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 Tip: If you import an audio file without captions, AI Assistant prompts you to generate them automatically. Click Generate Captions to create captions for your audio. To generate captions automatically next time, check the box to Remember my choice for future imports. You can adjust this preference anytime from the Features tab on the Storyline Options window. 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. Tip: Generate captions for your audio recordings with AI Assistant to boost accessibility. 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 helps make learning inclusive and understandable for everyone—especially for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, have cognitive disabilities, or don’t speak the course language fluently. The following tips can boost your audio accessibility: Enable playback speed control. Let learners explore content at their own pace with an adjustable playback speed. They should be able to slow down or speed up audio as needed. (1.4.2 Audio Control). Use closed captions. More learners can fully engage with and comprehend audio content when you provide closed captions. And in Storyline 360, you have options! You can import captions, create your own, or let AI Assistant generate them for you automatically. Position captions at the top or bottom of your slides and customize the foreground and background colors to maximize readability. (1.2.2 Captions [Prerecorded]). Provide text transcripts for audio content. Include spoken dialogue, speaker identification, and meaningful non-speech sounds so all learners can fully access and understand the audio. To display transcripts, you can use text boxes, layers, markers, or slide notes (1.2.1 Audio-only [Prerecorded]). Keep your language simple. Use plain language in your audio content and descriptions. Straightforward and clear language helps your audience easily read and understand the information. Reduce distractions. Enable the background audio toggle to give learners the option to mute any background tracks. This helps learners stay focused and lets assistive technologies navigate content more effectively. The “Lower background audio volume when slide audio plays” setting is enabled by default to support accessibility. (1.4.2 Audio Control) You Might Also Want to Explore: Editing Audio Using the Audio ToolsStoryline 360: Creating and Editing Closed Captions With the Built-in Editor
Create and edit closed captions and subtitles directly in Storyline 360 using the built-in editor. Fine-tune imported captions or quickly add new ones with placeholders that automatically sync with your audio and video content. As a bonus, Storyline 360 automatically generates synchronized video transcripts from your captions. Open the Closed Captions Editor Explore the Editor Understand Caption States Preview Media and Captions Tab Back and Forth Between Caption Placeholders Add or Edit Text in Caption Placeholders Speed Up Your Workflow for Adding Closed Captions Format Caption Text Use Keyboard Shortcuts Adjust the Timing and Duration of Caption Placeholders Insert New Caption Placeholders Delete Captions Split Captions Import Captions Export Captions Translate Captions Close the Editor and Save or Discard Your Changes Show or Hide the Closed Captioning Button on the Player Use Triggers to Turn Closed Captions On and Off Open the Closed Captions Editor Use any of the following methods to open the closed captions editor: Select your media, go to the Options tab on the ribbon, then click Add Captions or Edit Captions. The button will change depending on whether your media clip already has captions. Right-click your media and choose Add Captions or Edit Captions from the context menu. Right-click your media, select Accessibility from the context menu, then click Add Captions or Edit Captions in the window that appears. Follow these steps to open the closed captions editor from the media library. Caption Placeholders Are Created for You If your media clip doesn’t already have captions, the closed captions editor will automatically analyze the audio track to detect units of speech and add caption placeholders to the timeline that are synchronized with your content. All you need to do is type your captions in the placeholders. Background music can interfere with the auto-generated caption placeholders, so you might need to tweak the timing of captions, add more caption placeholders, or split captions into smaller chunks. Note: The closed captions editor works with all narration and videos, except website videos. Explore the Editor Explore this image of the closed captions editor and the numbered list below it for an overview of the interface. The sections that follow provide details on each feature. # Feature Description 1 Ribbon Commands Use the ribbon to: Preview your media and captions Jump back and forth between caption placeholders Insert new caption placeholders Delete caption placeholders Split caption placeholders Import captions Generate captions Export captions 2 Video Stage When you’re working with a video, it'll display on the video stage. When you’re working with an audio clip, the video stage disappears and the audio waveform fills the editor. 3 Closed Captions Preview As you type captions into the placeholders at the bottom of the editor, they’ll display on the video stage or audio waveform so you can see how they’ll look in your published output. 4 Timeline and Playhead The timeline shows the duration of your media, and the blue playhead travels along the timeline as you preview your video and audio content. 5 Audio Waveform The audio waveform is a visual representation of the audio track in your media. If there’s no video component for your media, the audio waveform will expand to fill the stage. 