In the 1990s, plugins started gaining popularity with the advancements in software and microprocessors. In fact, Adobe Photoshop was one of the earliest programs to use plugins. At that time, the plugin functionalities within Photoshop were special filters, special effects, and other ways of enhancing the images.

What is a Video Plugin and How it works?

Like plugins, Video Plugins are mainly programming scripts that attach to the host management software and provide additional functionalities related to video management on that host platform. Video plugins are the best way to build and manage your own video library. In addition, a video plugin offers a lot of flexibility and customization that you can’t find with the host management software.

There are lots of video plugins available in the market. They are available for CMSs like WordPress/Joomla, browsers like chrome and even for LMS like Moodle. Their functionalities vary with the platform and also their availability. Installing a video plugin in a CMS often creates a new menu to upload and manage your videos. You can also organize your videos into categories and subcategories. Some video plugins allow you to upload and manage your audio files as well.

With many video gallery making plugins in WordPress, you can create a video gallery by placing a video or a group of videos onto a page or post. The videos will appear as a strip of thumbnails with a play button in the centre. You can then view a larger version of the video by hovering your mouse over the thumbnail.

Uses and Benefits of Video Plugins

• Making your videos DRM-protected
• Adding dynamic watermark to your video to protect them against screen capture
• To enable CDN for faster delivery across the globe
• Video plugins also offer video players with easy toggles, Speed change, Forward/rewind, Multi-quality adaptive & Responsive player, subtitles, etc.
• You can monitor the engagement of your course/video. Track every user’s watch time, session data, and video heatmaps.
• You can also use video plugins to create slideshows, video tours, private video messaging, and more.
• Insert videos in blog posts and pages
• Video Plugins can be used to create your video gallery to upload multiple videos of different formats.
• View and edit your recorded videos directly from your WordPress or LMS dashboard.
• Embed into your sidebar or footer using widgets or shortcuts.
• Export your videos to various popular formats.
• Customize the videos with transitions, filters, transparency effects, video overlay effects, and audio effects.

Features a Video Plugin must have

Keep in mind that feature availability depends on the vastness of the host platform. For example – WordPress is more likely to have a high-rated video editing plugin than Joomla. In general, we have listed some basic considerations before choosing a video plugin to suit your requirements.

• Google Widevine and Apple Fairplay DRM protection for download protection.
• Dynamic watermarking to protect against screen capture.
• Global CDN for speed optimization across the world.
• Adaptive bitrate handling for smooth delivery in non-optimal network conditions.
• Custom video player to handle subtitles, chapters, toggle options, etc.
• Available APIs and SDKs to handle automated functions.
• Consider the number of additional features that come free with the base plugin and look into the possibility of unlocking any of them.
• Cross-platform video import features to directly import your videos from YouTube, Google Drive, etc.
• Be sure that the video player plugin functions appropriately on mobile devices and desktops.
• If you need to support advanced functions such as IP filtering, URL filtering, and others, consider checking and using the 3rd party function plugin and extensions if available.

Best Video Management Plugins for different CMS

12 Best WordPress Video Plugins

A WordPress video plugin is software that allows you to upload and manage video files and present them in various ways. There are lots of video plugins available in the market. They provide different features, and each has its own way of working. While some are free, others are paid.

VdoCipher Video Plugin

VdoCipher video plugin enables you to host premium and download protected video content on your WordPress website. It enables the highest Hollywood-grade protection for your videos and prevents piracy.

This is the best solution for premium video content creators who produce content like lecture videos, music, and movies. VdoCipher WordPress video plugin seamlessly integrates with all popular WP membership plugins, including Members, Restrict Content Pro, MemberPress, and WP eMember. The video plugin also works perfectly with top Learning Management systems such as Sensei, LearnDash, WP CourseWare, LifterLMS, and LearnPress. You can install the plugin from the official source here.

Note: Since WordPress in itself is big, we have created a separate article featuring useful WordPress Video Plugins.

WooCommerce Product Plugin

The WooCommerce Product Video Plugin allows you to embed and integrate videos into product pages. You can upload or embed videos from video streaming websites like YouTube and Dailymotion. This plugin also allows you to configure the videos to be displayed on product pages or listing pages. You can add videos to your product page, add thumbnails for videos, and customize the width and height of videos for both shop and product pages. Videos can be played in various modes like From Page, In-Popup, or Full Screen.

