Vidyard can do a lot. I mean, seriously A LOT. But there are some cool Vidyard hacks that even the most experienced users may not know about.

These Vidyard hacks, tricks, and little-known features will take your video game to the next level and have you feeling like a pro in no time at all.

Watch and Learn

Want to learn all about Vidyard hacks? We made a video version of this blog so you can do precisely that!

In just under three minutes, Vidyard’s Social Media Manager Charlie Rogers explains some of the highlights from this blog.Contents1.Vidyard Chrome Extension Hacks1.1 Set Up Keyboard Shortcuts for the Chrome Extension1.2 Hide Recording Controls1.3 Cut Out Background Noise Using Krisp1.4 Add Flair to Your Video with Snapchat Filters1.5 Move Your Speaker Bubble1.6 Resize Your Speaker Bubble1.7 Doodle on Your Screen Recording1.8 Go Full-Screen on a Google Slides Presentation Without Losing Your Speaker Bubble1.9 Screen Record on Pages That Don’t Allow Screen Recording1.10 Use an External Mic and/or Camera1.11 Send a Video in a LinkedIn Message1.12 Record From an Incognito Browser Window2.Vidyard Video Viewing Hacks2.1 Multitask While Watching Videos Using Picture-in-Picture3.Vidyard Video Platform Hacks3.1 Record PowerPoint, Excel, and PDFs with the Vidyard Desktop App3.2 Switch Up Your Background Using Zoom3.3 Add Your Video’s Length to its Thumbnail3.4 Set a Custom Link for When Viewers Share Your Video3.5 Record a Zoom Call and Send it Directly to Vidyard3.6 Record and Share Videos Right Through Slack3.7 Time Out Your Video Script with One ClickVidyard Chrome Extension Hacks1. Set Up Keyboard Shortcuts for the Chrome Extension

Nothing makes you feel like a pro quite like knowing keyboard shortcuts. With the Vidyard Chrome extension, you get to choose your own.

Keyboard shortcuts are available for four key controls: Activate the extension, cancel recording, pause/resume recording, and restart recording.

Click the puzzle piece icon in Chrome then choose Manage ExtensionsClick the three line “hamburger” menu in the top left corner of the screen and choose Keyboard shortcutsScroll to the extension labelled “Screen and Webcam Recorder – Vidyard” and type your desired shortcuts into the boxes provided

You set whatever you like for each, so long as it includes one of the following keys:

Mac: Command, Ctrl or AltWindows: Ctrl or Alt

Vidyard hacks shown using Chrome.

2. Hide Recording Controls

Every time you create a screen or webcam recording using the Vidyard Chrome extension, a set of controls shows up on the screen and appears in your final video.

But they don’t have to.

Open the Vidyard Chrome extensionClick the gear icon to visit the settings tabUntick the box marked Show recording controls

Note: This pairs well with using keyboard shortcuts to control the Chrome extension.

Vidyard hacks screenshot showing how to hide recording controls using the Vidyard Chrome extension.

Create Free Video MessagesEasily record and share videos.Sign Up Free3. Cut Out Background Noise Using Krisp

Whether it’s chatter in an open office or your dog barking in the background while working from home, background noise can be a serious distraction in your videos.

Krisp is a Chrome extension that lessens background noise and it works with the Vidyard Chrome extension. That means you can record videos with crisper, cleaner audio (even if your workspace is anything but).

The free version allows up to 120 minutes of use per week. Just toggle it on, then start your Vidyard recording.

A man in a car doing a Krips and Vidyard microphone test.

4. Add Flair to Your Video with Snapchat Filters

Ephemeral messaging app Snapchat is well-known for its fun, entertaining, and sometimes downright strange filters. Dog face filter anyone?

But did you know that you can actually get those same filters on your desktop and use them in your Vidyard webcam videos? It’s true!

Download Snap Camera and follow installation instructionsOpen the Snap Camera applicationBrowse or search for a filter you likeOpen the Vidyard Chrome extensionChoose Snap Camera as the video input under Recording Input OptionsHit Start Recording

A woman using a Snapchat filter in a video call.

Record Your WebcamEasily record and share webcam videos.Get It Free5. Move Your Speaker Bubble

This one isn’t, strictly speaking, a hack. It’s just a super cool little-known feature. Simply click on your speaker bubble and drag it where you want it to appear on your screen.

Note: You can combine this with the bubble resizing hack to really customize the look of your hybrid screen record-webcam videos.

A Vidyard speaker bubble with a woman in it.

