6 Steps to Convert PDF to Video

Karina Kasparova
Updated:
September 6, 2023

🔔 We'd like to start with a disclaimer. 🔔

You can absolutely use one of those online PDF to MP4 converters to convert PDF files into what is basically a slideshow with an audio track.

But is a low-quality, and, quite frankly, boring video something you actually want?

Instead, why not spend a few more minutes of your time transforming your PDF to video that is actually enjoyable to watch? One with a voiceover and a video presenter?

In this blog post, we will show you a better, more engaging way to convert PDF to video.

All you need is 10 minutes, and an AI PDF-to-video converter called Synthesia STUDIO.

By the end of this blog post, you will be able to create videos just like this one. 👇

Conveniently, it's also a video tutorial teaching you how to convert PDF to video... How meta. 🤯

How to Convert PDF to Video in 4 Simple Steps

Step 1: Chunk and shave your PDF file

A PDF file is likely very text-heavy. And walls of text don't translate well into a video.

Why?

Well, videos mimic how we talk in real life, and text is usually more formal, and more content heavy than that.

So, to convert PDF to video you first have to create an engaging video script. And for that, you have to cut back the text from your PDF documents using the 'Chunk & Shave' technique.

Here's a quick video tutorial showing you the technique:

Tips and Tricks: Chunk the Information

And if you want a more in-depth tutorial on how to transform text to video, we have a dedicated blog post:

TL;DR 🥱

Omit any unnecessary information from your PDF by prioritizing key information.

Step 2: Choose a video template

There might be a few reasons why you want to convert PDF to video.

Maybe you have an outdated training manual you'd like to turn into a training video or a long report you would like to turn into a video presentation.

Whatever the use case, video templates will make the process faster.

Synthesia has over 50 professionally-designed templates for all kinds of use cases, so you don't have to spend time designing a video from scratch.

So if you're using the PDF converter to create training videos or corporate video presentations, there's a template for that!

To start with a template in Synthesia STUDIO, go to your dashboard, click on 'Templates' on the left-hand side, choose one and select 'Create video'.

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And if you need to make a lot of videos that look consistently on-brand, you can create your own video templates. Here's how 👇

You can also start with a blank canvas, of course. 😉

Step 3: Select an AI presenter

Now, a simple video file with images, stock videos, and graphics is already more engaging than a document in PDF format, but let's spice it up even more by adding presenters. 🌶

Humans are social creatures, and we're drawn to other humans, so a talking head is a perfect addition to a video.

With Synthesia, you can add an AI avatar to your video file to act as a presenter and narrator. You can choose from 120+ avatars, and you don't need to use a camera or film yourself.

How neat is that?

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If the concept of an AI avatar is a bit foreign, watch this short video introduction. 👇

How are Synthesia AI Avatars created?

Step 4: Paste text

Next, take that video script you created in step 1, and paste it into Synthesia slide by slide.

Using text-to-speech, Synthesia will generate an AI voiceover of your PDF files in seconds.

All you need to do is choose the narration language and voice style, and paste the text.

Easy-peasy!

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Step 5: Edit the video

No matter if you started with a video template or with a blank canvas, this step is crucial - edit your video to fit your needs.

You can edit pretty much everything - shapes, images, audio, videos, screen recordings, animations, avatars, text on screen...

This is where you make the video unique and personal, so we strongly recommend not skipping this step.

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Step 6: Generate the video

You're done!

Press on 'Generate video', sit back, relax, and let our PDF-to-video converter do the work for you.

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In a few minutes, your AI video will be ready. You can download it, share the link, or embed it on your website.

Or convert another PDF to video. 🤷

Convert PDF to video in 10 minutes

Now that we’ve gone over the basics of how to convert PDFs to video, you should be equipped with everything you need to get started.

If you want to see Synthesia in action, make a free demo video and see for yourself how easy it is to use our platform.

With just a few clicks, you can turn any PDF into a high-quality video file that’s ready to upload to your website or social media channels.

Frequently Asked Questions