Video.js HTML5 Player

A lightweight, open-source plugin supporting all major video formats and sources. It provides a simple shortcode for embedding, autoplay options, and customizable player dimensions, catering to users seeking a responsive and versatile video player without extensive customization needs.

Videopack

Ideal for enhancing video presentation on WordPress sites, Videopack allows users to create custom thumbnails and use a responsive, customizable HTML5 player for single videos and galleries. It supports adding skippable ads and popup video galleries through an additional plugin. The core plugin is free, with an add-on for ads priced at $5.99/year or a $24.99 lifetime deal.

Easy Video Player

A free plugin offering a minimalistic interface and core premium features, including customizable shortcodes, loop play, autoplay, and player size adjustments. It supports MP4 videos from hosting platforms and allows customization of player templates and aspect ratios.

YouTube Embed

Specifically designed for embedding YouTube videos into WordPress sites, this plugin supports custom and channel playlists and enhances site SEO by extracting video metadata. Features include allowing downloads, lazy video load, 4K support, and automatic resizing. The plugin is free and primarily managed through shortcodes.

ELEX WordPress Embed YouTube Video Gallery

This plugin simplifies embedding YouTube videos and creating video galleries with dynamic syncing options. It features customizable layouts, intro video addition, WooCommerce integration, and responsive gallery designs. The free version offers essential functions, with a premium version starting at $79 per year for additional features and support.

All-in-One Video Gallery

A comprehensive plugin for managing video content across various hosting platforms, offering customizable HTML5 players, social media sharing, subtitles, GDPR warnings, and live streams. It allows complete customization of the player’s appearance. Pricing for Pro and Business plans starts at $4.99 per month, with lifetime options available.

WP Video Lightbox

A lightweight plugin for embedding videos into a lightbox on WordPress sites, supporting autoplay, automatic thumbnail retrieval, and HTTPS videos. It is shortcode-based and free, focusing on simplicity and integration with the site design without overwhelming with features.

ARVE – Advanced Responsive Video Embedder

Supports both Gutenberg and Classic editors, allowing embedding from all major video hosting platforms. It offers customizable thumbnails, video schema for SEO, and an optional lightbox. Pricing starts at €40 for a single-site license, with options for multiple sites.

Ultimate Video Player

Features a highly customizable player for embedding hosted videos, supporting live streaming, multilingual captions, and Google Analytics integration. It caters to advanced users with options for quality selection, fullscreen playback, and password protection. Pricing starts at $59 for a Regular license.

FV Player

Compatible with classic editors and page builders, FV Player supports MP4 and WebM formats across all popular video hosting platforms. It offers extensive customization through HTML and CSS, integration with Google Analytics, and features pre-and post-roll screens for additional content. Pricing ranges from $75 for a single site to $395 for 20 sites, with CDN integration available in paid versions.

Moodle Video Plugins

Moodle Filter by VdoCipher

If you are looking to add download-protected videos from VdoCipher inside your Moodle LMS content page then this filter plugin is the solution. This Moodle filter plugin by VdoCipher replaces the shortcodes with the embedded video player.

You will also get an API key and ids for each video from your VdoCipher dashboard. This can be used to embed your videos inside any Moodle content such as a page or an activity. You can install the authentic video plugin for moodle through the official moodle-filter vdocipher Github repository.

Follow through this link to read more around how to add video to Moodle Course.

VideoEasy Moodle Plugin

The Moodle Video plugin uses the VideoEasy filter to play media files like mp4 and mp3 with html5 players. It uses user-editable templates to allow the admin to customize existing players’ appearance or support new players. Predefined player templates have support for Video JS, JPlayer, JW Player, Flowplayer and MediaElement.js. In addition, the filter includes templates for multiplayer support and allows the users to customize or add new players through Video Easy filter settings pages.

Moodle HTML5 audio/video to MP4 filter Plugin

This video plugin filter allows the automated creation of MP4 sources for HTML5 audio and video elements. This is very useful when a user uses atto_recordrtc as most of the browsers create WebM files for videos and Ogg files for audio, which are not playable on Safari. This Moodle plugin checks for an existing MP4 source and provides it automatically. If the MP4 source does not exist, a scheduled task creates the same. In addition, the plugin links the moodle HTML5 audio/video to the mp4 filter add-on. That means audio and video elements can have the same filenames as Moodle HTML5 audio/video to MP4 filter uses.

Chrome Video Extensions

Picture-in-Picture with Playback Controls plugin: In a nutshell, Picture-in-Picture allows you to watch the video in a floating window with playback video controls. The window can be any size and will always float around you while you browse the web. The floating video plugin works with all HTML5 video elements and supports all video formats and popular video hubs.