6 Caption Placeholders Caption placeholders are where you type and format text. You can also adjust the timing and duration of caption placeholders. If your media clip doesn’t already have captions, the closed captions editor will automatically analyze the audio track to detect units of speech and add caption placeholders to the timeline that are synchronized with your content. All you need to do is type your captions in the placeholders. Caption placeholders have four states, so you know what to expect when creating and editing captions. See the next section to learn about caption states. 7 Time Values The status bar shows you the current position of the playhead on the timeline, the start time of the selected caption placeholder, and the end time of the selected caption placeholder. 8 Zoom Slider Use the zoom slider in the lower right corner to zoom the timeline, audio waveform, and caption placeholders in and out when you need to make precise edits or get a big-picture overview. Understand Caption States Caption placeholders have four states as described in this table. State Appearance Example Unselected caption placeholder without text Solid light gray Unselected caption placeholder with text Dark gray with white text Selected caption placeholder (with or without text) Blue with white text Caption placeholder in edit mode Dark gray with blue outline, white text, and blinking cursor The closed captions editor may behave differently, depending on the current state of a caption. See the following sections for details. For example, if no captions are in edit mode when you preview, playback will continue to the end of the timeline unless you pause it. However, if a caption is in edit mode when you preview, playback will stop at the end of the caption placeholder. And if you resume playback while the caption is still in edit mode, it'll start from the beginning of the current caption placeholder and stop again at the end. This helps you create captions one at a time, letting you hear a clip as many times as you need while typing. Preview Media and Captions To preview the entire video or audio track, move the playhead to the beginning of the timeline—before the first caption placeholder—then click the Play button on the ribbon or press Enter on your keyboard. Drag the seekbar on the ribbon or the playhead on the timeline to scrub back and forth through the video or audio track. To preview one caption, click inside the placeholder so it’s in edit mode. Playback will start as soon as you click inside it and stop when it reaches the end of the caption. To pause the preview, click the Pause button on the ribbon or press Enter. Caption placeholders that have text will display on the video stage or audio waveform during preview. (The size of a caption box and the point at which text wraps could change, depending on the size of the Closed Captions Editor window.) Tab Back and Forth Between Caption Placeholders Press the Tab key on your keyboard to jump to the beginning of the next caption, and press Shift+Tab to jump to the beginning of the previous caption. Or, click the left and right arrows on the ribbon to move back and forth between captions. If no captions are in edit mode when you navigate between them, the playhead will simply move to the previous or next caption, but the media won’t start playing until you tell it to. If a caption placeholder is in edit mode when you jump to another caption, the new caption placeholder will also switch to edit mode so you can immediately start typing. Tip: By using the Tab key to move through caption placeholders in edit mode and pressing Enter to play/pause media, you never have to take your hands off the keyboard while typing captions, speeding up your workflow. Add or Edit Text in Caption Placeholders To add or edit caption text, simply click inside a caption placeholder and begin typing. You can also paste text from external sources, such as text files or Word documents. When you click inside a caption placeholder, it switches to edit mode and your media automatically begins playing. If you need to pause it, press Enter. To resume playback, press Enter again. If you need to add a line break to a caption, press Shift+Enter. Speed Up Your Workflow for Adding Closed Captions By using keyboard shortcuts, you can quickly add closed captions to a video or audio track in Storyline 360. Here’s how: When you open the closed captions editor, the playhead will be positioned at the beginning of the first caption placeholder, and it'll be in edit mode. Press Enter to start playing your video or audio track, then begin typing text for the first caption based on what you hear. Playback will stop at the end of the placeholder so you have time to finish typing the caption. If you need to hear it again, press Enter and it'll start over from the beginning of the placeholder. You can also use Enter to pause playback. Press Tab to move to the next caption placeholder. It'll switch to edit mode, and your media will being playing. Simply type what you hear. Playback will stop at the end of the placeholder so you have time to finish typing the caption. If you need to hear it again, press Enter and it'll start over from the beginning of the placeholder. You can also use Enter to pause playback. Repeat step 2 to add captions, one placeholder at a time, until you reach the end of the timeline. Format Caption Text Bold, Italic, and Underline: Closed captions in Storyline 360 can have bold, italic, and underline formatting. Select the text you want to format, then use the floating toolbar to make your selections. Or, use these keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+B = Bold Ctrl+I = Italicize Ctrl+U = Underline Colors, Text Shadow, Font, Font Size, and Position: In the player properties, you can set the foreground and background colors, font, size, and position of your captions. You can also turn the text shadow on