WordPress video hosting

Embedding videos in your posts and pages can create more interactive content that engages your readers. However, there are many different WordPress video hosting methods. Therefore, you might be wondering how best to show off your clips without slowing down your website.

Fortunately, you have a couple of effective options at your disposal. For example, the WordPress Video block offers different upload and external embed methods. Alternatively, you can insert video URLs from sites such as YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion.

In this guide, we’ll explore a few WordPress video hosting methods. We’ll cover the pros and cons of each option, and help you decide which best fits your website’s needs.

For most people, the best option is to upload your video to a service like YouTube or Vimeo and embed it that way.

Let’s get started!

📚 Table of contents:

Option 1: Upload a clip with the Video block

The Video block is a versatile element that enables you to embed or upload a video using different methods. Like other WordPress blocks, you can embed it almost anywhere on your website using the Block Editor.

There are some advantages and disadvantages to using this method. Let’s take a look at those pros and cons in more detail.

The pros of uploading a clip with the Video block 👍

There are not many advantages to uploading a clip directly with the Video block. The primary benefit is that this method is quick and simple. You don’t need to leave your site or use any external platforms or tools. You can do everything right on the page in the Block Editor.

👉 We primarily recommend this method if your video is just a few seconds long, and you want to use it across multiple areas of your site. By uploading the clip once, you can then embed it on any post, page, and widget section.

The cons of uploading a clip with the Video block 👎

There are multiple disadvantages when directly uploading a video to your WordPress Media Library, which is why we don’t recommend this approach for videos that are longer than a few seconds.

Most importantly, this method will use a significant amount of bandwidth. Depending on your plan, your web host will typically limit how much bandwidth you can use at any given time. If you exceed this amount, your host might suspend your site.

Furthermore, because videos are so ‘weighty’, your website is likely to operate slower due to the strain on its server resources. It might load more slowly and provide an overall poor user experience (UX). This slowness can also affect your Core Web Vitals scores, in turn causing Google to rank your site less favorably.

Uploading a video directly to your site can also limit its potential. For example, users won’t be able to easily share the clip to external websites. You’ll also miss out on traffic from popular platforms such as YouTube. Your audience will only be able to watch your video if they navigate to your website.

Finally, third-party video hosting platforms typically have user-friendly features such as different resolution options, captions, and more. If you upload your video without these elements, you’re less likely to provide a quality experience for your audience.

How to upload a video with the Video block

To insert the Video block, you can type “/video” into a Paragraph block when using the Block Editor, and hit your Enter key. Alternatively, click on the + icon to add a new element, search for “video”, and choose the first icon that appears:

The WordPress Video block is one the best WordPress video hosting options.

Once you insert the block, you’ll see three different embed options:

The WordPress video block options.

The first option is to upload your clip directly via Upload. This enables you to choose a video from your device and insert it into your post or page:

Uploading a video directly to your media library can be a resource-heavy WordPress video hosting option.

The second option is to choose a video from the existing files in your Media Library:

The Media Library is a WordPress video hosting option.

You can look for the clip manually, or drag and drop it into the interface if you already have it open on your computer.

Finally, you can select Insert from URL to embed a video from an external source:

Insert video from URL.

This method will insert the clip into your website without taking up space on your server. However, you’ll first need to host your video on a third-party platform. If you’re going to do that, it’s typically more efficient to use a dedicated block instead.

Option 2: Use a third-party video hosting block

If you’re concerned by the potential downsides of using the generic Video block, you can use one of the third-party WordPress video hosting blocks instead. The video itself will be hosted on another platform’s servers, and you’ll simply display it on your site.

👉 Again, we generally recommend this method if your video is longer than a few seconds.

Note that if you choose this method for your videos, you’ll first need to upload and share them on your platform of choice. To get started, we recommend checking out our complete guide to the best video hosting sites for website owners and marketers.

The pros of using a third-party video hosting platform 👍

The most significant advantage of this WordPress video hosting method is improved site performance. Since the video is hosted on external servers, it isn’t consuming as many of your own website’s resources. Therefore, you can embed as many videos as you need without significantly affecting your site’s loading times and UX.

