Storyline 360: Importing Closed Captions for Narration and Videos
Make your Storyline 360 courses more accessible for learners who are deaf or hard of hearing by importing closed captions and subtitles for narration and videos. Just insert standard SRT, VTT, SBV, or SUB files. Don’t have caption files to import? No problem. Create closed captions and subtitles from scratch with the built-in editor. Preparing Your Caption Files Importing Captions Deleting Captions Exporting Captions Customizing Your Closed Captions Showing or Hiding the Closed Captioning Button on the Player Using Triggers to Turn Closed Captions On and Off Preparing Your Caption Files Storyline 360 supports SRT, VTT, SBV, and SUB files generated by third-party captioning services such as YouTube, Amara, and 3PlayMedia. Here are some tips to ensure your caption files are properly formatted for Storyline 360: Storyline 360 supports bold, italic, and underline formatting in caption files as well as voice tags to indicate which person is speaking. All other formatting tags, such as font and font color, will be ignored. (Use the closed caption settings in the player properties to format your captions.) A caption will automatically wrap if it’s too long to fit on a single line. However, if you need a caption to break at a specific point, add one line break in your caption file in the appropriate place. On the other hand, if you need to split a caption into two separate caption boxes that display simultaneously, add two line breaks in your caption file. You might do this when two people are speaking and you want each speaker’s dialogue to display in its own caption box. If some letters or characters in your captions are unexpectedly replaced by symbols in Storyline 360, make sure your caption files are encoded for UTF-8. Importing Captions Closed captions are supported for audio tracks and videos. You can import captions simultaneously with your media, or you can import captions separately. We describe both options in the table below. Import Captions Simultaneously with Media If your caption files have the same names as your media files and are stored in the same folder with the media, they’ll automatically import into Storyline 360 when you import your media. For example, if I have a video called MyVideo.mp4 and the corresponding caption file is named MyVideo.srt and is located in the same folder, I only need to import the video into my Storyline 360 project, and the captions will automatically import and sync with the video. To learn how to import audio and video files into Storyline 360, see these user guides: Importing Audio Files Importing Video Files Import Captions After Adding Media To import captions after adding media to your Storyline 360 project: Select the audio track or video that you want to caption. Go to the Options tab on the ribbon and click Import. Browse to the caption file you want to import, then click Open. Another way to import captions is to right-click the video placeholder or the speaker icon that represents your audio track, choose Accessibility, then click the Import icon. (View this user guide to learn more about the Size and Position window.) Note about captions in markers: When you right-click an interactive marker and choose Accessibility, you’ll see closed caption features for audio and video since a marker can have both types of media at the same time. Pro Tips: You can import closed captions from the ribbon or the Size and Position window, as described above. Even better, you can use the media library to import and manage closed captions for all audio clips and videos in your project. You can add captions to all audio clips and videos, except website videos. Storyline 360 automatically generates synchronized video transcripts from closed captions. Media content with closed captions displays a CC label in their media icons on the timeline and slide stage for quick identification. Deleting Captions To delete captions you previously added: Select the audio track or video that has captions you want to remove. Go to the Options tab on the ribbon and click Delete. (It will be grayed-out if there aren’t any captions to delete.) Exporting Captions Need to export captions from Storyline 360 so you can edit them or use them in another project? Here’s how: Select the audio track or video that has captions you want to export. Go to the Options tab on the ribbon and click Export. (It'll be grayed-out if there aren’t any captions to export.) Choose a location where you want to save your caption file, then click Save. Exported captions always generate a VTT file. Customizing Your Closed Captions Choose the foreground and background colors, font, size, and position of your captions. In the player properties window, click Colors & Effects on the ribbon, then use the Closed Captions formatting options. Then, click OK to save and close the player settings. If you’re using the classic player, you can choose the captions font. You can also set the font size for all player elements and captions as a single unit by adjusting the Player font size percentage. Showing or Hiding the Closed Captioning Button on the Player The closed captioning button on the course player is enabled by default, but you can disable it if you plan to build your own custom controls or use accessible video controls. Go to the Home tab on the ribbon and click Player. When the player properties open, mark the Captions box to show the closed captioning button or uncheck it to hide the closed captioning button. Click OK to save and close the player settings. Tips for interacting with the closed captioning button: The closed captioning button may not always be visible throughout your course. It’s only