Add Media Thumbnails in Canvas and MiVideo

Environment

Canvas
MiVideo Mediaspace

Issue

How do I work with thumbnail images in Canvas or MiVideo?

Video Demo

Media Thumbnails

Resolution

The Thumbnails tab on the Edit Media page allows you to upload thumbnail images for audio or video, or choose one from a video frame. 

Notes:

• To edit a media item you have to be the media owner or co-editor of the content. See the Media Collaboration and Roles article for information about ownership
• The editing tabs may vary depending on your role
• To edit the media file (trim, chop, splice, copy, and add hotspots and Interactive Video Quizzes) see the Video Editor articles

1. Navigate to the Edit Media page:
   • Canvas: Account > My Media > pencil icon next to the media item
     • or from the Media page, click Actions > Edit
   • MiVideo Mediaspace: user drop-down menu > My Media > pencil icon next to the media item.
     • or from the Media page, click Actions > Edit
2. Select the Thumbnails tab

Tips:

• Adding a thumbnail is a great way to add context to an audio file
• When editing the thumbnail for audio, upload is your only option 
• Creating a Timeline is another great tool for adding context and meaning, too. See the Media Timeline article to learn how to insert chapters or slices.
• Once a custom thumbnail has been set, you can download it to your computer with the download button
• You can leave the video in paused mode to capture. The player buttons will not be included in the image
• You cannot change the thumbnail for YouTube media

There are three methods for adding a custom thumbnail to a video.

• Auto-Generate: The Auto Generate button is a fast way to set a custom thumbnail. It will create some images from your video for you to select from
• Upload Thumbnail: When uploading an image thumbnail, best results are achieved if the image is in the same aspect ratio as the player (16:9) because the player will scale it to fit the player height (Small 546x311, Medium 710x400, Large 1280x725)
• Capture: If you prefer to select your own image from the video, use the play/pause buttons and timeline marker in the video player to display the desired frame, then click the capture button

Related Articles

See the Edit Media articles for information about the other editing tabs on this page.

Additional Information

• Check out the new Academic Technology@Michigan website for course planning resources from across U-M
• Visit the Canvas @ Michigan site for faculty including the U-M Instructor Guide with links to additional support resources from across campus
• Check out the Canvas and MiVideo tutorials

For additional questions, please contact the ITS Service Center