6. Resize Your Speaker Bubble

Also not a hack per say, but it is a new feature that you should all know about. You can now resize the speaker bubble to really customize the look of your hybrid screen record-webcam videos.

This is a great way to catch the attention of your audience right upfront. Start off with the bubble in the large size to introduce yourself and then when you are ready to start your presentation and speak to slides or a website behind you, resize your bubble and move it to the side so they can see what you are speaking about.

7. Doodle on Your Screen Recording

Ever wanted to underscore a point you were making or draw viewer attention to something specific on a screen?

Good news! It’s totally easy with a little-known built-in feature.

Open the Vidyard Chrome extensionChoose either the Screen + Cam or the Screen optionHit Start RecordingIn the Chrome extension control panel (in the bottom right of your screen), click the pen icon to Toggle Draw ControlsChoose from three pen size options by clicking the dotSelect your pen color by clicking the paint palette (your ink will be gray by default)Use your cursor to draw on your screen

Whatever you draw will begin to fade in a few seconds, making it easy for you to highlight multiple things (for instance, if you’re recording a how-to video).

A graph with a doodle on it.

Free Screen RecordingEasily record and share your screen.Get It Free8. Go Full-Screen on a Google Slides Presentation Without Losing Your Speaker Bubble

While presenting from the Google Slides edit screen—which shows thumbnails of slides along the left-hand side of the screen along with edit options along the top—is a popular option, sometimes you want to minimize potential distractions.

This Vidyard hack makes the slide you’re presenting the focus of your screen.

Click the downward arrow next to Present in the upper right-hand cornerChoose Presenter view to make your slides full-screen within your browser windowClose or minimize the Presenter view popup (you don’t need it)To avoid having black bars around your presentation, resize your browser window to fit your presentationOpen the Vidyard Chrome extension, choose the Screen + Cam option and select Tab OnlyHit Start Recording to begin capturing your screen

Vidyard hacks screenshot showing a speaker bubble over a presentation slide.

9. Screen Record on Pages That Don’t Allow Screen Recording

Some sites don’t allow you to begin a screen recording, but that doesn’t mean you can’t record those sites—just that you can’t start there.

Open up your desired unrecordable site in a tabOpen up a site that allows recording (such as Google) in another tabOpen the Vidyard Chrome extension, choose the Screen + Cam or Screen option and select Full DesktopBegin your screen recording on the other tab, then flip to the site you’d like to recordOnce you’ve finished your recording, you can use the Trim option on your video edit page to remove the beginning portion of your video

Note: An alternative option is to do a Tab Only recording where you begin on the recordable site, then immediately navigate to your desired site. As with the other option, use Trim as needed.

Vidyard hacks screenshot showing a Vidyard webpage.

10. Use an External Mic and/or Camera

You don’t have to rely on your computer’s built-in webcam or your headphones. If you want to bump up the quality of your video messages, you can connect an external camera and mic.

Open the Vidyard Chrome extensionClick the downward arrow next to Recording Input Options to view sourcesSelect your desired cam and mic from the appropriate dropdown menus

Vidyard screenshot showing recording input options for mic and camera when using Vidyard.

Create Free Video MessagesEasily record and share videos.Sign Up Free11. Send a Video in a LinkedIn Message

This is a brand new Vidyard hack that few know about yet, but you can now record and send a video using Vidyard in a LinkedIn message. This is game-changing when using LinkedIn for prospecting. Instead of taking multiple steps to email someone a video, you can now send them an introductory video straight in your very first point of contact in a LinkedIn message.

Install the Vidyard Chrome extensionOpen the Compose Message window in LinkedIn and you should see the Vidyard logo at the bottom of the message window.If you do not see the Vidyard logo, click on the Vidyard Chrome extension logo in your Chrome browser, go into Settings and hit ReloadOnce the Vidyard logo is showing in the LinkedIn message window, you can click on the logo to start recording a video as usual

12. Record From an Incognito Browser Window

Need to record something on an incognito browser? You’ll have to allow the extension to work in that mode.

Right click on the Vidyard Chrome extension and select Manage ExtensionsScroll to Allow in incognitoToggle to ONStart an incognito browsing session and sign in to VidyardGoogle will prompt you to allow Vidyard to use your camera and microphone—select AllowProceed as usual

Vidyard hacks screenshot showing the toggle to allow filming in incognito.

Vidyard Video Viewing Hacks13. Multitask While Watching Videos Using Picture-in-Picture

This is a great productivity hack, especially for long videos. Using Google’s Picture-in-Picture extension, you can watch a Vidyard video in a small window while on another page.

