Skip to main content

Video Studio

System administrators can find information for settings and configuration on the Video Studio page for Administrators.

Video Studio is an audio/video tool to help you create a more engaging learning experience for students. The lightweight and deeply integrated solution gives users the ability to record or upload audio and video recordings.

Only instructors can create Video Studio content in these areas. Students can access Video Studio content in these areas.

  • Course Content page

  • Documents

  • Forms

  • Journals

  • Announcements (Video Studio is embedded within Announcements. Your institution doesn't need a separate Video Studio license to use Video Studio when creating Announcements).

Students and Instructors can record Video Studio content in these areas:

  • Tests and assignments (Video Studio is embedded within instructor feedback for submitted assignments and tests in Flexible grading. Your institution doesn't need a separate Video Studio license to use Video Studio when creating in these areas.)

  • Discussions topics

Video Studio requires a premium license. To learn whether you have access, contact your Blackboard administrator.

Using Video Studio

Specifications

For the best experience using Video Studio, follow these specifications:

  • Recording duration: Videos recorded directly with Video Studio have a maximum duration of 20 minutes. However, there is no length limit for videos uploaded from other sources.

  • Streaming quality: The player supports both HD (1080p, 8Mbps) and SD (480p, 1Mbps) streaming. It utilizes adaptive streaming technology to automatically adjust video quality based on the viewer’s internet speed, ensuring smooth playback with the best possible quality.

  • Upload file size limit: The maximum upload size for videos is 10GB.

  • Supported file formats: The player recognizes a wide range of file extensions, including:

    • Video: .mp4, .mov, .avi, .mkv, .wmv, .flv, .webm, .3gp, .m4v, .mpg, .mpeg, .m2v, .ts

    • Audio: .mp3, .m4a, .wav, .ogg, .flac, .opus, .weba, .aac

Add a recording

Video Studio is available for the Course Content page, in Discussion topics, and within Documents. You can create audio and video files from a camera, audio recording, or from screen recordings. You can also upload audio and video files. Video Studio also has the capability to upload 360° videos that can pan to the left or right. For information about creating documents, visit our Create Documents Help page.

  • On the Course Content page. Select + where you would like to add content. Then select Record Audio/Video.

  • Enhanced Document. In a created document, in the options for Select a type of content to add a block, select Audio/Video.

In an Audio/Video content block, options include:

  • Camera

  • Audio

  • Screen

  • Audio & Screen

  • Upload from device

You can select the device used to record video and audio. By selecting the dropdown menu options for camera, mic, and screen, you can choose from any connected devices on your computer.

Woman speaking in Video Studio recording. Device selection options highlighted.

If you are creating a recording, select Start Recording. There is a three second countdown before recording begins. You can pause, resume, retake, or end the recording as needed.

Instructor getting ready to record a video

After you end the recording, the uploading process begins. During this time, you can preview the result, edit the title, and add a description. Select Save to add the audio or video into the document. You can edit descriptions for existing recordings as well by opening the settings of a recording, selecting Edit Video, and then selecting Details on the Edit page. There you can find the description to edit.

Uploading an enhanced document video with options to edit title and description

You can edit the title of a recording or uploaded file after it is saved to the document. Select the pencil icon from the top left of the video block.

Woman speaking in Video Studio recording. Title field highlighted.

After selecting the pencil icon, the previously uploaded video displays in the Upload Video screen. You can edit your title.

Woman speaking in Video Studio recording. Title field highlighted.

Add Knowledge Checks to recordings

You can embed ungraded knowledge check questions directly into recordings in Video Studio. A recording pauses at designated points and prompts students to answer a question related to the content they just watched. After answering correctly, the video resumes. Knowledge checks help you confirm student comprehension and engagement.

To add a knowledge check question:

  1. Open a recording and select Settings (the button shaped like a gear).

  2. Select Edit Video.

  3. From the Edit page, select Edit, then select Knowledge Checks.

    Knowledge check options within the Video Studio workflow. The user has listed two Mexican cities as knowledge check answers. The Edit option to get to the knowledge check workflow is highlighted in blue.
  4. Under Knowledge Checks, any existing knowledge check questions are listed. Select + to add a knowledge check question.

