Player speed controls are a way for all Vimeo users to give their viewers the ability to speed up or slow down the playback of video and audio on desktop and mobile browsers, regardless if they are watching on the Vimeo site or the embedded player.
Playback speed is now available directly from the player’s main control bar, so viewers do not need to open the gear menu to change speed.
In this article:
- How to enable or disable speed controls on your video
- How to apply speed control settings in bulk
- How to access speed controls on a video
- Cards and contact form
- Mobile Web and Apps
How to enable or disable speed controls on your video
- First, open your video from the Library.
- Select the Appearance tab on the lefthand panel.
- Scroll down to the Controls section and toggle on or off Speed.
⚠️Note: Playback speed controls are not available for VOD videos or portfolios.
How to apply speed control settings in bulk
To enable or disable speed controls on multiple videos at once, you can use an embed preset. Visit How to use embed presets to learn how.
How to access speed controls on a video
To open the speed control menu, select Speed from the player’s main control bar. You can also select the gear icon in the lower-right corner of the player and then select Speed.
Under the speed menu, you can choose different values for playback speed:
- 0.5x - 0.5 times slower than normal speed
- 0.75x - 0.75 times slower than normal speed
- Normal - Default speed
- 1.25x - 1.25 times faster than normal speed
- 1.5x - 1.5 times faster than normal speed
- 2x - 2 times faster than normal speed
Both video and audio will be adjusted for all speed preferences.
Speed can be adjusted at any time before and during playback. You can modify the playback speed using the player controls or the Vimeo Player API.
Cards and contact form
If the speed of your video is modified, cards and the contact form will continue to play at their intended timestamp, displaying for the full duration of six seconds on desktop and until the next card is scheduled to appear on mobile.
Mobile Web and Apps
Playback speed controls are available in the Vimeo iOS app and in the Vimeo Android app.
The playback speed menu can be accessed in both iOS and Android mobile browsers.
You can adjust the playback speed at any time by tapping the gear icon in the player. However, if you are viewing in full-screen mode on an iOS device, you'll need to exit full-screen mode to adjust your speed during playback. Once your video is resumed in full-screen mode, the selected playback speed will be active.
The Vimeo player now includes support for a temporary 2x playback speed.
To activate this feature:
- On a desktop device: Press and hold the left mouse button for 500–800 milliseconds.
- On a touch device: Press and hold your finger on the screen for 500–800 milliseconds.
The video will play at double its normal speed for the duration you maintain the hold. Upon releasing the mouse button or lifting your finger, the playback rate will immediately revert to the normal speed.