Storyline 360: Managing a Project’s Assets with the Media Library

Manage all the assets for your project in one place with the media library. It keeps track of images, characters, audio clips, and videos in your course, so you can easily add, remove, replace, reuse, and export them. See every slide and layer where an asset is used and jump to each location instantly. You can even edit assets with third-party apps and save your changes directly to Storyline.

Watch this video demo, then check out the details below.

 

• Opening the Media Library
• Importing Assets into the Media Library
• Searching, Sorting, and Filtering Assets
• Renaming Assets
• Previewing Assets
• Managing Alternative Text
• Managing Closed Captions
• Adding Private Notes to Assets
• Jumping to Asset Locations in Your Project
• Using Assets on Slides and Layers
• Replacing All Instances of an Asset
• Replacing a Single Instance of an Asset
• Editing Assets in Third-Party Apps
• Reimporting Updated Assets
• Opening an Asset’s Original Folder Location
• Exporting Assets
• Deleting Assets

Opening the Media Library

The media library is always close at hand. Here are three ways to open it:

• Go to the View tab on the Storyline ribbon and click Media Library.
• Right-click an asset on any slide in your project and choose Show in Media Library.
• Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon, click the drop-down arrow below Picture, Video, or Audio, and then choose Media Library. (Using this method, the media library will automatically close after you insert an asset into the slide.)

Across the top of the media library, you’ll see asset tabs, a search field, and filtering options. There’s an asset list on the left side of the window that includes metadata for each asset. And the details pane on the right lets you preview assets, jump to each location where assets are used in your project, and manage assets (insert, replace, edit, export, and delete). 

You can keep the media library open as you work in the Storyline editor. You can even move the media library to a separate monitor so it’s always available while you’re building your course.

Importing Assets into the Media Library

There are two ways to add assets to the media library. One way is to build slides using the Storyline ribbon. The other way is to import assets directly into the media library.

Use the Storyline Ribbon to Insert Assets and Slides

When you use the Insert tab to add images, characters, audio clips, and videos to slides in your project, those assets automatically appear in the media library so you can reuse them later. (Tip: Icons don’t show in the media library.)

And when you use the Slides tab to import slides from other sources, such as Content Library 360 and PowerPoint, assets on those slides automatically appear in the media library too. (Note: Screen recordings don't show in the media library. You can find your screen recordings by going to the Slides tab on the ribbon and clicking the Record Screen drop-down arrow.)

 

Use the Import Buttons in the Media Library

You can import assets directly into the media library, so they’re available later when you need them. Click the Import button in the upper right corner of the media library to add new assets.

 If the media library is empty, you can also click the Add button on each asset tab to import assets.

Import images from your computer or Content Library 360.

Import photographic and illustrated characters from Content Library 360.

Import audio files from your computer or record narration with a microphone.

Import videos from your computer or Content Library 360, or record videos with a webcam.

Tip: You can select multiple media files at the same time using Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click, then insert them all at once.

 

Is the media library compatible with other versions of Storyline? The media library is fully compatible with Storyline 360 build 3.22.17236.0 and later. It’s also compatible with Storyline 3 and earlier versions of Storyline 360 if you don’t import assets directly into the media library. To maintain compatibility with these versions of Storyline, add assets to your project via the Insert and Slides tabs on the ribbon, and your assets will automatically appear in the media library. In other words, you can manage assets in the media library and maintain compatibility. You just can't import assets directly into the media library. For example, after adding an image to your project via the Insert tab on the ribbon, you can reuse, replace, and edit that image in the media library. Your project file will still be compatible with Storyline 3 and earlier versions of Storyline 360.

Searching, Sorting, and Filtering Assets

Let’s look at how assets are organized in the media library, and how you can find what you need.

Switch Asset Tabs

Use the asset tabs across the top of the media library to manage images, characters, audio clips, and videos. The media library remembers which asset tab you had open when you last saved a Storyline project and displays that same tab the next time you open the media library. 

Search

Use the search field at the top of the window to find a specific asset by name. The search field is contextual, so it searches only the assets for the tab that’s currently selected (images, characters, audio, or video). The search results are dynamic and update as you type.

Pro Tips: Give your assets recognizable names and keywords to make searches quick and easy.

Filter

By default, the media library displays all the assets for your entire project. You can narrow your focus to a specific scene, slide, or question bank by using the drop-down list in the upper right corner to filter your assets.

Sort

You can sort the asset grid by any column, such as asset names or modified dates. Click a column header to sort by that column. Click it again to reverse the sort order.

