A 360-degree video is an immersive recording in which every direction is captured simultaneously, allowing viewers to pan around the video in any direction.
360° videos require special encoding and streaming to achieve their spherical format. With Wistia 360° video hosting, we take care of the encoding, delivery, and playback.
Currently, we support inline playback on Android browsers and on desktop in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge. iOS devices do not currently support 360° video.
Got a 360° video handy? Let’s get started!
Upload a 360° video
360° video uploads should adhere to our optimal export settings, and our suggested format is an MP4 file with an H.264 video codec. This way, our encoding process goes smoothly, and your 360° videos play well for any viewer.
Tip
360° video files will be much larger than most. Their aspect ratio should be at least 1080p — if possible, you should upload your video at 4K. Since 360° videos have much more visual real estate, they’ll have a much bigger aspect ratio than traditional 2D videos. A bigger file will give you the sharpest-looking 360 videos.
Enable the 360° player
Once you’ve uploaded a 360° video file, you’ll need to let our player know it’s a 360° video. To do this, click "Customize" from a video's manage page.
Then, select the "Controls" tab and scroll down to the Format controls section to check off "This is a 360° video." Then, click "Save."
Now, your viewers will get the full 360° experience, no matter where your video lives.
Customize and embed a 360° video
Customizing and embedding your 360° video works the same way as any 2D video uploaded to Wistia. 360° videos use the same embed code types and have the same customization options. Check out our customizing and embedding help pages for a full breakdown.
Play a 360° video
The 360° video player looks just like the normal Wistia player, but allows a viewer to look around inside the player.
Embedding a 360° video is super easy — pop the embed code into your website like any 2D Wistia video, and you’re all set. Check out this page for more information on embedding.
The playback experience differs slightly depending on whether you’re watching on desktop or mobile, so let’s walk through both.
Note
While headset playback is not officially supported, it may work on some devices. For example, Wistia 360° currently works on the Meta Quest 2 in the browser. Navigate to the video you want to watch in the headset browser and hit play. Please note that some users may need to use the pointer to look around the video.
Desktop viewing
On desktop browsers, you can look around a 360° video by clicking and dragging within the video in the player, or navigate using the arrow keys. You can look in any direction: left, right, up, or down.
Wistia 360° videos work on desktop in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. We recommend uploading videos at 1080p or 4K resolution to avoid grainy footage.
Mobile viewing
On Android browsers, tap into the video and click and drag with your finger to look around in any direction.
360° playback isn't supported on iOS devices—those videos will still play, but as a standard flat video without the look-around experience.
Advanced 360° video
Check out our developer documentation for advanced embed options for 360° video.