visible when captions are available on the current slide or layer. It’ll disappear for slides and layers that don’t have captions. This gives learners a visual clue when captions are available. When a learner clicks the closed captioning button to turn on captions, the button will remain turned on throughout the course until the learner clicks it again to turn it off. Using Triggers to Turn Captions On and Off If the closed captioning button is enabled on your course player (see above), learners can toggle captions on and off whenever they want. However, you can also control captions via triggers. Just adjust the built-in Player.DisplayCaptions variable to either True (on) or False (off). Here are a couple scenarios where you might control captions via triggers and how to set them up. Turn Captions On by Default Captions are turned off by default, but if most of your learners need captions, you might want to turn them on automatically when the course starts. Just add a trigger to the first slide in your course with these trigger wizard parameters: Action: Adjust variable Operator: = Set Variable: Player.DisplayCaptions Value: Value = True When: Timeline starts Object: Select the first slide in your course from the drop-down list. Build Your Own Custom Navigation Buttons If you disable the built-in player features and build your own custom navigation buttons, you can use triggers to show and hide captions. Just add a trigger to a button with these trigger wizard parameters to create a toggle: Action: Adjust Variable Operator: Toggle Variable: Player.DisplayCaptions When: User clicks Object: Select your custom button from the drop-down list.Rise 360: Add Text and Media
In Rise 360, blocks are form-based templates, so adding content is as easy as plugging text and media into placeholders. Depending on the blocks you selected, you simply fill out forms with text, images, narration, videos, and embedded web content. Here are tips for working with each type of content. Author Avatars Text Images Audio Videos Web Content Author Avatars You can edit the title and show or hide the author. Under the title, you can hide the author of the content you're editing by clicking the author avatar and selecting Hide Author. If there are multiple authors, you can select which author attribution to display. To hide all author avatars for all a deliverable, select the appropriate option in the Theme > Lesson Headers menu. Text Type your text in the web interface or copy text from external sources and paste it into Rise 360. In most blocks, you can add and edit text in the body of the main window. In some cases, you can use the sidebar—for example, add marker text in the sidebar for labeled graphic blocks. Format text by selecting it and choosing formatting options on the floating toolbar that appears. Or, use the keyboard shortcuts below. Key(s) Function Ctrl+A Select all Ctrl+B Bold Ctrl+I Italicize Ctrl+K Hyperlink Ctrl+S Strikethrough Ctrl+U Underline Ctrl+Z Undo Ctrl+Shift+Z Redo Ctrl+[ Decrease indent Ctrl+] Increase indent When you paste text, Rise 360 retains the source formatting. To paste your text without formatting, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+V. You can also restore the default Rise 360 formatting to pasted text by selecting it and clicking the Reset icon. Pro Tip: The default text size for non-heading content is 17pt. Quickly Insert Tables, Lists, and Math Equations Available in the sidebar and main window of most blocks that support text, quick insert lets you add tables, lists, and math equations to blocks with a single click. On a blank line, click Quick Insert (+). Select Insert Table, Unordered List, Ordered List, or Math Equations from the row of icons. Images Depending on the block type you’re using, click the camera icon or the Add Images button. Sometimes it’s in the main window; sometimes it’s in the sidebar. Upload images from your computer or search photos and illustrations from 14+ million assets in Content Library 360. Rise 360 compresses your uploaded images with virtually no loss of quality. Use high-quality images in your courses and let Rise 360 optimize them for web distribution. After adding an image, click Edit to remove it, replace it, or add alternate text for screen readers. Create Images from Scratch with AI Assistant Turn your ideas into high-quality images! With AI Assistant, you can create images from scratch in no time! Learn how to use AI Assistant to level up your course authoring game. Audio In labeled graphic, process, and timeline blocks, click the Record Audio microphone icon, then click either Start Recording or Upload a file. You can also add a multimedia audio block on its own. Click Edit to open the sidebar. Choose either Upload or Start Recording. The maximum file size for each audio file you upload to Rise 360 is 5 GB. After adding audio, click Edit to remove or replace it. Mac Users: Safari must be updated to the latest version for audio recording support. Alternately, use Google Chrome or Firefox when you need to record narration in Rise 360. Videos In blocks that support videos, click the camera icon and choose Upload media. Sometimes the camera icon is in the main window; sometimes it’s in the sidebar. We recommend using high-quality videos with a 16:9 aspect ratio for the best results. Rise 360 compresses videos so they have smaller file sizes for web distribution while maintaining high quality. The maximum file size for each video you upload to Rise 360 is 5 GB. After adding a video, click Edit to remove or replace it. Tip: You can also import screencasts you create with Replay 360 and Peek 360. Web Content In blocks that support embedded media, click the camera icon and choose