How to Embed Video Content in SharePoint

I am frequently asked about the rich content that appears in the SharePoint sites I have developed.  Specifically the video, Silverlight and Flash content.  The most common question is “how do you create a SharePoint site that doesn’t look like SharePoint?”  While the technical answer to that question is a little complex, the simple answer (that provides the ability to provide video content) is actually pretty simple.

Although some of the following pre-requisites may already be in place, you will need a document library and a web part page.

Create a Document Library to contain the Web Part Pages (aspx).  These files must have a home, but you can use an existing library if a suitable one exists.  The name of the library is somewhat arbitrary, but should be as consise as possible.  It is also a good idea to provide an accurate description of the library.
Create the Web Part Page or modify an existing page that will contain the video content.
Edit the newly created Web Part Page and add a ‘Content Editor Web Part’.
Enter the Embed code (either manually or by cut-and-pasting from YouTube, etc) into the source editor of the CEWP.
Exit from editing mode of the Web Part Page and you should now see a video player with your video.

If you are using a publishing site, with corresponding web content management enabled, the steps are slightly different, just add the CEWP and Embed code.  Don’t forget to check-in and publish your changes.