or off. Learn more. Voice Tags: The closed captions editor doesn’t support voice tags, but you can identify speakers by typing their names with colons before their statements. (Press Shift+Enter to add a line break between speakers.) For example: Adam: E-learning is powerful. Lucy: And it’s transforming lives every day. If you import a caption file that has voice tags, the tags will be converted to the speakers’ names followed by colons, as shown above. Use Keyboard Shortcuts Work faster in the closed captions editor with these keyboard shortcuts. Key(s) Function Enter Play and pause media Shift+Enter Add a line break when typing text into a caption placeholder Tab Jump to the beginning of the next caption placeholder Shift+Tab Jump to the beginning of the previous caption placeholder Esc Exit edit mode for the current caption placeholder and switch to a blue selected state Ctrl+A Select all the text in a caption placeholder Ctrl+B Bold Ctrl+C Copy Ctrl+I Italicize Ctrl+U Underline Ctrl+V Paste Ctrl+X Cut Ctrl+Y Redo Ctrl+Z Undo Left Arrow If the playhead is at the beginning or end of a caption placeholder and the placeholder is in a selected state, the left arrow key moves the placeholder .25 seconds to the left on the timeline (or less than that if it bumps up against the previous caption placeholder). Otherwise, the left arrow key moves only the playhead .25 seconds to the left on the timeline. Right Arrow If the playhead is at the beginning or end of a caption placeholder and the placeholder is in a selected state, the right arrow key moves the placeholder .25 seconds to the right on the timeline (or less than that if it bumps up against the next caption placeholder). Otherwise, the right arrow key moves only the playhead .25 seconds to the left on the timeline. Shift+Left Arrow If the playhead is at the beginning or end of a caption placeholder and the placeholder is in a selected state, this shortcut moves the placeholder .5 seconds to the left on the timeline (or less than that if it bumps up against the previous caption placeholder). Otherwise, this shortcut moves only the playhead .5 seconds to the left on the timeline. Shift+Right Arrow If the playhead is at the beginning or end of a caption placeholder and the placeholder is in a selected state, this shortcut moves the placeholder .5 seconds to the right on the timeline (or less than that if it bumps up against the next caption placeholder). Otherwise, this shortcut moves only the playhead .5 seconds to the right on the timeline. Alt+Left Arrow When a caption placeholder is selected, shorten its duration by .25 seconds. Alt+Right Arrow When a caption placeholder is selected, lengthen its duration by .25 seconds (or less than that if it bumps up against the next caption placeholder). Shift+Alt+Left Arrow When a caption placeholder is selected, shorten its duration by .5 seconds. Shift+Alt+Right Arrow When a caption placeholder is selected, lengthen its duration by .5 seconds (or less than that if it bumps up against the next caption placeholder). Ctrl+Left Arrow This shortcut moves the playhead to the beginning of the current caption placeholder or the end of the previous placeholder, whichever is closest. This shortcut doesn’t work when a caption placeholder is in edit mode. Ctrl+Right Arrow This shortcut moves the playhead to the end of the current caption placeholder or the beginning of the next placeholder, whichever is closest. This shortcut doesn’t work when a caption placeholder is in edit mode. Ctrl+Mouse Wheel Zoom the timeline in and out Adjust the Timing and Duration of Caption Placeholders To adjust the timing of a caption, simply drag the placeholder left or right along the timeline. To change the duration of a caption, drag either end of the placeholder along the timeline to shorten or lengthen it. You can also use several arrow keyboard shortcuts in the table above to tweak the timing and duration of caption placeholders. Insert New Caption Placeholders Although the closed captions editor does its best to create caption placeholders for you that are already synced with your content, there may be times when you need to manually add a caption placeholder to the timeline. Click any space on the timeline that isn’t already occupied by a caption placeholder. The blue playhead will move to that position on the timeline. Then click Insert Caption on the ribbon. New captions are four seconds long by default—unless there isn’t enough space to fit a four-second placeholder, in which case it'll fill the available space. You need at least half a second of empty space on the timeline to insert a new caption placeholder. If there isn’t enough space, the Insert Caption button will be grayed out. Delete Captions There are three ways to delete a specific caption: Select the caption placeholder and press Delete on your keyboard. Select the placeholder and click Delete Caption on the ribbon. Right-click the placeholder and choose Delete from the context menu. To delete all captions at once, click Delete Captions on the ribbon, then click Yes on the confirmation message. Split Captions You can split a caption into two placeholders when you need more control over timing and duration. Select the placeholder and click Split Caption on the ribbon. Or, right-click the placeholder and choose Split Caption from the context menu. The original placeholder will split evenly in half. And if it has text, the text will split where the cursor is located—everything before the cursor will move to the first placeholder; everything after the cursor will move to the second placeholder. Exception: If the playhead is at the beginning of the caption and the placeholder is in a blue selected state, all the text will move to the first placeholder after being split. Import Captions If you already have captions typed in a document, you can import them via the