Embed from web. Sometimes the camera icon is in the main window; sometimes it’s in the sidebar. Just paste the URL or embed code for the web content you want to use—for example, a YouTube video or an interactive graphic. You can even use parameters for embedded YouTube and Vimeo videos. Note: Videos in embedded web content don't pause when the learner switches to another tab or scrolls away from the content. To enable auto-pause, you must upload the video as a file, as detailed in the previous section. We use Embedly to embed rich media in Rise 360 courses, which means you can use videos, images, documents, and other media from over 400 content providers, such as YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, and Scribd. See the complete list of supported content providers here. If there’s an error or your web content doesn’t display, see these articles for tips: Embedded Content Is Missing or Blank How to Fix Invalid Embed CodeStoryline 360: Converting Text to Speech
Speed up course development by converting text to speech right in Storyline 360. For example, use the text-to-speech feature to quickly narrate a course for stakeholder review or to localize narration in different languages. You can even choose the voice and language to make sure every word sounds right. Watch this video demonstration, then check out the detailed instructions below. Converting Text to Speech Selecting Languages and Voices Updating Script Changes or Using a Different Voice Generating Closed Captions Replacing Text-to-Speech Narration with Recorded Narration Create Text-to-Speech with AI Assistant Bring narration to life with AI-generated voices that are highly realistic and customizable. Add your script, define voice settings, and let AI Assistant do the rest. Learn how to use AI Assistant to level up your course authoring game. Converting Text to Speech Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon, click the Audio drop-down arrow, and choose Text-to-Speech. When the Insert Text-to-Speech window appears, select a Language from the first drop-down list. This ensures that your words are spoken with the correct pronunciations. Choose a Voice (standard or neural) from the second drop-down list. You can hear what a voice sounds like by clicking the Preview Voice button next to the list. Type or paste your script into the text-entry field. Or, if you want to use your slide notes as your script, just click the Copy from Slide Notes button. You can convert up to 10,000 characters at a time. When using speech synthesis markup language (SSML), you can convert up to 3,000 characters for text and 3,000 for SSML tags. If your script is longer than that, break it into smaller chunks and generate more than one text-to-speech audio clip. Then, place the audio clips back to back on the timeline so they play in sequential order. See below for tips on pronunciation and phrasing. Keep the Generate Closed Captions box marked to add closed captions to your text-to-speech narration. Learn more about text-to-speech closed captions below. Click Insert to complete the process. You must have an internet connection to convert text to speech. If you're offline, Storyline 360 prompts you to connect to the internet and try again. Storyline 360 converts your text to narration, and it’ll appear as an audio clip on the slide’s timeline. The conversion process is fast, but lengthy scripts take longer to convert. Text-to-speech narration works just like other audio clips in Storyline 360, so you can use the built-in audio editor and audio tools to customize it. You can add as many text-to-speech clips as you want. You can even use different voices for different clips, which is great when creating a scene where two or more characters are conversing. Tips for Controlling Pronunciation and Phrasing Don't use abbreviations. Spell out words to make sure they're pronounced correctly. If a correctly spelled word isn't pronounced the way you want, try spelling it phonetically or adding hyphens between syllables—for example, Articulate vs. Articu-late. Use punctuation, such as commas and semicolons, when inserting brief pauses. For longer pauses, convert your text to speech, then open the clip in the built-in audio editor and insert silence where needed. Want more control? As of December 2023, you can use SSML to adjust the speaking rate, modify pronunciation, add pauses, and more. Selecting Languages and Voices Choose from various standard and neural languages and voices to enhance your training. Standard Voices This is the full list of standard voices in Storyline 360, alphabetized and arranged by language. Language Name(s) Arabic Zeina (Female) Chinese (Mandarin) Zhiyu (Female) Danish Mads (Male), Naja (Female) Dutch (Netherlands) Lotte (Female), Ruben (Male) English (Australia) Nicole (Female), Russell (Male) English (India) Aditi (Female), Raveena (Female) English (United Kingdom) Amy (Female), Brian (Male), Emma (Female) English (USA) Joanna (Female), Joey (Male), Justin (Male), Kendra (Female), Kimberly (Female), Matthew (Male), Salli (Female) English (Wales) Geraint (Male) French (Canada) Chantal (Female) French (France) Céline (Female), Léa (Female), Mathieu (Male) German (Germany) Hans (Male), Marlene (Female), Vicki (Female) Icelandic Dóra (Female), Karl (Male) Italian Bianca (Female), Carla (Female), Giorgio (Male) Japanese Mizuki (Female), Takumi (Male) Korean Seoyeon (Female) Norwegian Liv (Female) Polish Ewa (Female), Jacek (Male), Jan (Male), Maja (Female) Portuguese (Brazil) Camila (Female), Ricardo (Male), Vitória (Female) Portuguese (Portugal) Cristiano (Male), Inês (Female) Romanian Carmen (Female) Russian Maxim (Male), Tatyana (Female) Spanish (Latin American) Lupe (Female), Miguel (Male), Penélope (Female) Spanish (Mexican) Mia (Female) Spanish (Spain) Conchita (Female), Enrique (Male), Lucia (Female) Swedish Astrid (Female) Turkish Filiz (Female) Welsh Gwyneth (Female) Neural Voices Starting with the September 2023 update, you can generate realistic, natural-sounding text-to-speech narration with neural voices. This is the full list of neural voices in Storyline 360, alphabetized and arranged by language. This list is updated whenever new voices are added. Language Name(s) Arabic (Gulf) Hala (Female), Zayd (Male) Catalan Arlet (Female) Chinese (Cantonese) Hiujin (Female) Chinese (Mandarin) Zhiyu (Female) Czech Jitka (Female) Danish Sofie (Female) Dutch (Belgian) Lisa (Female) Dutch (Netherlands) Laura (Female) English (Australia) Olivia (Female) English (India) Kajal (Female) English (United Kingdom) Amy (Female), Arthur (Male), Brian (Male), Emma (Female) English (USA) Danielle (Female), Gregory (Male), Joanna (Female), Joey (Male), Justin (Male), Kendra (Female), Kevin (Male), Kimberly (Female), Matthew (Male), Ruth (Female), Salli (Female), Stephen (Male) Finnish Suvi (Female) French (Belgian) Isabelle (Female) French (Canada) Gabrielle (Female), Liam (Male) French (France) Léa (Female), Rémi (Male) German (Austria) Hannah (Female) German (Germany) Daniel (Male), Vicki (Female) German (Swiss) Sabrina (Female) Irish English Niamh (Female) Italian Adriano (Male), Bianca (Female) Japanese Kazuha (Female), Takumi (Male), Tomoko (Female) Korean Seoyeon (Female) New Zealand English Aria (Female) Norwegian Ida (Female) Polish Ola (Female) Portuguese (Brazil) Camila (Female), Thiago (Male), Vitória (Female) Portuguese (Portugal) Inês (Female) Singaporean English Jasmine (Female) South African English Ayanda (Female) Spanish (Latin American) Lupe (Female), Pedro (Male) Spanish (Mexican) Andrés (Male), Mia (Female) Spanish (Spain) Lucia (Female), Sergio (Male) Swedish Elin (Female) Turkish Burcu (Female) Updating Script Changes or Using a Different Voice What if you convert text to speech and then need to update it with script changes? Or what if you want to switch to a different voice later? No problem. Storyline 360 makes it easy to update text-to-speech narration. Right-click your text-to-speech audio track on the slide’s timeline and choose Text-to-Speech from the context menu that appears. Or, select your text-to-speech audio track, go to the Options tab on the ribbon, and click Text-to-Speech. The Insert Text-to-Speech window opens with your original script. Edit the script as needed or choose a different voice—or both. Click Update. Generating Closed Captions Storyline 360 can generate closed captions that are automatically synchronized with text-to-speech narration, making your course more accessible. You can add closed captions at the same time you convert text to speech or add them later. Here’s how. Generate Closed Captions When You Convert Text to Speech Keep the Generate Closed Captions box marked to add closed captions at the same time you convert text to speech. Learn how to convert text to speech above. Update Existing Narration with Closed Captions Right-click your text-to-speech audio track on the slide’s timeline and choose Text-to-Speech from the context menu that appears. The Insert Text-to-Speech window opens with your script. Check the Generate Closed Captions box. Click Update. Use the Closed Captions Editor to Add Captions Select your text-to-speech audio track on the slide’s timeline, then go to the Options tab on the ribbon and click Add Captions. When the closed captions editor opens, Storyline 360 automatically generates captions that are synced with your narration. Just click Save & Close on the ribbon. Learn More Creating and Editing Closed Captions with the Built-In Editor Importing Closed Captions for Narration and Videos Replacing Text-to-Speech Narration with Recorded Narration You can use text-to-speech narration during course development and later swap it out with professionally recorded narration, keeping your closed captions intact. Here’s how. Select your text-to-speech audio track on the slide’s timeline and go to the Options tab on the ribbon. Click the drop-down arrow beside Replace Audio. Choose to replace your text-to-speech audio with an audio file from your computer or an audio clip from the media library. Or, record narration with your microphone.Storyline 360: Adding Content Library 360 Videos
Content Library 360 has 22+ million high-resolution photos, illustrations, icons, and videos. You can access them right from Storyline 360, and they’re all available to use in your content for no additional charge. In this article, you’ll learn how to add Content Library 360 videos to your courses. Adding Content Library 360 Videos to Your Course Swapping Out Videos Using Content Library 360 Photos as Video Poster Frames Making Content Library Videos Accessible Adding Content Library 360 Videos to Your Course Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon and click Videos in the Content Library 360 group. (You can also import Content Library 360 videos directly into the media library.) Type a search term in the field at the top of the media browser and press Enter. Tip: The media browser remembers your last search term, previous search results, and the last asset you selected. Zoom in and out while you’re browsing for videos by holding down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and scrolling your mouse wheel. If you want to look for a different type of media after opening the browser, use the drop-down list in the upper right corner to switch to another type: photos, illustrations, icons, or videos. To preview a video before you insert it into your