This month we’re introducing several new features to Microsoft Stream that will help you do more with video at work or on the go. These enhancements to video curation, playback and our mobile app make Stream (on SharePoint) a more robust platform for your videos needs. Let’s take a look at the new video organization, playback and viewing options across Microsoft 365.
Playlists
Stream recently launched Playlists, a new feature that allows you to curate video or audio collections within Microsoft 365. Playlists combines the ease of use of Microsoft Lists with the value of video. With playlists you can create and share an organized collection of related content such as training videos, product demos, or Teams meeting recordings. It’s simple to share playlists, but note that users who want to watch videos in the playlist need to have view access to those videos. Once your create a playlist or one is shared with you, it will appear on your Stream start page and your Lists home page. Learn more.
Playlists makes it easy to view and share a collection of audio and video files.
Offline viewing on the Stream mobile app
The Stream mobile app for iOS and Android now lets you download your Stream (on SharePoint) videos while you're connected to the internet so that you can watch them later without an internet connection. This feature is particularly useful if you travel frequently, have limited access to the internet, or have data limits on your mobile device. It also lets you watch videos without any buffering for a smooth and uninterrupted playback experience.
The Stream app on iOS and Android now offers video download for offline viewing.
Variable speed playback
Now when you play a video in Microsoft 365, you’ll have the option to control the playback speed. Instead of playing the video at the standard speed, you can choose to play it at a slower or faster speed (between 0.5x and 2x). Play it fast when you want to quickly review content and slow it down to improve comprehension on complex topics. Variable speed playback enhances the video viewing experience and makes videos more accessible for a wider audience.
Variable speed playback allows you to choose the speed at which your video plays in Stream.
Analytics and search in the Stream web app
When you open a video from within Microsoft 365 you’re taken to the Stream web app to view the video. The web app player gives you enhanced playback that includes transcripts, captions, chapters, sharing, background noise suppression, and as mentioned above variable speed playback. We’re now adding two new features to the Steam web app player.
Analytics: Now, you can view analytics for any video that you have view permissions. When you tap the “Analytics” icon on the right side of the screen, you’ll see total number of views and viewers for the video. Additionally, you’ll see an overlay on the video that shows viewer retention to help you understand which parts of your video are working and where viewers are dropping off.
Stream’s analytics pane shows video views and viewers over time.
Transcript Search: Now you can search transcripts to find information quickly in a meeting recording or video. Just enter keywords in transcript search box, then navigate through the results. Clicking on any result will play that section of the video.
Find what you need quickly with keyword search within video transcripts in Stream.
Embed codes
With Stream (on SharePoint) you’ve long been able to embed videos into SharePoint sites and pages. Now you can use Stream embed codes to embed videos in other internal websites. Internal sites, such as those for training, feedback, or expenses can now all be easily enriched with video content. Learn more.
Stream (on SharePoint) is available to GCC and DoD customers
Stream on SharePoint is now available to GCC (Government Community Cloud), GCC-High and DOD (Department of Defense) customers. If you’re a government user, you can now leverage many of the new Stream (on SharePoint) video capabilities within your Microsoft 365 environment. All the features that we noted in the blog Stream on SharePoint now generally available are now available to GCC and DOD customers with the exception of a) migration tool and b) the Stream mobile app which is available to GCC-moderate and coming to GCC-High and DOD later this year.
We welcome your feedback. Feel free to comment below or share and vote on ideas in the Stream feedback portal