How to Create Videos in Canva


how to create videos in canva

If you’ve been wondering how to create videos in Canva, you’re about to embark on an enlightening journey.

For those still pondering, ” what is Canva?”, it is an innovative creative platform that equips users to design eye-catching logos, craft impactful presentations, and, of course, produce engaging videos.

When diving into social media marketing, especially on platforms like Facebook, Canva’s video editor emerges as an unparalleled tool, streamlining the process and amplifying the reach of your message.

By embracing the offerings of Canva, you are set to craft high-quality videos that distinctly carve out your space amidst competitors. This guide is here to walk you through every step of the Canva video creation process. Let’s get started!

Why You Should Use the Canva Video Maker to Create Your Videos

The Canva video editor enables users to make stunning films, short video clips, and even entire video editing projects without previous skills.

In today’s digital age, visual content is vital. Canva, with its user-friendly interface, democratizes the video-making process, making it accessible for everyone, from professionals to novices.

Whether you’re looking to create an informative documentary, a snappy advertisement, or even a full-blown cinematic project, Canva’s tools are designed to support all these endeavors without the need for extensive technical know-how:

  • Stand out: Videos help you stand out from the competition. They’re a great way to show off your brand and what you do. In a digital landscape saturated with content, a unique and compelling video can capture attention, ensuring your business remains memorable and top-of-mind.
  • Be found: When you create videos, you can optimize them for search so people can find your business more easily. Properly optimized video content can boost your SEO efforts, ensuring that your brand reaches its intended audience and doesn’t get lost in the vast internet expanse.
  • Connect with your audience: A video message helps you build a relationship with your viewers and create a connection that goes beyond the physical world. This medium allows for a genuine, authentic experience that resonates emotionally, building trust and fostering brand loyalty.
  • Increase conversions: Videos can help you increase conversions by up to 80%. A well-crafted video, with the right message and visuals, engages viewers, prompting them to take the desired action, be it purchasing a product or subscribing to a service

How to Create a Video in Canva

Creating a video using the Canva video editor is simpler than you would think. Let’s take a step-by-step glance at how to create a video in Canva.

Step 1: Log in to Your Canva Account

Log in to your account, then hover over “Templates” and click “Videos.”

Step 2: Pick a Video Template

When you find the one you’d like to work on, click it, then click on the “Customize this template” button.

Step 3: Add or Remove Images

To remove any images, click on them and press the backspace or delete button on your keyboard. You can add images from the “Photos,” “Uploads,” and “Elements” sections.

Step 4: Add Video

To add video footage, go to the “Videos” section, then drag and drop it into your design.

Step 5: Download Your Video

To download your finished video without editing, click on “Share” and click the grey “Download” button.

Canva Video Template Options

Canva’s library of stock videos is vast and varied, making it easy to find the perfect template for your needs. Here are five of the best Canva video templates.

Pink Clean Video-centric Makeup How To Beauty

This explainer video template is great for anyone in the beauty industry.

Golden Sparkles Happy Birthday Celebration Message Video

Here’s a great template that an events business could use to create birthday videos.

Blue Modern Home Real Estate Ad Video

This template would be great for a real estate agent or company to make video ads.

Grey And Blue Modern Minimalism Fashion Collection

This template could work for an e-commerce shop or anything fashion-related.

Teal and White Resort Contest Travel In-Stream Video Ad

Here’s a template that any business in the travel industry can use to make video ads.

How to Use the Canva Video Editor to Edit Videos on Canva

If the expense of video editing software has prevented you from trying your hand at creating videos, you should give the Canva video editor a try.

Canva’s library is a collection of stock video footage, images, and graphics that you can use in your projects.

Stock videos are professionally-made videos that Canva has gathered from all over the web.

Step 1: Begin Video Editing

You can use many video editing features to edit an existing project in Canva or you can upload your own video. To edit your video in the Canva video editor, click on it. This will bring up a few options like “Trim,” “Crop,” “Flip,” and “Animate.”

Step 2: Trim Your Video

During video editing, you can trim your video by clicking on the scissors icon. Then click on either end to adjust the timing of your video.

Step 3: Crop Your Video

To crop your video, click the “Crop” button. Then crop by dragging any of the corners.

Step 4: Split Page

If you need to turn one page into two, you’ll need to use the “Split Page” option. To do this, right-click on the page you’re working on and click “Split Page.” You’ll notice an extra page has been added.

Step 5: Downloading Your Edited Video

Now that your video is edited, you can download it by clicking the “Share” button. After that, click on “Download,” then “Download” again.