Renaming Assets

Rename images, characters (and poses), audio clips, and videos in the media library so they're organized and easily searchable.

In the media library, double-click an asset name to make it editable. Type a new name, then press Enter or Tab.

When you rename an asset in the media library, the new name displays in the timeline panel everywhere that asset appears in your project.

Previewing Assets

Select an asset in the list on the left side of the media library, then use the details pane on the right to preview it.

When you’re working with an image or a character, hover over the preview image to zoom and pan around it. You can also click the preview image to see a larger version of it. It’ll fill the media library window. Click it again to close the asset.

When you’re working with an audio clip or a video, click the play/pause button to preview the asset.

Pro Tip: You can make the preview area in the details pane smaller when you need more room to work with the notes field. Hover over the lower boundary of the preview area, then click and drag the boundary to resize the preview area.

Managing Alternative Text

The media library makes managing alt text so easy. Select any image, character pose, or video in the asset grid on the left, then enter alt text in the details pane on the right. That’s it! Alt text will be updated wherever the asset is used throughout your course.

You can add different alt text to each instance of an asset using the Size and Position window. When you do that, the media library displays a drop-down list in the details pane with all versions of alt text for the selected asset and how many times each is used in your course.

If an asset has multiple alt texts and you want to make them all the same, you can do that too. Just select the alt text you want to use from the drop-down list (shown above), then click the Apply to All button next to it.

Managing Closed Captions

Easily manage closed captions for all of your project’s audio clips and videos in the media library. You can see, at a glance, which assets have closed captions. The media library displays caption icons for assets that have captions and dots for assets that don’t.

Add Closed Captions to an Asset

Click the dot in the asset grid (the dot changes to a plus sign when you hover over it), or click the Add captions button in the details pane. Then choose how you want to add captions from the menu that appears. You can add captions using the built-in editor, or you can import captions from a file that was created elsewhere.

Manage Closed Captions for an Asset

After adding closed captions to an asset, you can edit, replace, export, or delete them. Just click the caption icon in the asset grid or the Edit captions button in the details pane. Then choose an action from the menu that appears.

If an asset is used more than once in your project and has different captions for each instance, the media library displays multiple caption icons in the asset grid and a drop-down list in the details pane, as shown below. To manage multiple captions for the same asset, click the captions icon in the asset grid, select the captions you want to work with, and then choose an action from the menu that appears. Or, select the captions you want to work with from the drop-down list in the details pane, click the Edit captions button beside it, and then choose an action.

When an asset is used multiple times in your project, you can quickly apply the same closed captions to all instances of the asset by clicking the Apply to all action on the menu shown above. What a timesaver!

Adding Private Notes to Assets

Want to add notes to an asset? It’s easy! Select an asset in the media library and enter your notes in the details pane (up to 2,147,483,647 characters).

Notes are only stored in your Storyline project file and visible in the media library. They don’t get published with your course, so learners won’t see them.

Here are some ideas for using the notes field:

• Keep track of copyright, source, and attribution details.
• Enter keywords to help you find assets later. (Notes are searchable.)
• Store transcripts for videos and audio clips.
• Describe how assets are to be used. This is helpful when you’re creating a template or working on a project with other e-learning developers. (Articulate 360 Teams subscribers can create a library of shared team slides in Storyline 360. When you share slides with your team, notes in the media library get shared too.)

Pro Tip: You can make the notes field bigger by shrinking the preview area. Hover over the lower boundary of the preview area, then click and drag the boundary to resize the preview area.

Jumping to Asset Locations in Your Project

Want to know how many times you used a particular asset in your course? And how to quickly find every location of that asset in your project? The media library makes it so easy!

Select the asset in the list on the left side of the media library, then use the details pane on the right to find its use count and location data.

Click the left and right arrows to cycle through the carousel of asset locations. Each location displays the slide number, slide title, and a description of the location, such as base layer, slide layer, or object state. Click the magnifying glass icon to jump directly to the location of the asset in your project.

 

 

Unused Media Library Assets Get Uploaded with Storyline 360 Team Slides Articulate 360 Teams subscribers can collaborate on projects by creating a library of shared team slides that the whole team can access right from Storyline 360. When you share slides with your team, all media library assets get shared too, including assets that aren’t used anywhere in your project. This is a great way to share assets with your team. For example, you might import company logos, product videos, and other brand elements into the media library so your team has quick access to them as they’re building courses. When you download team slides into an existing project, only the assets used on those slides get imported into your project. On the other hand, when you start a new project using team slides, all the assets that were originally shared with those slides get imported into your project, including unused assets.