  5. For a new knowledge check question, add content to the required fields:

    1. Question text

    2. One or more correct answers

    3. Correct answer feedback

    4. Incorrect answer feedback

    5. Timestamp where the knowledge check appears in the recording.

Questions are ungraded and designed to validate comprehension, not assess performance. You also have access to general analytics of student responses.

Minimize Video Studio workflow

Users can now minimize the camera view and Video Studio controls during a recording session. This update helps instructors and students focus on screen content while keeping the camera visible in a smaller overlay. The minimized view can be restored at any time, supporting flexible presentation styles.

When creating a recording, select Minimize at the bottom corner of the recording screen to minimize Video Studio workflow.

An instructor in a minimized window presenting on a screen. The screen is showing a page of technical writing instructions

Instructors can minimize the camera and controls while recording feedback or lectures. The camera appears as a small overlay, giving more options for presenting. Instructors can pause, resume, or restore the full camera view during the recording. This workflow is available wherever Video Studio is supported, including assessment feedback and flexible grading.

An instructor in a minimized, inset window presenting on a screen in a course.

Retry a failed video upload

If you upload a file in Video Studio and the upload fails, you can select Retry upload at the top right corner of the screen or Retry next to the Upload process bar.

Important

For administrators: These new video capabilities require a license for Video Studio. The videos created using Video Studio will not count towards your existing storage entitlement. The following existing privileges are used for the Video Studio solution:

  • Course/Organization (Content Areas) > Create Materials: To create videos. Includes all operations like save, finish, check Video upload Status. Not needed for playback.

  • Course/Organization (Content Areas) > Delete Materials: To delete videos.

Edit Captions and Transcripts

Note

Resizing the display of Video Studio recordings to one quarter size of the default full width display is possible when creating recordings within Documents (navigate to Control display of captions and transcript). On the Course Content page, Video Studio recordings are displayed at full width. If a user reduces the size of the browser window, the recording can be reduced to a minimum of half width of the full size.

Captions and transcripts are automatically generated for a recording. The automated transcription also identifies and segments individual speakers in a recording (up to 30 speakers). You can edit captions, transcripts, and speaker name labels for content created using Video Studio. This allows you to correct minor errors and add clarity to the captions and transcripts that are automatically generated. When editing speaker names, you can choose to edit one instance of an individual speaker label or change all labels for that speaker throughout the full transcript.

To edit captions and transcripts of a recording,

1. Select Edit Content.

Top portion of a Video Studio recording with the Edit Content button on top right corner highlighted with a blue box.

2. Hover your cursor over the video to display the option to edit (the button labeled with a pencil icon). If navigating with your keyboard, you can also select tab until you focus on the screen, which then displays the editing options. Select the button labeled with a pencil.

Top portion of a Video Studio recording with the button with a pencil icon for editing recordings highlighted in a blue box.

3. Next, select Transcript , which displays the transcript. Select the pencil next to the text you want to edit within the transcript. Once you make your edits to the text or name labels, select the checkmark to save the edit or select X to discard changes. Once you finish making all your edits, select Save Video . The changes now appear in both the captions and the transcript.

Panel for editing Video Studio transcripts is open. A line of transcript text has been selected. The transcript tab is highlighted in a blue box and the options to discard or save an edit have been highlighted with a blue box.

Download Recordings and Transcripts

You and your students download Video Studio recordings directly to your local devices for offline access. This allows users more flexibility to access recordings without an internet connection.

You have control over what recordings you allow students to download by turning the download option on or off for each recording.

Video Studio Details page with the instructor option turned on to allow a recording to be downloaded by users. The setting options to turn on or off the ability to download a recording is highlighted in blue.

To download transcripts, play your selected recording, then select the transcript button at the bottom corner of the video screen. This opens the transcript panel displaying the text of the transcript. Select the download button at the top of transcript column. The transcript is downloaded as a VTT file that includes time stamps and speaker narration.