Using Advanced Video Editing Software Instead

If you wish to learn more advanced video editing techniques, you should consider using these dedicated video editing software such as:

How to Add Transitions to a Canva Video

Transitions in a video are like the punctuation in a sentence; they help convey the right flow and tone. Canva offers a variety of transitions that can significantly enhance the storytelling aspect of your videos.

From smooth fades, which can signify a gentle shift in topic, to more dynamic wipes and slides that can introduce a new, energetic segment, the choice of transition can have a substantial impact on the narrative flow.

Experimenting with different transitions in Canva allows you to create seamless and engaging transitions that keep viewers hooked and ensure a polished, professional look to your video storytelling.

Here’s how to add a transition:

  1. Add transition. Hover your mouse pointer in between two pages and the “Add transition” option will appear. Click that.
  2. Select transition. Choose one of the five available transitions, which are “Dissolve,” “Slide,” “Circle Wipe,” “Line Wipe,” and “Match & Move.”
  3. Adjust options. Next, you’ll adjust any of the transition settings for the specific transition you chose.
  4. Download your video. Once you’re done adding transitions, you can download your video by clicking “Share” and then the “Download” button twice.

How to Add Captions to a Video on Canva

Adding captions to your videos is crucial for accessibility, ensuring that everyone, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing, can enjoy your content.

Captions also play a vital role in enhancing your video’s SEO. Search engines can crawl text more easily than audio, making your video more likely to appear in search results.

Moreover, captions increase viewer engagement, especially in environments where audio cannot be played. Canva’s video editor makes it simple to add and edit captions, ensuring your content is inclusive and reaches a wider audience.

Adding captions in Canva is easy using the video editor. Here are the steps.

  1. Add text. Click the “Text” section to open up some options. Then click “Add a heading” to add the text to your video.
  2. Modify text. Click on “Add a heading” to modify the text, font color, size, and more.
  3. Match the speaker. Keep modifying your text to match what the speaker says in the video.
  4. Time to download. When you’ve added all of the captions to your video, you can download it by hitting “Share” in the top right corner. Then click on “Download” and “Download” again.

How to Add Music to Canva Video

Music sets the tone of your video and can evoke the right emotions from your audience. When selecting music in Canva, consider the mood and message of your video. Upbeat tunes can energize promotional content, while softer melodies might suit instructional or informative videos.

Also, be mindful of audio levels; your music should complement, not overpower, other audio elements like voiceovers or sound effects. Canva’s music library offers a range of genres and moods to choose from, making it easier to find the perfect soundtrack for your video.

Here’s how to add music to your video in Canva.

  1. Audio section. Click on “Audio” in the left menu bar. If you don’t see it, click on the “More” button first, then “Audio.”
  2. Find some music. You can find music by scrolling, searching, or clicking on “See all.”
  3. Add music. When you find the music you like, simply click on it to add music to your video. Note that it will be added where the timestamp is on your video timeline at the bottom below your pages.
  4. Adjust audio. To make adjustments to your audio track, click it. Then hover over the audio and click on the three dots. You’ll see different editing options for your audio.
  5. Finishing up. After making any necessary audio changes, it’s time to download your video. You do this by pressing the “Share” button, then clicking “Download.” Ensure your settings are correct, then click “Download” again.

How to Embed a Video from Canva

Embedding your Canva-created video onto different platforms can enhance your content’s reach and engagement. Ensure the video quality remains high across devices by choosing the appropriate resolution and format in Canva’s download options.

Keep in mind the aspect ratios and embedding requirements of different platforms – what works on your website may need adjustments for social media. Regularly test embedded videos to ensure they load and play correctly, providing a seamless viewing experience for your audience.

Embedding a video from Canva is quick and easy using these steps.

  1. Share your video. To start, click on the “Share” button, then the “… More” button.
  2. Access embed code. Click on the “Embed” button to find the code you’ll need.
  3. Generate embed code. Click on the purple “Embed” button to generate your embed code.
  4. Grab your code. Copy either the HTML embed code or Smart embed link to embed your video on different platforms.
  5. Paste your code. Embed your code on whatever platform you choose to show your video.

Embed YouTube Videos to Canva

Integrating YouTube videos into your Canva projects can enrich your content, especially when you need to include tutorials, testimonials, or product demos. This feature allows you to leverage the vast array of content available on YouTube, enhancing your video’s appeal and informational value.

Remember, using YouTube content responsibly and ethically is crucial; always ensure you have the right to use third-party content in your Canva creations.

To embed videos from a YouTube channel in Canva, you’ll first need to click on “More” on the left menu, then “YouTube.”

Once you activate this feature, you can embed videos from YouTube into your Canva video design.