Using Assets on Slides and Layers

Reuse media library assets as often as you’d like throughout your course. Here’s how:

1. Go to the slide or layer where you want to insert a media library asset.
2. Select an asset in the list on the left side of the media library. (Ctrl+click or Shift+click to select multiple assets at the same time.)
3. If an asset has multiple alt texts and closed captions, select the ones you want from the drop-down lists in the details pane.
4. Click the Insert button at the bottom of the details pane to add the asset(s) to the current slide or layer.

You can also use the Storyline ribbon to add media library assets to your course.

1. Go to the slide or layer where you want to insert a media library asset.
2. Select the Insert tab on the ribbon and click the drop-down arrow below Picture, Video, or Audio. Then choose Media Library.
   
   
3. Select an asset in the list on the left side of the media library. (Ctrl+click or Shift+click to select multiple assets at the same time.)
4. If an asset has multiple alt texts and closed captions, select the ones you want from the drop-down lists in the details pane.
5. Click the Insert button at the bottom of the details pane to add the asset(s) to the current slide or layer.

Replacing All Instances of an Asset

The media library makes it brilliantly simple to replace every instance of an asset with another asset all at once.

First, select an asset from the list on the left side of the media library. Or, right-click an asset on a slide in your course and select Show in Media Library.

Then click the Replace button at the bottom of the details pane and choose a replacement option. Here are your options, depending on the type of asset you’re replacing.

• Image: Replace an image with a picture file from your computer or a Content Library 360 photo.
• Character: When you replace a character, the Content Library 360 character browser automatically opens where you can choose another character, expression, and/or pose.
  
  For photographic characters, you can replace individual poses, but you can’t replace an entire character group and all of its poses simultaneously.
  
  For illustrated characters, you can replace individual poses, or you can swap an entire character group and all of its poses with another illustrated character all at once.
• Audio: Replace an audio clip with an audio file from your computer or by recording narration with your microphone.
• Video: Replace a video with a video file from your computer or a Content Library 360 video, or by recording a video with your webcam.

Replacing a Single Instance of an Asset

You can replace all instances of an asset as described above, or you can replace a single instance of an asset without changing the others. Here’s how.

Replace an Image

Right-click the image in your course and scroll to Replace Picture. Then choose to replace the image using a picture file from your computer, a Content Library 360 photo, or an image in the media library. (If you use the media library, select a new image and click Replace Image in the details pane.)

Here’s another way to replace an image: Select the image in your course and go to the Format tab on the Storyline ribbon. Click the drop-down arrow beside Replace Picture and choose one of the replacement options.

Replace a Character

Right-click the character in your course and scroll to Replace Pose. Then choose to replace the character using the Content Library 360 or the media library. (If you use the media library, select a new pose and click Replace Character in the details pane.)

Another way to replace a character is to use the Character Tools—Design tab on the Storyline ribbon.

Replace an Audio Clip

Right-click the audio clip on the timeline (or right-click the speaker icon next to the slide) and scroll to Replace Audio. Then choose to replace the audio clip using an audio file from your computer, an asset in the media library, your microphone, or text-to-speech conversion. (If you use the media library, select a new audio clip and click Replace Audio Clip in the details pane.)

Here’s another way to replace an audio clip: Select the audio clip in your course and go to the Options tab on the Storyline ribbon. Click the drop-down arrow beside Replace Audio and choose one of the replacement options.

Replace a Video

Right-click the video in your course and scroll to Replace Video. Then choose to replace the video using a video file from your computer, a Content Library 360 video, a video in the media library, or your webcam. (If you use the media library, select a new video and click Replace Video in the details pane.)

Editing Assets in Third-Party Apps

You’re going to love how easy it is to edit assets. Use the media library to open assets in third-party apps, such as Photoshop, and then save your changes directly to Storyline. This is called round-tripping, and it’s a huge timesaver!

Edit Images

1. Select an image in the asset list on the left side of the media library.
2. Click the Edit button (pencil icon) at the bottom of the details pane and choose an app from the list of image editors installed on your computer.
3. When the app opens, edit the image as you’d like.
4. Save your changes and close the app. You’ll see that your edits were automatically saved to Storyline and all instances of the image in your project have been updated.

The process for saving edited images to Storyline could be different, depending on the image editor you're using. In many editors, you only need to click the save button. In some editors, you have to save or export the image to the temp folder for your Storyline project and overwrite the original image. (The editor should automatically take you to the temp folder.) And in other editors, you might have to save a new version of the image, and then replace the original image in the media library with the new one.

