How to Fix Media Quality Issues in Storyline and Rise

Overview

This category covers whether the images, audio, and video in a course actually load and play the way they're supposed to. A broken media reference, a video with no poster frame, or a file format a browser can't play all lead to the same learner experience: a blank space where content should be.

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Check every embedded video and audio file's source URL or upload, confirm it's still reachable and hasn't been moved, renamed, or deleted since the course was built.

2. 2

   Re-upload or re-link any media that returns an error when loaded directly.

3. 3

   Confirm every video is in a broadly supported format, MP4 (H.264) is the safest choice, it plays in all modern browsers without a plugin. Convert anything in an older or less common format.

4. 4

   Check that every video has a poster image set, without one, learners see a blank black box before pressing play, which can look like the video is broken even when it isn't.

5. 5

   For Rise courses using lazy-loaded media (content that loads as the learner scrolls to it), confirm the media actually finishes loading, a slow or failed load can leave a permanently empty space.

6. 6

   Preview media playback on the actual published course, not just in the authoring tool, some format or loading issues only appear in the published, browser-rendered version.

Screenshots

Tips

• MP4 (H.264) is the format least likely to cause playback problems across browsers and devices, when in doubt, convert to it.
• A poster image is a small thing that makes a real difference, it tells the learner there's actually a video there before they've interacted with it.
• Re-test media links after any file reorganization or migration, a working link can silently break if the underlying file gets moved.

Common mistakes

• Uploading a video in a format that only plays correctly in one browser.
• Leaving the default (blank) poster frame instead of setting a real preview image.
• Referencing a media file by a URL that later changed because the file was moved or the hosting location changed.