course, hover over it with your mouse, then click the Preview button that appears. Select the video you want to use and click Insert to add it your slide. Tip: You can select multiple videos at the same time using Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click, then insert them all at once. Swapping Out Videos You can swap out one video for another without losing the video properties or triggers you already set up. Below, we describe two ways to do so. Right-Click the Video Right-click any video in your course, scroll to Replace Video, and choose Content Library 360 Videos. The Content Library 360 browser remembers your last search during the current session, so you may need to use the drop-down list in the upper right corner to switch to Videos. Browse for a new video and click Insert. Use Video Placeholders If your course is built with video placeholders, you can delete a video you previously added to a placeholder and add another one in its place. Here’s how: Click the Insert Content Library 360 Video icon in the placeholder. The Content Library 360 browser remembers your last search during the current session, so you may need to use the drop-down list in the upper right corner to switch to Videos. Browse for a new video and click Insert. Using Content Library 360 Photos as Video Poster Frames If you don’t auto-play a video in your course, learners will see the first frame of the video as its placeholder until it begins to play. If you’d like to display a different video placeholder, you can insert a picture file or a Content Library 360 photo. This image is called the video’s poster frame. To use a Content Library 360 photo as a poster frame Right-click the video, scroll to Set Poster Frame, and choose Content Library 360 Photos. The Content Library 360 browser remembers your last search during the current session, so you may need to use the drop-down list in the upper right corner to switch to Photos. Browse for the photo you want to use as the poster frame and click Insert. If you change your mind, just right-click the video again and choose Remove Poster Frame. Making Content Library Videos Accessible Video accessibility fosters inclusivity and boosts comprehension for all learners. Here are a few tips to make your Content Library videos accessible: Turn off autoplay. Video content that autoplays can disrupt learning and interfere with assistive technologies. Adjust video properties to prevent autoplay. (1.4.2 Audio Control). Enable accessible video controls. Turn on the accessible video controls in Storyline 360's modern player for a more inclusive and flexible learning environment. (2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide). Use audio descriptions where necessary. Include audio descriptions that narrate important visual details not conveyed through dialogue. This practice gives learners with visual disabilities access to all the necessary information and allows them to understand the content thoroughly. (1.2.5 Audio Description [Prerecorded]). Keep your language simple. Use plain language in your video content and descriptions. Straightforward and clear language helps your audience easily read and understand the information. Avoid distracting videos. Stick with non-flashing videos. Content that flashes, blinks, or flickers more than three times per second is distracting and can trigger seizures in learners with photosensitive epilepsy. (2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshold). You Might Also Want to Explore: Adding Videos from Files, Websites, and Webcams Editing Videos Adjusting Video PropertiesQuizmaker 360: Adding Content Library 360 Videos
Content Library 360 has 22+ million high-resolution photos, illustrations, icons, and videos that you can access right from Quizmaker 360. All assets are available to use in your quiz for no additional charge. In this article, you’ll learn how to add Content Library 360 videos to your quizzes. Adding Content Library 360 Videos to Your Quiz Swapping Out Videos Using Content Library 360 Photos as Video Poster Frames Adding Content Library 360 Videos to Your Quiz Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon and click Videos in the Content Library 360 group. Type a search term in the field at the top of the media browser and press Enter. (Tip: The browser remembers your last search term during the current session.) Zoom in and out by using the zoom slider in the lower left corner or by holding down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and scrolling your mouse wheel. And if you want to look for a different type of media after opening the browser, use the drop-down list in the upper right corner to switch to another type: photos, illustrations, icons, or videos. To preview a video before you add it to your quiz, click the Preview button that appears when your mouse hovers over a video thumbnail. Select the video you want to use and click Insert to add it your slide. You can select multiple videos at the same time using Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click, then insert them all at once. Swapping Out Videos You can swap out one video for another and keep your video properties intact. Here are two ways to do so. Right-Click the Video Right-click any video in your quiz, scroll to Change Video, and choose Content Library 360 Videos. When the Content Library 360 browser opens, browse for a new video and click Insert. Use Video Placeholders If your quiz is built with video placeholders, you can delete a video you previously added to a placeholder and add another one in its place. Here’s how: Click the Insert Content Library 360 Video icon in the placeholder. When the Content Library 360 browser opens, browse for a