Microsoft Stream is Changing: How You Can Still Get the Most Out of Video

Microsoft kicked off 2021 with massive changes to Microsoft Stream, a shift that may upend how many enterprises handle video.

Previously, companies often relied on Microsoft Stream for most or all of their video needs. Organizations used Stream to store and broadcast their videos for employees and those outside the company.

Many companies’ thinking was that Microsoft Stream comes with other Microsoft products, such as Office 365 and Microsoft Teams, so they didn’t need an additional video tool. While Microsoft Stream wasn’t the right video solution for most enterprises, that logic was understandable. Why pay for another video tool if you already have one?

But now Microsoft’s overhauling Microsoft Stream. The company is already pushed through some changes, with more extensive ones on the way. This new direction makes Stream less effective for enterprises that broadcast video to more than a handful of people.

If your organization’s been using Microsoft Stream for its video needs, keep reading to find out what’s changing with Stream and how it may impact your enterprise video strategy.

What’s New with Microsoft Stream

Microsoft calls the old version of Microsoft Stream, which many companies still use, Microsoft Stream Classic. But this shift is more than just a name change.

In short, Microsoft’s making Stream more of a collaboration tool and less of a video platform. The company’s integrating Stream more into applications such as SharePoint and Teams while reducing the flexibility organizations have for storing and sharing their videos.

For example, in the past, a company could store its videos on Microsoft Stream. Then the organization could distribute its videos across the web by linking to them or embedding them.

Now, all videos you store in Microsoft Stream will automatically become Microsoft SharePoint videos. This shift makes it easier to share videos within Microsoft Teams. Yet, it reduces your ability to share videos with those who can’t access your enterprise’s Microsoft applications.

Here are other features no longer available with the new Microsoft Stream:

• Transcripts, subtitles, and closed captions
• Video search (now is powered by SharePoint)
• Screen recording
• Watchlists and channels
• Change video playback speed
• Full-featured video player

If your organization’s only video use case is sharing videos between small numbers of employees, you might not have to make too many adjustments with the new Microsoft Stream.

But that’s not the case if your company uses video for more than collaboration across small teams.

Not being able to embed videos or include subtitles and captions significantly reduces your ability to share video content outside your organization. And eliminating screen recording, transcripts, watchlists, and channels diminishes Microsoft Stream as an internal communications tool.

Plus, there’s something else to consider when evaluating your video tools.

The Costs of the New Microsoft Steam

Videos are large files that take up a lot of your digital storage space. The more videos your company creates, the more storage you need.

With its changes to Stream, Microsoft is pushing all your video content into your enterprise’s SharePoint site.

Your video files will quickly overwhelm your SharePoint storage, requiring you to buy more capacity. And that’s not cheap.

COVID-19’s only increased the volume of videos companies create, and there’s little reason to think the trend toward video content will decrease once the pandemic ends.

After all, enterprise video adoption is a huge reason Microsoft made these changes to Stream. The company wanted to make it easier for your organization to collaborate using video.

But that shift lessens the effectiveness and utility of Stream for your video marketing and communications strategies.

Fortunately, you have an option that plays well with Microsoft and gives you the capabilities you need for all of your enterprise’s video strategy.

Maximize Microsoft Video with Rev

While Microsoft’s changes reduce Stream’s effectiveness for all of an organization’s video needs, there is a way to bridge the gap between Microsoft’s tools and your video content.

Vbrick’s Rev Platform is an enterprise video solution that seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Teams. With Rev, your company gets the benefits of Microsoft Teams without the downsides.

Let’s list some critical ways Rev helps you maximize your Microsoft tools:

• Broadcast meetings and other events: Every person in your company can use Rev’s Microsoft Teams integration to stream large-scale webcasts without IT support. Want to use Teams to host a virtual town hall? That’s no problem with Vbrick’s Rev. Need to stream your all-hands meeting? Rev’s Microsoft Teams integration makes that easy.
• Automated live transcription and translation: The new Microsoft Stream doesn’t support transcripts and translations, which are crucial for companies with multi-lingual workforces and audiences. Fortunately, the Rev Platform’s Teams integration lets you automatically transcribe and translate your video content.
• Record events and meetings: With Rev, you can record your meetings, town halls, and more.
• Manage video approvals and workflows: Collaboration is the primary reason for Microsoft’s changes to Stream, and you retain those collaborative tools using Rev’s Microsoft Teams integration. Manage workflows, approvals, and more using Teams with Rev.
• Video search and sharing: While Microsoft does not allow you to search for videos using transcription, Rev ensures you can continue to browse, and view video-on-demand content within Microsoft Teams. Your employees can also find upcoming webcasts and easily share your company’s video content.
• Enhanced video storage: With Rev’s Teams integration, you can browse videos from Rev in SharePoint. But you’ll get additional features, such as encrypted storage and full control over who can access your video content.