Features:

• Custom settings concerning window
• Broad playback controls (play,stop,rewind,etc)
• Supports all video formats
• Play video in a pop-up from websites like YouTube, Facebook and more
• Resizeable floating window

Video Speed Control plugin

Video Speed Control is a video speed adjustment plugin to ease the playback speed control of any HTML5 video. With it, you can Speed up, slow down, advance and rewind HTML videos using shortcuts. Once installed in the browser, you can see a speed controller on the top left corner of the video player. Click the controls to accelerate, slow down, or rewind the video (10 seconds + lowers playback speed).

Keyboard shortcuts are as follows:

S – decrease playback speed.
D – increase playback speed.
R – reset playback speed.
Z – rewind the video by 10 seconds.
X – advance video by 10 seconds.
V – show/hide controller.

Movie maker MovieStudio video editor plugin

Movie maker is a chrome extension to create movies, record videos, edit and modify them using other imported videos. The plugin allows adding images, audio and texts into your videos and movies. Movie maker supports WEBM videos, MP4 videos, MP3 audio files, JPG images and TEXT files or content.

Features:

• Record and import videos into your project
• Add and edit MP4 or WEBM videos included in your project
• Add any MP3 audio file
• Editor for text integration and image addition into your movie

Joomla Video Plugins

Before we discuss different video plugins, we should also remember that if you are looking to only embed videos in any cms then using iFrame is also a choice. Using iFrame embed is very easy as all you need to do is copy and paste. For example, if you want to embed a piracy protected Video from VdoCipher, then copy the embed copy for the uploaded video. You can find this embed code by clicking the embed button on your video and then selecting the quick embed option. Then with expiration and watermarking options, you can click on the “Generate Embed Code” button and finally copy the embed code. Paste it in your regular HTML content and your protected video is live for your authorized audience.

Videobox Plugin

Videobox is a 3.6+ extension to add audio and video to your website. Videobox supports HTML5 video and audio formats, videos from YouTube, music from SoundCloud and more. In addition, there are several ways to insert videos, direct player, pop-up player, and a video gallery. Just place the video link in the Videobox, and you are good to go.

Features:

• HTML5 video and audio support (since 2.0.0)
• Start playing video when a page is opened (since 3.0.0)
• Specify playback end time for YouTube and HTML5 videos
• Full video URL as video ID (since 1.1.1)
• Player offset for each video (since 1.1.1)
• Modular video source adapters (since 4.0.0)

AllVideos Plugin

AllVideos is Joomla’s universal media player and must-have plugin for any Joomla based website. The plugin embeds audio and video content from major 3rd party media providers like YouTube, Facebook, SoundCloud and Flickr into Joomla articles and other Joomla components supporting content plugins. Coming to the media content embedding, the plugin allows playback of any web-native video file hosted on the remote or your server.

Features:

• Support for all major 3rd party media providers
• Easily embed media content directly from your server or a remote server.
• Displays background videos with muted sound
• Media content streaming using web-native video and audio formats like H.264/MPEG-4 (.mp4/.m4v/.m4a)
• The easy and descriptive syntax for media embedding.

FAQs

What WordPress plugin allows you to upload videos from the front end?

There are many plugins like VdoCipher, All in One Video Gallery, WP User Frontend, Uploader, etc which allow you to upload video directly through the frontend. You just need to click on the upload option and select the video from the local file or URL.

How do I add a video plugin to WordPress?

On your WordPress dashboard, search for VdoCipher or the name of your desired video plugin. Click Install now. Do not forget to click on the activate button on the plugins page after successful installation. If required by your plugin, you may need to add API key, etc to the settings. You can now upload or import videos to your plugin’s dashboard or connect directly via API for advanced upload options.

How does video hosting work in the case of plugins?

Video hosting includes uploading and storing videos on a third-party platform. These platforms host, transcode, and encode your videos for protection against piracy, multiple formats, and multiple sizes. The video hosting platform also takes care of global distribution via CDN and custom video player to handle multiple bitrates, etc.

Vishal Sharma

My expertise focuses on DRM encryption, CDN technologies, and streamlining marketing campaigns to drive engagement and growth. At VdoCipher, I’ve significantly enhanced digital experiences and contributed to in-depth technical discussions in the eLearning, Media, and Security sectors, showcasing a commitment to innovation and excellence in the digital landscape.

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Iframe Embed tutorial

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