new video and click Insert. Using Content Library 360 Photos as Video Poster Frames If you don’t auto-play a video in your quiz, learners will see the first frame of the video as its placeholder until it begins to play. If you’d like to display a different video placeholder, you can insert a picture file or a Content Library 360 photo. This image is called the video’s poster frame. To use a Content Library 360 photo as a poster frame: Right-click the video, scroll to Set Poster Frame, and choose Content Library 360 Photos. When the Content Library 360 browser opens, choose either Photos or Illustrations from the file-type drop-down list in the upper right corner. Browse for the image you want to use as the poster frame and click Insert. If you change your mind, right-click the video again and choose Remove Poster Frame. You Might Also Want to Explore: Adding Videos from Files, Websites, and Webcams Editing Videos Adjusting Video PropertiesPresenter 360: Adding Content Library 360 Videos
Content Library 360 has 22+ million high-resolution photos, illustrations, icons, and videos that you can access right from PowerPoint. All assets are available to use in your presentation for no additional charge. In this article, you’ll learn how to add Content Library 360 videos to slides in your Presenter 360 courses. Note: Content Library 360 videos can be added to slides but not to the player sidebar. Go to the Articulate tab on the PowerPoint ribbon and click Videos in the Content Library 360 group. Type a search term in the field at the top of the media browser and press Enter. (Tip: The browser remembers your last search term during the current session.) Zoom in and out by using the zoom slider in the lower left corner or by holding down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and scrolling your mouse wheel. To preview a video before you add it to your course, click the Preview button that appears when your mouse hovers over a video thumbnail. Select the video you want to use and click Insert to add it your slide. When the video properties window appears, make your selections, as described below, and click OK. Property Description Show video Decide whether you want the video to display on the slide or in a separate browser window. Play video Choose to play the video automatically or only when learners click it. Show video controls Mark this box to add player controls to the video so learners can play, pause, rewind, and fast-forward. Start video ___ seconds into slide Decide when you want the video to play. By default, it'll play as soon as learners reach the slide. If you'd prefer to wait a certain number of seconds before playing the video, enter a number in the field provided. Do not compress video at publish Mark this box if you don’t want the video to be compressed in your published course. Video quality may be higher, but the published output will also be larger. Uncheck the box to compress the video in your published course. It’ll be optimized for web playback, resulting in smaller file sizes. This is especially helpful for learners with slow internet connections. This property is available for MP4 videos created with baseline, main, or high profiles. If it’s grayed out, it means the video is another file type or profile, in which case the video will be compressed in your published course. Alternate text Enter a brief description of the video. Screen readers will read the description to your learners. Download our free accessibility e-book for tips on writing good alt text.Storyline 360: Adding Audio
In this user guide, we'll explore several ways to add audio to Storyline 360 courses. Choosing Default Playback and Recording Devices Importing Audio Files Recording Narration Converting Text to Speech Adding Background Audio Controlling Background Audio With Triggers Using the Background Audio Volume Variable Importing Slides from Other Content Sources Making Audio Accessible Create Sound Effects with AI Assistant Add a layer of realism to your audio content with AI-generated sound effects. Learn how to use AI Assistant to level up your course authoring game. Choosing Default Playback and Recording Devices Before you import or record narration, you'll want to choose your default playback and recording devices. Go to the Insert tab on the Storyline ribbon, click the Audio drop-down arrow, and choose Options. Select a speaker for your default playback device. Select a microphone for your default recording device and set your recording volume. Click OK to save your changes. Importing Audio Files First, do either of the following: In Slide View, go to the Insert tab on the ribbon, click the Audio drop-down arrow, and select Audio from File or Media Library. Or, simply drag an audio file from your computer and drop it on your course slide. In Form View, go to the Question tab on the ribbon, click the Audio drop-down arrow, and select Audio from File or Media Library. Browse to the audio file you want to insert and click Open. Storyline 360 supports these file formats: AAC AIF AIFF M4A MP3 OGG WAV WMA Recording Narration First, do either of the following: In Slide View, go to the Insert tab on the ribbon, click the Audio drop-down arrow, and select Record Mic. In Form View, go to the Question tab on the ribbon, click the Audio drop-down arrow, and select Record Mic. The Record Microphone window opens. If you have a script you want to use, click the Narration Script button, which reveals the text from the Notes panel. (Learn more about adding slide notes.) When you're ready to begin recording, click the red Record button. When you've finished recording, click the Stop recording button. You can preview your recording using the Play/Pause and