Furthermore, this method enables you to attract organic traffic from other sources. For example, YouTube has more than two billion users worldwide [1]. Hosting a video on that platform and also embedding it on your website or in a relevant blog post could significantly boost your traffic.

Moreover, an embedded video from a third-party platform typically offers extra features and customization options, such as different resolutions, captions, and a user-friendly player. You might even be able to monetize your content with built-in ads and view external analytics.

The cons of using a third-party video hosting platform 👎

Using this WordPress video hosting method can be more time-consuming. Rather than uploading a clip directly from your computer, you’ll need to first add it to your third-party platform of choice.

You’ll need to create an account on that website, add your videos, and customize them. This means a longer process with more steps, and one that can’t be completed solely on your own website.

You’ll also need to choose a platform that best fits your needs. If you’re not sure where to begin, we’ll briefly discuss YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion in the next section.

How to use the YouTube block

YouTube is an incredibly popular video hosting site and social media platform that really needs no introduction. In 2021, its global audience was almost two billion people [2]. Therefore, hosting your videos on this platform could be ideal if you want to reach a new audience outside of your WordPress website:

YouTube is a great WordPress video hosting option.

Furthermore, YouTube is free to use and offers monetization opportunities. The platform lets you upload as many videos as you like, and add captions, titles, descriptions, and tags to them.

Start by searching for the YouTube block in WordPress. Then, insert it into your post or page:

Inserting the YouTube block.

Next, open your video in YouTube and copy its URL from the search bar:

A YouTube video URL.

Paste that link into your YouTube block and hit Enter.

You should see a preview of the embedded video directly in the editor.

For a more detailed look, check out our full guide to adding YouTube videos to WordPress.

How to use the Vimeo block

Vimeo is another of our top WordPress video hosting recommendations. This all-in-one platform enables you to host your clips and integrate social media sharing settings:

Vimeo is a great WordPress video hosting platform.

You can use Vimeo for free or upgrade to a paid plan. With the latter, you’ll get a higher storage limit, access to video creation and search engine optimization (SEO) tools, tools to restrict access to videos, and more. For a deeper look at the pros and cons, we have a YouTube vs Vimeo comparison post.

To use this platform, search for and insert the Vimeo block in WordPress:

Inserting the Vimeo block.

Then, head back to Vimeo and open your video. Click on the Share icon, and copy the URL from the box that pops up under Link:

Sharing a Vimeo video.

Finally, paste this URL into your Vimeo block and hit Enter.

How to use the Dailymotion block

Dailymotion is a video hosting site for news, entertainment, sports, and music. It has an extensive library with clips from all over the world:

Dailymotion is an excellent WordPress video hosting option.

Dailymotion can be an excellent fit if you want customizable options and monetization opportunities. The platform comes with design widgets, personalized branding tools, and unlimited bandwidth and storage for your clips. Furthermore, you can upload and host your videos for free.

However, the downside is that its video player is “heavy” and not as quick-loading as YouTube or Vimeo.

To embed one of these videos, search for the Dailymotion block on your WordPress post or page:

Inserting the Dailymotion block.

Next, head to your Dailymotion account and open your clip. Click on Share, and you should see your video’s URL:

Sharing a Dailymotion video.

Click on Copy link to add the URL to your clipboard. Then, paste that link into your Dailymotion block and hit Enter. This will embed the video.

Get started with WordPress video hosting today

Inserting videos into your posts, pages, backgrounds, and widget areas can make your website more engaging. However, you’ll first need to choose the best WordPress video hosting option for your needs.

Here are the two main methods you’ll be choosing from:

  1. Upload directly with the WordPress Video block. This method enables you to upload your video straight to your Media Library. However, it can negatively affect your site’s performance and affect your content’s potential reach. It’s generally only a good option if your videos are only a few seconds long.
  2. Use a third-party video hosting block. These specialized blocks enable you to embed videos without hosting them on your own server. Therefore, they can draw in traffic from new sources and won’t use your server’s resources.

💡 For a more detailed look at third-party video hosting, check out our roundup of the best video hosting sites.

💡 To learn how to more effectively use video, you can read our guide on using video to boost engagement.

Do you have any questions about the WordPress video hosting options discussed in this post? Let us know in the comments section below!

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