Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari. There is a mobile app as well. On the home screen you will see “Create New” options, videos recommended for you, and a list of available videos including filters for those you’ve created, recorded Teams meetings, playlists, videos you have shared, and Favorites.
You can filter videos by keyword, but keep in mind that without titles, descriptions, and transcripts the search will not (yet) search audio. You can filter videos by activity (created by you, edited by you, @ mentions me, etc.) and by time. This keyword filter also searches OneDrive and SharePoint for all files so don’t be surprised if you see a lot of results that are not videos. There is a search bar at the top of the screen, which searches through everything that you have stored (or have access to) in Microsoft 365. You can search by keyword and then filter by files, sites, news, messages, images, and videos. Within each file type filter there are more filters you can apply. For insance, if you narrow your keyword search to Files you can then choose to narrow to only Word documents created in the last month. You can also sort relevance or date modified or created. This search appears at the top of all application home screens when you are in Office.com.
Upload a Video
You can upload videos in Stream. Simply click “Upload” and choose a video file from your locally stored or cloud files. Once you store your video file in Stream, you can create thumbnails, add “about” information, add a transcript and captions, add chapters for longer videos, allow comments, and track views by enabling analytics. All the options appear on the right-side panel.
- Thumbnails let you choose what someone sees as the still image on the screen when they look at a video library. You can upload an image or move through the video file to select a frame within the video itself.
- Transcripts and captions are important for accessibility, as well as searchability. Depending on the length of the video the transcript may take quite some time to generate. If you already have a transcript in .VTT format you can upload it instead.
- Add Chapters to let users quickly access different parts of the video. If the video is long this will help a viewer get to the portion of the video they want to watch, as well as serve as a table of contents. Adding chapters is easy. Just scroll through the video, type in the name of the chapter, and then continue to add new chapters. You can share a video starting at a particular chapter.
- In the Video Settings you can also upload an audio file, if you have a recording that doesn’t include audio, or add noise suppression.
- You can allow or disallow commenting. When you share a video others can add comments. You can also see analytics, including the number of views and unique viewers.
Record a Video
You can also use Stream to record videos. Capture your desktop, audio, and video under the Create New—Recording option at the top of the screen. You can add backdrops, annotate the screen, add a teleprompter, add a whiteboard, and more. Then publish and share on the Stream platform. Even for novices, this is easy!
At the top of the Stream main page, you will see options for screen recording or camera recording. A screen recording sets up with your video to record an open tab in Microsoft Edge browser, a specific application running on your Windows desktop, or choose to record the entire screen. If you want to capture the system audio, you will need to share either a browser tab or the screen. A camera recording lets you record audio or video AND toggle to record your screen. You can add backgrounds, type on the screen for emphasis, and paste your script into a teleprompter.
Once you have recorded your video you can do some very minor editing including trim, split, and add music. Then produce your file with thumbnails, title and description, transcripts and captions, chapters and more.
Another tool you can use in the Microsoft 365 suite to record videos is PowerPoint. You can produce an educational video by adding narration and a video cameo to a slide deck and producing it as an MP4 video. Ideas? Share a video of a process, such as how to prepare for a deposition or what to expect during a divorce proceeding, with a client. Or your office administrator can demonstrate how to properly use the filing procedure in your office. Once you have created your slides go to the Record tab and record your presentation. The narration feature lets you start and stop the recording, as well as shows you your slide notes and lets you add the telestrator effect. Then export the video to Stream for sharing.
Teams Recordings Stored on Stream
With the new Teams and Stream on SharePoint your Teams video conference recordings can be found in Stream, as well as in Teams Chat (along with the chat log from your meeting). Depending on your firm’s admin settings, recordings will expire in 120 days. Make sure to add a title and description to your video if you plan to share it.
Sharing Videos
In the list of videos from the home screen mouse over the file name and click on the share icon to send a video as a link in an email, copy the link, or send the video in Teams. You can choose to restrict commenting, editing, and downloading, as well as adjust who can access the video. You can share the videos with people inside and outside of your firm or Microsoft tenant.
If you open a video click on the “Share” button in the upper right corner. You will see additional options including “copy link at current time” and generate an embed code for your website or social media. You can manage access to your videos any time by removing sharing.
You can also create a video playlist. Playlists are created in Microsoft Lists. You can share lists with other people or add them to a Teams workspace or a SharePoint site. This is a great way to create a grouping of videos for training, process documentation, and more. Or you could create a list to share with a business client with video tutorials during the onboarding phase.
Conclusion
Your Microsoft 365 subscription has a lot of tools and products beyond Outlook and the Office suite. Explore some of the tools, like Stream, to create content and document information in a new way. After all, you are paying for it!