How to Use a Looping Video Background in PowerPoint

When you create a PowerPoint presentation, your goal is to keep it interesting. That means building dynamic, engaging slides that keep your audience focused. One option is looping video PowerPoint backgrounds that add motion to an otherwise flat slide.

Let’s learn PowerPoint how to loop video techniques. (Icon sources: Envato Elements 1, 2.)

A PowerPoint loop video is one of the best ways to create a fun slide deck. With a loop video in PowerPoint, you can instantly transform dull, flat slide backgrounds. By adding a video background, you can be sure to entertain your audience.

How to Loop a Video in PowerPoint for Backgrounds

Using video in PowerPoint helps you share new and unique perspectives as well. For example, you can show off one of your company’s processes in video form. Or you can bring in new voices to help narrate.

Fortunately, it’s easy to create a looping video PowerPoint background. When you do, you can ensure that other slide content stays visible. And you can avoid having to click replay over and over to loop a video. Thanks to the magic of PowerPoint, you can automate the sharing process as you present.

The best way to create a looping video in PowerPoint is to start with a premium template from Envato Elements. With thousands of templates to choose from, you’re sure to find the perfect option.

Download the Clean Business Presentation to follow along with our tutorial.

For this tutorial, we’ll work with the stylish Clean Business Presentation from Envato Elements. Inside, you’ll find 50 unique slides to choose from.

Once you’ve got the template downloaded and open, it’s time to get started! Let’s learn how to loop a video in PowerPoint in just a few quick and easy steps in 2023.

The tips in this section were written using Windows and Office365. If you’ve got a different operating system or a different version of PowerPoint, your steps may be slightly different.

1. Navigate to a Slide

To create a loop video PowerPoint, you’ll first want to choose a slide. This is where you’ll add a video background and customize it to loop over and over.

With the Clean Business Presentation deck open, scroll through the slides. When you add a video background, it’s a good idea to do it last. This way, you can be sure that your content looks its best with the video in the back.

Use a slide like #4 to build a looping video in PowerPoint.

For example, here let’s use slide #4 in the deck. As you can see, there’s already some content on the slide. This is placeholder content only, and you can easily drop in your own. Select the contents of the text boxes, then type in your own words.

Customize a slide’s content to prepare it for a PowerPoint loop video in the background.

You can also add optional images, charts, and more by going to PowerPoint’s Insert tab and exploring your options there.

2. Choose a Video Background

What’s the key ingredient of a looping background in PowerPoint? A video! The goal here is to choose a PowerPoint loop that does two things:

pairs well with your existing content
avoids distracting your audience

I like to use subtle, more abstract backgrounds for those reasons. They complement existing content on my slides without blocking the view or distracting from my message.

You may have a PowerPoint loop video that you want to use. It’s a great idea to use videos that you’ve taken yourself. After all, this adds a perfect personal touch to your slide content.

But what if you don’t have a looping background video that you want to use? No worries! This is the perfect time to revisit the powerful Envato Elements offer. As a subscriber, you also have unlimited access to millions of stock video clips. Spanning countless categories, Elements is an ideal source for all of your loop video in PowerPoint needs.

Envato Elements includes millions of stock videos that you can use to build a looping background.

Let’s choose a stock video clip from Elements to use in our PowerPoint. This clip, Sowing Field and All Kinds of Tractor Work fits with the theme of our slide. We’ll use it.

3. Add the Video to Your Slide

With a loop video in PowerPoint chosen, you’ll need to add it to your slide. To begin, go to PowerPoint’s ribbon and click on the Insert tab.

With it open, you’ll see an array of options displayed on the menu bar. Look on the right side, in the Media group, and click on the Video drop-down arrow.

Go to Insert > Video > This Device to find your looping video in PowerPoint background.

From the list of options that appear on the Insert Video From menu, click This Device. Browse to the stored or downloaded video file that you want to use. Then, click on its title. Finally, select Insert. PowerPoint instantly imports the video and place it on your slide.

Use the circles on the edge of your looping video PowerPoint to resize the video and move it into place. (Stock footage source: Envato Elements.)

With the video selected, you’ll see white circles on the sides and corners. These allow you to resize and move the video clip. PowerPoint treats videos just like photos. Click and pull on the corners to resize the video.

Click and drag on the clip itself to move it around the slide. Like this, I’ll place the video so that it covers the full slide. This way, it’ll serve as a powerful looping video in PowerPoint.

4. Send the Video to the Back

With the looping video PowerPoint in place, notice that the other slide content is hidden! Not to worry. By default, PowerPoint places videos (and images) at the front. This means they sit above all other content that may be found on a slide. But luckily, there’s an easy fix.

Be sure the video is selected by clicking on it. On the ribbon, find the Video Format tab and click on it. Near the center of your screen, locate the Arrange group. There, you’ll see the Send Backward drop-down menu. Go ahead and click on the arrow to see your options.