Rewind buttons. If you need to record your narration again, just click the Record button to start over. If you want to delete your narration altogether, click the Delete button. If you change your mind about recording narration and would prefer to import audio instead, click the Import audio file button. Browse to the audio file you want to insert and click Open. If you want to edit the audio you just recorded, click the Edit audio button to launch the built-in audio editor. Learn more about editing audio. Click the Save button to add the newly recorded audio to your project. (Also, be sure to save your overall project file to retain the changes you just made.) Converting Text to Speech Speed up course development by converting text to speech right in Storyline 360. For example, use the text-to-speech feature to quickly narrate a course for stakeholder review or to localize narration in different languages. You can even choose the voice and language to make sure every word sounds right. In Slide View, go to the Insert tab on the Storyline ribbon, click the Audio drop-down arrow, and choose Text-to-Speech. When the Insert Text-to-Speech window appears, select a Language from the first drop-down list. This ensures that your words are spoken with the correct pronunciations. Then choose a Voice from the second drop-down list. You can hear what a voice sounds like by clicking the Preview Voice button next to the list. Type or paste your script into the text-entry field. Or, if you want to use your slide notes as your script, just click the Copy from Slide Notes button. Tip: You can convert up to 10,000 characters at a time. If your script is longer than that, break it into smaller chunks and generate more than one text-to-speech audio clip. Then place the audio clips back to back on the timeline so they play in sequential order. If you'd like to add closed captions to your text-to-speech narration, mark the Generate Closed Captions box in the upper right corner. Learn more about text-to-speech closed captions. Click Insert to complete the process. Storyline 360 will convert your text to narration, and it'll appear as an audio clip on the slide's timeline. The conversion process is fast, but lengthy scripts will take longer to convert. Learn more about working with text-to-speech narration. Adding Background Audio Set the right tone for your course with a background playlist that keeps learners engaged. Learners can toggle background audio on and off as they prefer. Here's how to add background audio to your course. Go to the Insert tab on the Storyline ribbon and click the Audio drop-down arrow. Then hover over Background Audio and choose Create Playlist. When the Background Playlist window appears, click the plus sign drop-down arrow, and select Audio from File or Media Library to upload your audio. Learn more about background audio. Controlling Background Audio With Triggers As of November 2023, you can control the background audio for each slide using triggers to play, pause, or stop the playlist. For example, you might want the audio to play when learners click a button. Here's how to create a background audio trigger. After you've added background audio, click the Create a new trigger icon in the Triggers panel, or go to the Insert tab on the ribbon and click Trigger. Select a media action (play, pause, or stop), then fill in the related parameters, such as the playlist and object. Choose when you want the action to happen. Optional: You can add conditions to your trigger so it only occurs in certain circumstances. Note: If you pause or stop the background audio and then jump to another slide, the background audio won't play on that slide. If you want the background audio to play on another slide, create a trigger that plays the background audio when that specific slide's timeline starts. Using the Background Audio Volume Variable As of November 2023, you can customize the background audio experience even further. Fine-tune the volume with this built-in percentage-based variable: Player.BackgroundAudioVolume : The volume of the background playlist in percentage Using the background audio volume variable is easy—it works like any other variable in Storyline 360. Learn more about working with variables. Importing Slides from Other Content Sources When you import slides into Storyline from Microsoft PowerPoint, Quizmaker, or other Storyline projects, audio resources from the external content are also imported and available for editing. You can also import Engage interactions, but their audio resources can't be edited in Storyline 360. Making Audio Accessible Audio accessibility promotes inclusivity and enhances comprehension for all learners—especially for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, have cognitive disabilities, or are non-native speakers of the course language. Check out these tips for making audio accessible: Let learners explore content at their own pace with an adjustable playback speed. Speed control allows learners to slow down content, making it easier to understand. Closed captions help all learners fully engage with and comprehend your content. You can import or create closed captions right in Storyline 360. Position captions at the top or bottom of your slides and customize the foreground and background colors to maximize readability. Provide text transcripts that include both the speech and non-speech sounds for any audio content. To display transcripts, you can use text boxes, layers, markers, or slide notes. Use plain language in your audio content and descriptions. Straightforward and clear language helps your audience easily read and understand the information. If you have background audio, enable the background audio toggle. Giving the option to mute background tracks reduces distractions and helps assistive technologies navigate content effectively. Plus, the “Lower background audio volume when slide audio plays” setting is enabled by default for accessibility. You Might Also Want to Explore: Editing Audio Using the Audio ToolsStoryline 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 360. 