Install the Picture-in-Picture extensionOpen a Vidyard sharing page and click play on the videoNavigate to another websiteReposition the video in a desirable spot on your screen (optional)Continue watching while you do something else

Vidyard hacks screenshot showing Picture-in-Picture while viewing a Vidyard video

Vidyard Video Platform Hacks14. Record PowerPoint, Excel, and PDFs with the Vidyard Desktop App

Because the Vidyard Chrome extension is a Chrome extension, it can only record from Chrome which means you must have a Chrome window open and begin your recording from there.

Well, we hacked ourselves and made a desktop app to record media that’s not in Chrome.

Now it’s easy to download the Vidyard Desktop App and record everything your heart desires.

Free Screen RecordingEasily record and share your screen.Get It Free15. Switch Up Your Background Using Zoom

With the rise of remote work and the proliferation of video conferencing, virtual backgrounds have become more popular than ever.

But, you don’t have to restrict your virtual digs to your Zoom calls. You just have to set up a call where you’re the only participant.

Open up Zoom and click New MeetingOnce in, click the upward arrow next to Stop Video and select Choose Virtual Background…Select your desired virtual background and close the popup windowClick Record and choose where to save your meeting recordingOnce done, upload the recording to Vidyard

Bonus: With the Vidyard for Zoom integration, you can push your Zoom recording directly into Vidyard. Visit our Knowledge Base to learn about the requirements and set it up in your Vidyard account.

A man using a fake background in a Zoom call.

16. Add Your Video’s Length to its Thumbnail

Want viewers to know how long the video they’re about to watch is before clicking play? There’s a Vidyard hack for that.

For this one to work, you have to use the Vidyard Player API on your webpage to add additional metadata to the thumbnail.

Get the snippet of code and instructions in this Knowledge Base article.

Vidyard hacks screenshot showing the timecode in a video thumbnail.

17. Set a Custom Link for When Viewers Share Your Video

When people share your video, it’ll push to the video-sharing page by default.

But, there may be times when you’d like the video to be viewed in the context of the web or landing page it lives on rather than the sharing page. Luckily, you can actually customize that sharing link so that shares of the video will direct to that page instead.

In your Vidyard library, navigate to the video you’d like to changeUnder the Settings tab, go to Player DesignClick the Edit buttonOpen the Share Options menuToggle the Custom Sharing Link option to ONEnter or paste the web address that you’d like video shares to be directed to under Link

Vidyard hacks screenshot showing the toggle to add a custom sharing link in Vidyard.

Note: The URL must begin with http:// or https://

18. Record a Zoom Call and Send it Directly to Vidyard

Did you know that Zoom actually integrates with Vidyard? Good news—it does!

Even better news: That makes it easy as pie for you to record a Zoom meeting and send it directly to your Vidyard account.

Whether it’s a team lunch and learn you want to save for those who missed it, an interview with an influencer you plan to share on social, or a sales call you’d like to review later, you can quickly and easily save all of your Zoom calls in Vidyard.

The integration lets you automatically generate English-language captions for your Zoom recordings, secure your video, share it via a Vidyard hub, and more.

Find out more about what it does and how to set it up through this Knowledge Base article.

An arrow pointing to an authorize button.

19. Record and Share Videos Right Through Slack

Vidyard is also integrated with Slack.

Sometimes you have a lot to tell your colleagues, but nobody wants to read an IM novel—and juggling schedules to set up a video conference is a pain in the neck. With the Vidyard integration, you can easily record and send an asynchronous video without leaving Slack. Can you say productivity hack?

Once you’ve added the Vidyard app to Slack, just type /vidyard to start recording. When you’re done, you can review the video, then DM it straight to a colleague or post it to a channel. The video plays right inside Slack. Viewers can react and comment to keep the conversation rolling.

20. Time Out Your Video Script with One Click

Want to estimate your script’s length and make sure you stay within a certain time limit before you start filming? We created an easy-to-use Video Script Timer, where all you have to do is copy and paste your script and, voilà!

Just plug your script in and select your reading speed to discover your script’s length. When you know how long your script will be, you can make more informed decisions when creating your video. And more informed decisions mean fewer takes, giving you back valuable time.

Put Your Videos to WorkCreate, host, manage, and share your videos.Sign Up Free

We hope these Vidyard hacks help you on your video journey. By embracing these Vidyard hacks, you’ll become a pro in no time!

This post was originally published on July 6, 2020. It was updated on May 17, 2021.

The post 20 Awesome Vidyard Hacks You Need to Know About appeared first on Vidyard.

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