From the displayed list, choose Send to Back. Now, the video clip is behind all other content on your slides. You’ll see the text you’ve added overlaying the video.

5. Adjust Slide Content for Clarity

With the video clip sent to the back, notice that our existing text is a little hard to read. That’s because the default color rather closely matches the video itself. Again, the fix is easy. Let’s select the text inside the text box by clicking and dragging.

Then, on the Home tab, find the Font group. There, open the Font Color dropdown and choose a new shade. For this example, white is a great choice, because it stands out sharply from the loop video in PowerPoint.

You may need to edit text and other design elements so they remain clearly readable with your video background. (Stock footage source: Envato Elements.)

Depending on your slide designs, you’ll want to make other cosmetic adjustments to font colors and more. This is a key part of the process, because it ensures you create a looping video PowerPoint that doesn’t obscure your important slide content.

6. Set the Video to Loop

Just like that, you’ve added a video background to your PowerPoint slide deck! You’re almost done with the journey of learning how to loop a video in PowerPoint. The last step is to ensure the video loops.

Looping just means that it plays over and over. By default, a PowerPoint video plays once and then stops.

To create a PowerPoint loop video, begin by clicking on the video that you’ve added to your slide background. Then, go back to PowerPoint’s ribbon. This time, you’ll want to click the rightmost tab, which is labeled Playback.

On the Playback tab, you’ll see a lot of options. In the Video Options group, check the box labeled Loop until Stopped. This tells PowerPoint to play the video over and over, until you manually stop it. You’ve now created your very own looping video PowerPoint!

Set up a looping video PowerPoint by checking the Loop until Stopped box on the Playback tab.

You’ve got one other choice to make. By default, videos start only when you click to begin playing them. This works in sequence with other PowerPoint effects like animations and transitions.

But it’s often useful to start playing a video automatically when you click onto a slide. That’s especially true for a looping video PowerPoint like this.

To begin video playback automatically, go back to the Video Options group on the Playback tab. From the Start drop-down, click Automatically.

Now, the video will begin to play when you click into the slide. You won’t have to use the playback controls to get it started.

Use PowerPoint’s Start Automatically feature to ensure a video starts playing.

Just like that, you’ve learned how to loop video in PowerPoint! In a few quick steps, you can create stylish and stunning video backgrounds of your own. It’s an amazing way to inspire and connect with your audience.

The Top Source for Stunning PowerPoint Templates (With Unlimited Downloads)

Envato Elements is the best creative value in 2023. The unlimited download feature ensures you can try out as many templates as you need to find the perfect option for your next project.

And of course, the library of millions of stock videos helps you add dynamic PowerPoint loop video backgrounds of your own.

Envato Elements: millions of digital assets, one flat monthly rate.

When you use looping video PowerPoint templates from Envato Elements, you’ll enjoy:

sleek modern layouts for slide content
robust placeholders for images and videos
dynamic and flexible charts and data visuals
design inspirations and slides built by expert editors

As you can see, you can’t afford to miss out on Envato Elements. Join today and start browsing the vast library!

More Top PowerPoint Resources

You know how to make the most of PowerPoint loop video settings. Why stop there? PowerPoint is a deep app, and we’ve got all the resources you need to master it. Check out great resources in How to Use PowerPoint (Ultimate Tutorial Guide.)

Check out even more tutorials below. They’re the perfect follow-up to our PowerPoint how to loop video guide.

More Top PowerPoint Templates

As you learned how to loop a video in PowerPoint, you saw a great template in action. These templates save you so much time and make design easier. We consistently feature top templates in articles like the ones below.

All these templates work great with the loop video PowerPoint technique you learned. Check them out and add a looping background!

You Just Learned PowerPoint How to Loop Video Skills

You mastered how to loop a video in PowerPoint. With this technique, a looping background attracts audience attention and enhances your slide.

Here’s your challenge: put your new PowerPoint how to loop video skills to the test. Open a presentation, add a video, and press play. You might be amazed by the results!

Post date March 14, 2023

This content originally appeared on Envato Tuts+ Tutorials and was authored by Andrew Childress

Intro How to use a looping video background in PowerPoint — Let's learn PowerPoint how to loop video techniques. (Icon sources: Envato Elements 1, 2.)

How to Loop a Video in PowerPoint for Backgrounds

The best way to create a looping video in PowerPoint is to start with a premium template from Envato Elements. With thousands of templates to choose from, you’re sure to find the perfect option.

Clean business presentation PowerPoint loop video — Download the Clean Business Presentation to follow along with our tutorial.

For this tutorial, we’ll work with the stylish Clean Business Presentation from Envato Elements. Inside, you’ll find 50 unique slides to choose from.

Once you've got the template downloaded and open, it’s time to get started! Let’s learn how to loop a video in PowerPoint in just a few quick and easy steps in 2023.

The tips in this section were written using Windows and Office365. If you’ve got a different operating system or a different version of PowerPoint, your steps may be slightly different.