Then to embed your Canva video on another platform, follow the instructions from above.

How to Download Canva Videos

When downloading your video from Canva, you have options regarding file format and quality, which are crucial for the video’s final use. High-resolution formats are ideal for presentations or website uploads, while lower resolutions may suffice for social media posts.

Canva supports various formats like MP4, which is widely compatible across platforms. Choose the format and quality that align with your distribution strategy to ensure the best viewer experience.

To download the video from Canva, follow these simple steps:

  • Click the “Share” button in the top right corner of your computer screen.
  • Next, click on the grey “Download” button.
  • Make sure that the correct file type and pages are selected.
  • Click the “Download” button.

Making a Canva Video Post on Social Media

When preparing to post your Canva video on social media, consider each platform’s unique requirements. Aspect ratios, video lengths, and resolution can vary significantly between Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others.

Optimizing your video to meet these specifications can greatly impact its performance and viewer engagement. Canva offers customisable templates for different social media platforms, simplifying the optimization process.

If you’re looking to post-marketing videos (or other types of videos) from Canva on social media, follow these steps.

For this example, we’ll explain how to post a Facebook video. The process is similar for the various social media platforms.

  • At the top right of your screen, click “Share.”
  • Click “Share on social.”
  • Next, click on “Facebook Page.”
  • If this is your first time doing this, you’ll need to connect your Facebook account. Click the “Connect Facebook” button and follow the on-screen instructions.
  • After connecting your account, select the page you want to post the video to.
  • Write your caption, then click “Publish now.”

Instagram Videos in Canva

Creating Instagram videos in Canva requires attention to specific details like aspect ratio, which should ideally be 1:1 for feed posts and 9:16 for stories.

Utilizing Canva’s text overlay styles can also add flair to your Instagram videos, making them more engaging and on-brand. Remember, Instagram audiences value visually appealing and concise content, so tailor your Canva creations to meet these preferences.

The process is similar when posting a video to Instagram, but can be different depending on if you’re posting to a personal or business account.

For a business account, you’ll simply connect via Facebook. If you want to use your personal account, then you’ll need to use the Canva app.

Comparing Canva Video Editor to Other Leading Software

To help you understand how Canva’s video editor measures up against other leading video editing platforms, here’s a concise comparison chart outlining key features and functionalities.

Features/StepsCanva Video EditorAdobe Premiere ProFinal Cut Pro XiMovie
CostFree & Pro versionsSubscription-basedOne-time purchaseFree
Trimming????
Cropping????
Adding Transitions????
Adding Music????
Embedding Videos?? (With Additional Tools)? (With Additional Tools)Limited
Adding Captions????
Templates Available?LimitedLimitedLimited
Ease of UseBeginner-friendlyProfessionalProfessionalBeginner-friendly

Is Canva Video Free?

Yes, Canva’s video library is royalty-free which means you can use them in any of your marketing videos or Facebook posts without having to worry about additional licensing fees.

In addition, pro accounts can customize any free stock video for personal or commercial use.

Free vs. Pro Features

Canva offers both free and pro versions for video creation. The free version provides basic video editing tools and access to a limited media library, suitable for simple projects.

The pro version, on the other hand, unlocks advanced features like extended media library access, brand kit integration, and more sophisticated editing tools.

While the free version is adequate for basic needs, the pro version is ideal for businesses seeking more customization and branding options in their videos.

Creating Videos on Canva

Creating videos in Canva offers an accessible, flexible, and creative way to produce engaging content, whether for social media, marketing, educational purposes, or personal projects.

With its user-friendly interface and a plethora of features, Canva democratizes video creation, making it attainable for both beginners and seasoned creators.

The variety of templates, coupled with the ability to add transitions, captions, music, and even integrate YouTube content, empowers users to craft videos that are not only visually appealing but also resonant with their intended audience.

The flexibility of embedding videos and the ease of downloading in various formats and qualities further enhances Canva’s utility.

Moreover, Canva’s free version offers a substantial toolkit for basic video creation needs, while the Pro version unlocks a wider array of features for those seeking more advanced functionalities and customization options.

Ultimately, whether you’re a small business owner, a social media influencer, an educator, or simply someone who loves creating, Canva’s video editor stands as a versatile and efficient tool to bring your video visions to life.

Its ability to adapt to different social media platforms and its emphasis on user experience and accessibility makes it a valuable asset in any digital content creator’s arsenal.

Image: Depositphotos


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Kevin Ocasio Kevin Ocasio is a staff writer for Small Business Trends and has been with the team for 2 years. He holds certifications in SEO, digital marketing, and content marketing. Kevin is also certified in Information Technology Technical Support Fundamentals.