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 Internal 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 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. 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 Storyline 360 or move it 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 is to build slides using the ribbon, and the other is to import assets directly into the media library. Use the 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.) 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. Searching, Sorting, and Filtering Assets Let’s examine how assets are organized in the media library and how to 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 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 Tip: 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 You can manage alt text in the media library. Select an image, character pose, or video in the asset grid on the left, then enter your text in the details pane on the right. 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. However, the media library will only display the alt text of the asset. When an asset is used multiple times in your project, you can apply the same alt text to all instances of the asset by clicking the Apply to all button in the media library. Managing Closed Captions You can manage closed captions for all of your project’s audio clips and videos in the media library. In the Captions column, assets with captions display caption icons, whereas assets without captions show dots. 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. 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. Adding Internal Notes to Assets Want to add notes to an asset? 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 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.) 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: Go to the slide or layer where you want to insert a media library asset. 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.) If an asset has multiple alt texts and closed captions, select the ones you want from the drop-down lists in the details pane. 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 ribbon to add media library assets to your course. Go to the slide or layer where you want to insert a media library asset. Select the Insert tab on the ribbon and click the drop-down arrow below Picture, Video, or Audio. Then choose Media Library. 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.) If an asset has multiple alt text and closed captions, select the ones you want from the drop-down lists in the details pane. 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 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 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 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 can use the media library to open assets in third-party apps, such as Photoshop, and then save your changes directly to Storyline 360. Edit Images Select an image in the asset list on the left side of the media library. 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. When the app opens, edit the image as you’d like. Save your changes and close the app. You’ll see that your edits were automatically saved to Storyline 360 and all instances of the image in your project have been updated. The process for saving edited images to Storyline 360 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 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 Select an audio clip in the asset list on the left side of the media library. 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. When the app opens, edit the audio clip as you’d like. Depending on the specific audio editor you’re using, you might not be able to save your changes directly to Storyline 360. 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 Select a video in the asset list on the left side of the media library. 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. When the app opens, edit the video as you’d like. Depending on the specific video editor you’re using, you might not be able to save your changes directly to Storyline 360. 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 360. 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. Select one or more images in the asset list. (Ctrl+click or Shift+click to select multiple images.) Click the Export button in the lower right corner of the media library. 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. Click the triangle to the left of a character to reveal its poses. Select one or more poses in the asset list. (Ctrl+click or Shift+click to select multiple poses.) Click the Export button in the lower right corner of the media library. 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. Select one or more audio clips in the asset list. (Ctrl+click or Shift+click to select multiple clips.) Click the Export button in the lower right corner of the media library. 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. Select one or more videos in the asset list. (Ctrl+click or Shift+click to select multiple videos.) Click the Export button in the lower right corner of the media library. 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 360 project. 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 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.
