How Do I Embed a Squarespace Video Without YouTube?

Embedding a video on your Squarespace site without using YouTube is entirely possible and can be achieved through multiple methods. Here's how you can do it:

Method 1: Uploading Video Directly to Squarespace

Squarespace offers a built-in video block feature that allows you to directly upload videos to your site. Here's how you can do it:

1. Upload Video to Your Hosting Account:

2. While Squarespace only supports embedding videos from supported services, you can host videos indirectly. You can upload your video to a hosting account (such as Amazon S3, Vimeo Pro, or any other service that provides a direct video file link).

3. Using Video Blocks:

4. Go to the page where you want to embed the video.
5. Click on the "Edit" button.
6. Click on the "+" button to add a new block.
7. Select the "Video" block from the options.
8. Instead of a URL for YouTube or Vimeo, paste the direct link to the video file from your hosting account.
9. Save your changes.

Method 2: Embedding with Custom Code

For those who are comfortable with a bit of HTML, CSS, and possibly JavaScript, you can embed videos using custom code blocks. This method gives you more control over video embedding. Here’s how:

1. Upload Video to a Video Hosting Platform:

2. Use a video hosting platform like Vimeo Pro, Wistia, or a cloud service like AWS S3 to host your video. This hosting will provide you with a video URL (a direct link to the video file).

3. Retrieve the Embed Code:

4. Generate an embed code from the hosting platform. Vimeo Pro and Wistia, for example, provide an embed option which can be copied.

5. Embedding in Squarespace:

6. Navigate to the page section where you want to embed your video.
7. Click on the "Edit" button.
8. Click on the "+" button to add a new block.
9. Choose the "Code" block option.
10. Paste your embed code from the hosting platform.
11. To make sure the code works properly, ensure you format it correctly and include any necessary scripts or styling in the code block.

Method 3: Using Third-Party Video Player Services

If you’re looking for a more robust solution, consider using third-party video player services like Plyr, Video.js, or JWPlayer. These services allow even more customization options and better controls over how your video is displayed.

1. Upload Video:

2. Similar to the methods above, upload your video to a hosting service.

3. Generate Embed Code with Third-Party Player:

4. Configure the video player using the options provided by the third-party service.

5. Generate the embed code to include in your site.

6. Add Embed Code to Squarespace:

7. Go to the page where you want to display the video.
8. Edit the page and add a "Code" block.
9. Paste the embed code generated and save changes.

Considerations and Limitations

1. Storage and Bandwidth:

2. When hosting your video outside of YouTube, ensure that your chosen hosting service can handle the bandwidth and storage requirements, particularly if you expect high traffic.

3. Video Quality and Encoding:

4. Ensure your videos are properly encoded and optimized for web playback. Services like Vimeo Pro and Wistia help manage different quality versions and adaptive streaming, but if you're self-hosting, you'll need to handle this manually.

5. Responsive Design:

6. Ensure that the videos are responsive so that they look good on all devices. This may require additional CSS to ensure they are properly scaled and maintain correct aspect ratios.

7. Playback Across Devices:

8. Test your video across different devices and browsers to ensure compatibility and consistent playback experience.

By following the above methods, you can successfully embed videos on your Squarespace site without relying on YouTube, and provide your visitors with a fully integrated and seamless viewing experience.