closed captions editor. Note that this replaces all the existing captions for your video or audio track. Click Import Captions on the ribbon. Click Yes when asked to confirm that you want to replace the existing captions. Browse to the SRT, SBV, SUB, or VTT file you want to import and click Open. You can also import caption files without opening the closed captions editor. See this user guide for details. Generate Captions If you haven’t prepared caption files to import, you can generate captions with AI Assistant. Plus, you can review and approve captions before publishing to ensure accuracy. Learn more about generating, reviewing, and approving AI-generated captions. Export Captions Export closed captions when you need to use them in another project, edit them with a different app, or save a backup copy. Click Export Captions on the ribbon, choose a location where you want to save the caption file, then click Save. When you export captions from the closed captions editor, it generates a VTT file. Translate Captions Export the captions file for each video or audio track in your course, translate it, then import it back into Storyline. Here’s how: If the closed captions editor is open, click Export Captions on the ribbon and save the file to your computer. You can also export captions without opening the closed captions editor. Select the video or audio track, go to the Options tab on the Storyline ribbon, and click Export. Open the captions file in a text editor or a translation program, replace the captions with translated text, and save the file with your changes. In Storyline, select the video or audio track again, go to the Options tab on the ribbon, and click Import to bring the translated captions back into your course. Closed captions aren’t included when you export text strings from your course for translation. Close the Editor and Save or Discard Your Changes To save your changes, click Save at the bottom right of the Closed Captions Editor window. To discard your changes, click the X in the upper right corner or click Cancel at the bottom right of the Closed Captions Editor window. Show or Hide 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. Learn more. Use Triggers to Turn Closed 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. Learn more.Storyline 360: Importing Closed Captions for Narration and Videos
Enhance accessibility in your Storyline 360 courses for learners who are deaf or hard of hearing by importing closed captions for narration and videos. Insert standard SRT, VTT, SBV, or SUB files—or create captions and subtitles from scratch with the built-in editor. Prepare Caption Files Import Captions Delete Captions Export Captions Customize Your Closed Captions Show or Hide the Closed Captioning Button on the Player Use Triggers to Turn Closed Captions On and Off Create Closed Captions with AI Assistant Instantly generate high-quality captions for your audio and video content to boost accessibility. Learn how to use AI Assistant to level up your course authoring game. Prepare 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. Import 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, read 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. (Read 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. Delete Captions To delete existing captions, follow these steps: 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.) Export Captions To export captions from Storyline 360, follow these steps: 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. Customize Your Closed Captions You can set your captions’ foreground and background colors, font, size, and position, and turn the text shadow on or off. In the player properties window, click Colors & Effects on the ribbon, use the Closed Captions formatting options, then click OK to save and close. 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. Show or Hide 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. Use 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 by adjusting 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, consider turning 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.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 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 several options for adding assets to the media library. Explore them below. Drag Assets From Your Computer Directly Onto a Slide or Into the Media Library When you drag media from your computer directly onto a slide or into the media library, those assets automatically appear in the media library. Note that icons don’t show in 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. 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 that 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, or generate images with AI Assistant. Import photographic and illustrated characters from Content Library 360. Import audio files from your computer, record narration with a microphone, or generate audio with AI Assistant. 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. Generating Alt Text with AI Assistant Quickly generate alt text by clicking the Generate alt text button below the text field. Learn more about generating alt text from 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. Generating Closed Captions with AI Assistant Add captions fast by clicking the Generate captions button in the Captions tab on the right. Learn more about generating captions from the media library. 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 under the Captions tab. Then choose an action from the menu that appears. 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.) 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.) 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.Storyline 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), Jihye (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.