A video studio recording with the transcript panel displaying the transcript. At the top of the transcript panel is the button to download transcripts, which is highlighted in a blue box.

Control display of captions and transcript

Note

A user isn’t able to skip forward or backward in a Video Studio recording that is sized at one-quarter size.

In Video Studio, you and your students can control the display of captions and transcription.

Video Studio makes recordings more accessible by automatically displaying captions. To accommodate diverse learner preferences, individual users turn captions on or off. For example, a student can close the auto-generated captions if they do not want to view them. To turn off captions, select the captions button next to the progress bar at the bottom of the video.

Woman speaking in Video Studio recording. Captions appear and the captions control button in the bottom panel of video is highlighted.

Video Studio also automatically generates a transcript for created or uploaded recordings. As with captions, students can control the display of the transcript.

To view the transcript, select the transcript button next to the progress bar at the bottom of the video.

Woman speaking in Video Studio recording. Transcript appears on right side panel and the transcript control button in the bottom panel of video is highlighted.

Students can view the transcript in-line and in full screen in Documents when videos are displayed three and four columns wide. When videos are one to two columns wide, the transcript displays in full screen.

Access transcripts for one-quarter sized recordings

When you create a recording at one quarter size, a user accesses the transcript via a modal window that is displayed when they access a recording transcript. Underneath the recording screen, select View Transcript.

Video Studio recording displayed at one-quarter size. The View Transcript button is below the recording. The button is highlighted in blue.

Selecting View Transcript opens a modal window containing the recording transcript in read-only mode. The transcript editing functionality is unchanged for a recording displayed at one-quarter size of the default full width.

Video Studio recording displayed at one-quarter size. The View Transcript button has been selected, so a modal window overlays the main page containing the recording transcript.

Skip forward or backward in a recording

You can skip to a specific part of a recording by selecting a time stamp in the transcript. Select a specific timestamp from the transcript, and the recording plays from the corresponding time selected.

For example, a student who views a recorded lecture can skip forward to a specific portion of the video. They can also replay any part of the video by selecting the desired timestamp in the transcript.

Video Studio screen with transcript. The cursor selects a timestamp on the transcript, and the video plays from the corresponding time.

Use analytics for student engagement

You can access analytics to gain insights into student engagement with recordings. This can help you make data-informed decisions about your recording content and instructional strategies to promote engagement with a course.

You can access recording analytics from the editing workflow. Select Edit Content and then the pencil button that appears when you hover over or tab to the recording screen. On the panel that appears, select Analytics.

  • Total Views: Track the total number of times a recording has been accessed by students.

  • Individual Users: Identify the unique users who have opened a recording.

  • Average Time Viewed: Monitor the average duration students spend listening to or watching a recording.

  • Total Watch Time: Know the total duration of time students spend listening to or watching a recording.

These analytics can reveal which parts of a recording are most and least engaging by analyzing engagement patterns and timestamps.

Edit screen of a Video Studio recording with the user engagement analytics below the recording. The screen displays a video about the Mona Lisa

360° videos and linking from desktop to virtual reality headset

The process for uploading 360° videos is the same as for other recordings. When a 360° video recording is uploaded, a shaded circle displays on the top left corner of the recording, which is used to pan the recording to the left or to the right. For keyboard navigation, you can also use the W, A, S, D keys.

If you want to create immersive virtual experiences for students, Video Studio has a straightforward process for linking from a desktop to virtual reality headset. Immersive experiences are particularly beneficial for educational scenarios where physical presence is not feasible. For example, construction students can explore a highway construction environment to identify risks; students can tour the international space station; or new faculty can familiarize themselves with classroom layouts using 360° walkthroughs. The product agnostic nature of this Video Studio feature means that institutions can use existing VR equipment or purchase equipment to fit their budget and needs.

The product agnostic nature of the VR headset linking process means that you can use existing VR equipment or purchase equipment to fit their budget and needs.

The upload screen for a 360 video, with a field for title to the right and an uploading progress bar beside the video