Edit Audio Clips

1. Select an audio clip in the asset list on the left side of the media library.
2. Click the Edit button (pencil icon) at the bottom of the details pane and choose an app from the list of audio editors installed on your computer.
3. When the app opens, edit the audio clip as you’d like.
4. Depending on the specific audio editor you’re using, you might not be able to save your changes directly to Storyline. You usually need to publish or export audio from the editor first, and then replace the existing audio clip in the media library with the updated audio file.

Edit Videos

1. Select a video in the asset list on the left side of the media library.
2. Click the Edit button (pencil icon) at the bottom of the details pane and choose an app from the list of video editors installed on your computer.
3. When the app opens, edit the video as you’d like.
4. Depending on the specific video editor you’re using, you might not be able to save your changes directly to Storyline. You usually need to publish or export video from the editor first, and then replace the existing video in the media library with the updated video file.

 

Why is the Edit button grayed out for characters? Characters can’t be edited in third-party apps. However, you can replace one pose with another. You can even swap out an entire illustrated character group and all its poses for another illustrated character. And when you’re working with a character on a slide or layer (outside of the media library), you can use the formatting tools on the ribbon to change its brightness, contrast, picture effects, crop, and more.

Reimporting Updated Assets

The media library recognizes when there’s a newer version of an asset’s original source file on your computer—for example, when it’s edited outside of Storyline. When that happens, a yellow dot appears to the left of the file name in the asset list and a notification appears in the details pane, as shown below. If you want to replace the asset in your project with the newer version, click the Reimport button in the details pane. It’s that easy!

Opening an Asset’s Original Folder Location

You can open an asset’s original folder location right from the media library. This can be helpful when you need to edit the asset outside of Storyline, or you have similar images on your computer and aren’t sure which one you used in your project.

Select an asset in the list on the left side of the media library, then click the Open Folder button at the bottom of the details pane. The folder will open and the source asset will be selected for you.

 

Why is the Folder button grayed out? There are a few reasons why the Folder button might be grayed out or inactive. The original asset or folder was renamed, moved, or deleted. The asset was imported with a slide from another source, such as Content Library 360 or PowerPoint. The asset is a photographic or illustrated character.

Exporting Assets

Use the media library to export assets so you can reuse them in other projects.

Export Images

When you export images from the media library, they keep their original file formats and sizes.

1. Select one or more images in the asset list. (Ctrl+click or Shift+click to select multiple images.)
2. Click the Export button in the lower right corner of the media library.
3. Choose the folder where you want to save your image(s).

Export Characters

When you export photographic characters from the media library, they’re saved as high-quality PNG images. Illustrated characters are saved as EMF vector images.

1. Click the triangle to the left of a character to reveal its poses.
2. Select one or more poses in the asset list. (Ctrl+click or Shift+click to select multiple poses.)
3. Click the Export button in the lower right corner of the media library.
4. Choose the folder where you want to save your character(s).

Export Audio Clips

When you export audio clips from the media library, they’re saved as MP3 files.

1. Select one or more audio clips in the asset list. (Ctrl+click or Shift+click to select multiple clips.)
2. Click the Export button in the lower right corner of the media library.
3. Choose the folder where you want to save your audio clip(s).

Export Videos

When you export videos from the media library, they’re saved as MP4 files.

1. Select one or more videos in the asset list. (Ctrl+click or Shift+click to select multiple videos.)
2. Click the Export button in the lower right corner of the media library.
3. Choose the folder where you want to save your video(s).

 

Learn More About Exporting Assets from Storyline 360 While this user guide focuses on using the media library, there are more ways to export assets from a Storyline project. Click here for details.

Deleting Assets

You can delete assets from the media library if they aren’t used anywhere in your project. Just select an asset in the list on the left side of the screen and click the Delete button in the lower right corner of the details pane. (The button will be grayed out if the asset is in use.)

Want to delete multiple assets at the same time? Ctrl+click or Shift+click the assets you want to delete, and then click the Delete button.

 

Why do some assets disappear from the media library when I delete them from slides? Great question! It depends on how you added the assets to your project. When you add an asset to a slide using the Storyline ribbon, the asset automatically appears in your media library. And if you later delete the asset from the slide, it also disappears from the media library. However, when you import an asset directly into the media library, it’ll remain in the library until you delete it. If the asset’s use count is zero, you can use the Delete button to remove it from the media library.