Links and Embeds
Include media links and embeds in your notes
Linking to media files in your notes is a powerful way to connect your thoughts to specific moments in audio and video. With Media Extended, you can create links that not only open a media file but also jump to a precise timestamp, loop a segment, or even embed a video directly into your notes with custom playback settings.
This guide will walk you through creating basic media links, using advanced properties for playback control, and customizing how links and screenshots are inserted into your notes.
Timestamps from Player
The easiest way to link to a specific moment in a video is to add a timestamp directly from the player while it's running.
When you have a media file open, you'll see a Timestamp ⭐ button in the player controls. Click it at any point during playback to insert a link to that exact moment into your active note.
This allows you to take notes and create a "table of contents" for your media without ever having to manually copy-paste timestamps.
For even faster access, you can use the Take timestamp command from the command palette. We recommend assigning a hotkey (e.g., Cmd+Shift+T) to this command so you can insert timestamps without leaving your keyboard.
You can set up hotkeys in Settings > Hotkeys by searching for "Media Extended". For a full list of available actions, see the Command Reference.
Media Embeds
To embed a media file directly in your notes, simply add a ! before the link. This works for both internal files (![[My Video.mp4]]) and external videos from platforms like YouTube and Vimeo (). Embeds support all the same hash properties as regular links, allowing you to create rich, interactive notes.
![[My Video.mp4#t=10&autoplay&loop]]
This will embed "My Video.mp4", start it automatically at the 10-second mark, and loop it.
Embed Video Size Support
Media Extended provides flexible control over video embed dimensions to help you create the perfect viewing experience in your notes.
You can change the video dimensions by adding |640x480 to the link destination, where 640 is the width and 480 is the height.
If you only specify the width, the video scales according to its original aspect ratio. For example, ![[My Video.mp4|400]].
You can also embed an externally hosted video by using a markdown link. You can control the width and height the same way as a wikilink.
Maximum Embed Height Configuration
By default, video embeds have a maximum height constraint to prevent them from overwhelming your notes. By default, the maximum height is set to 60vh, which is 60% of the viewport height (the height of the obsidian window).
You can customize the maximum embed height using the Style Settings plugin:
- Install the Style Settings community plugin if you haven't already
- Enable the Style Settings plugin in your community plugins settings
- Navigate to
Settings > Style Settings > Media Extended Settings - Locate the "Maximum Embed Height" setting under the "Media Embed Settings" section
- Adjust the value to your preference (default:
60vh)
You can use any valid CSS height value for the maximum embed height setting:
- Viewport units:
60vh(60% of viewport height),50vh,80vh - Pixel values:
400px,500px,600px - Percentage:
50%,75%,100% - Other units:
30rem,25em
The vh (viewport height) unit is particularly useful as it adapts to different screen sizes, ensuring your embeds look good on both desktop and mobile devices.
Creating Media Clips
By specifying a start and end time with the t= hash property in a media embed, you can create a "media clip." This will embed a portion of the media that plays only within the specified range.
![[My Video.mp4#t=1:10,1:20]]
This creates a 10-second clip from "My Video.mp4" starting at 1 minute 10 seconds. You can combine this with other properties like loop to have a short clip play repeatedly.
A user interface to visually select and create these clips directly from the player will be available soon.
Template Customization
You can customize the format of inserted timestamps in Settings > Media Extended > Note Taking. For example, changing the default - {{TIMESTAMP}} to - [ ] {{TIMESTAMP}} will create a checklist item for each timestamp.
For a detailed guide on using templates for timestamps and screenshots, see Template Customization.
Link Behavior
In Settings > Media Extended > Link behavior, you can define how media links are opened.
- Click: Sets the default action for a left-click.
- Alt click: Sets the action for an
Alt/Option-click.
You can choose to open media in the current pane, a new tab, a split pane, or a new window. This, combined with the ability to pin players, gives you full control over your media note-taking workspace.
Advanced Playback via Hash Properties
You can control playback behavior directly from the link by adding properties to the hash. These work like URL query parameters, and you can chain them together using &.
For example, [[My Video.mp4#t=10,20&loop&mute]] will play the 10-20s segment in a loop without sound.
For a complete list of all supported hash properties and their usage, including timestamp/time range format and other playback control properties, see the Hash Properties Reference.