If you work at a local association or nonprofit, chances are you rely on Microsoft Teams for your workplace communication. While the user-friendly app offers a wide range of features for collaboration and project management, you might occasionally run into limitations. A big one? Teams doesn’t yet support playing YouTube videos directly inside a chat.
Luckily, there are still simple ways to make video content more accessible and useful for your team. You can integrate YouTube, along with other tools you already use, right into your channels. Whether you’re embedding Teams video tutorials for onboarding or using video to support internal training, these integrations empower your team to work smarter.
We’ll also walk through how to use Microsoft Teams shortcuts to speed up your workflow and share a few practical productivity solutions designed for Microsoft 365 Business users in Washington DC and beyond.
Why Should You Embed Videos in Microsoft Teams?
Adding resources to Teams channels like pinning key videos right where your team already works keeps everyone focused on their work and boosts remote work productivity without small delays that add friction to the workdays. You won’t have to juggle multiple open tabs or scroll through long message threads just to find a link.
Here’s how using embedding videos in Microsoft Teams could support your day-to-day operations:
- Keeping educational videos front and center: Pin orientation and onboarding videos, tool how-tos, or professional development modules directly into a relevant channel. New staff, volunteers, or anyone who just needs a refresher can access the content anytime. You can even create multiple tabs and rename them to label them clearly based on use case, like HR Info Hub, Policy Updates, or Member Resources.
- Making campaign or program content easier to share: Instead of pasting YouTube links into a chat where they get asily buried, embed the video in a tab for quick access during planning meetings or team check-ins.
- Reducing email clutter: When a video lives in Teams, no one has to ask you to resend it. It’s already in the right place, ready when they need it.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Add YouTube Videos in Microsoft Teams
Excited to start taking advantage of embedded YouTube videos in Microsoft Teams? You’re in luck! It’s a simple process that only takes a minute or two.
Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to set it up and share video in Teams effectively:
- Go to the Teams channel where you’d like to add YouTube content.
- Click the + (Add a tab) button at the top of the channel toolbar. This opens a window, where you can choose from a range of apps and integrations.
- You’ll likely see YouTube as an option right away, but if not, type YouTube in the “Search for apps” field, and select the YouTube icon from the results.
- Click Save to add the YouTube tab to your channel.
- And you’re all set! It’s time to start adding content:
- Search by keywords to find videos, channels, or playlists.
- Paste a YouTube URL directly to find specific content.
- Pin selected items so they stay visible in the tab.
How Does YouTube Integration Improve the Teams Experience?
Embedding videos in Microsoft Teams is easier than ever with the YouTube integration Teams offers. And your experience with YouTube video links will get an upgrade once you install the app!
Videos are watchable in-app, so there’s no need to switch tools. Whether you’re viewing a video in a dedicated tab or a chat, users just click “Open” and the video pops out in a player, ready to watch.
One of the best features is the ability to watch videos together in meetings. The experience is a big improvement over simply screen-sharing and pressing play, which often causes glitchy playback, like blurry or choppy video or lagging audio. Viewers also see the sharer’s tabs and mouse movements.
With co-watching through YouTube integration, each person streams the video directly, providing smooth, high-quality playback without any screen clutter or distracting pop-ups.
Even better, everyone gets control. Instead of one person managing playback, each participant can pause, rewind, or fast-forward independently.
Viewing and Sharing Videos with Microsoft Stream
Yes, the YouTube functionality is fantastic! But what about videos that aren’t hosted on YouTube? Maybe you’re working with internal recordings that you don’t want uploaded to the platform, even as unlisted or private content.
Microsoft Stream in Teams is a strong alternative. This built-in video management and playback tool lets you securely store content in OneDrive and SharePoint.
Add it as an app to your Teams sidebar and gain access to:
- A centralized hub for all video content shared in your channels.
- Search functionality that lets you easily find recent uploads or specific documents and meeting recordings.
- Auto-generated captions and searchable transcripts to make videos easier to scan and review. You also get the ability to comment on specific timestamps for more focused discussion or feedback.
Ultimately, using Stream to add video to Teams gives you better control than simply embedding YouTube videos, but both options are useful depending on the context.
Top Teams Integrations Beyond Video: Tools for Productivity and Collaboration
You might be wondering: “This all sounds really helpful! It would be cool if there were more options beyond Microsoft Teams video integration. Can my organization connect other tools we rely on?” The short answer: yes!
Teams supports more than 700 integrations, including Microsoft-built apps, third-party tools, and custom line-of-business apps for specific organizational needs.
Here are a few non-Microsoft app integrations that might be appealing to mission-driven organizations:
Trello and Asana
Some organizations use Microsoft Tools like Planner to manage projects. However, others are big fans of third-party tools. And just like you’d add a YouTube tab, you can drop a Trello or Asana tab right into your Teams channel and see your tasks without ever leaving the app.
Adobe Acrobat Sign
For organizations managing forms, waivers, or agreements, Adobe Sign integrates with Microsoft Teams to simplify the process of sending and tracking e-signatures, all within one workspace. Perfect for volunteer onboarding, partner agreements, and other approval workflows! A note: while you can’t add Adobe Sign directly as a tab in a specific Teams channel, you can install it as an app within Teams and access it from the sidebar.
CRM Integration
Your employees may be able to access stakeholder data without leaving their collaboration space. Popular tools like Salesforce, Dynamics 365, and HubSpot are all available as applications in Microsoft Teams, offering different levels of functionality like embedding records directly in chats or meetings, basic editing, and making surface updates or reminders. This deep integration means you get to keep chatting while engaging in tasks like coordinating outreach before a donor meeting, reviewing member engagement history, or tracking grant application progress.
Get Expert Microsoft 365 Support and Teams Productivity Solutions in Washington DC
When used well, the various Microsoft Teams collaboration tools genuinely lightens the load for busy teams: not just when it comes to video sharing! But it’s hard to stay on top of every Microsoft and Office 365 collaboration feature, especially as they are constantly evolving.
Our designDATA team helps associations and non-profits in the DC area get the most out of Microsoft 365. We work alongside your team to simplify your IT experience and manage your infrastructure to operate securely and efficiently. Our team is also always ready to offer practical Teams productivity tips that support your day-to-day work
Curious what your tools could be doing for your organization? Connect with our experts at designDATA to learn tips, tricks, and tools for maximizing productivity.
