How to Add Your First Video
add video to WordPress with WP Media Player in three steps: upload or pick a file, configure the player in the media editor, and paste a shortcode into any post or page. The free version covers everything below.
Upload or Choose a Video
Go to WP Media Player > Media and click Add New. The source picker opens with three options: Media Library, YouTube, and Vimeo. Choose Media Library to use a video you have already uploaded to WordPress, or use Upload Files to add a new MP4, WebM, or MOV file right from this screen.
Once you select or upload a file, the media editor opens on the right with a live preview on the left.
Configure the Player
The media editor is where every setting for this specific video lives. Fill in the Video Title field and set a Thumbnail if you want a custom poster. The controls below are organized into sections:
- Aspect Ratio: Choose from Original, Wide – 16:9, Standard – 4:3, Square – 1:1, Tall – 9:16, Classic – 3:2, or Classic Portrait – 2:3
- Load Strategy: Pick when the player initializes. Visible (after page loads) is the default and the safest for page speed
- Autoplay Mode: No Autoplay, Autoplay with Sound, or Muted Autoplay
- Play Inline on Mobile: Keep the player inside the page flow on iOS instead of going fullscreen
- Video End: Choose Default or Loop
Pick a Preset from the six free skins — Classic, Modern, Simple, Standard, Floating, or Minimal — or leave the global default (Classic) in place. Every change updates the live preview instantly so you can confirm the result before saving.
Paste the Shortcode into a Post
When you are happy with the preview, click Save Changes. The shortcode field updates with a ready-to-paste code:
[wp-media-player id="123"]
Copy it and paste it into any post, page, or widget area. The id attribute is the only required value — it tells the player which media item to load. Optional attributes autoplay, poster, and layout let you override the saved settings for that single embed.
What to Check
- The player renders inside the post with the correct title, aspect ratio, and skin
- The thumbnail or poster image appears before playback starts
- Controls respond to clicks and the video plays through to the end
Next Steps
Your first video is live. To go further, see the WP Media Player dashboard overview for where your media, events, and top-performing videos appear, or learn how to add chapters to a video to give viewers a navigable timeline.