How to Make Software Training Videos (+ Video Templates)

Workforce research highlights a disconnect between leadership expectations for productivity gains and employees’ day-to-day experience using workplace technology, often linked to gaps in guidance and support.

Research on digital transformation and adoption shows that enablement is frequently under-resourced, with fewer than one-third of decision-makers treating digital adoption as a critical priority.

The gap between system capability and day-to-day use is a defining issue in enterprise tech strategy.

This guide shows you how to make software training videos with Synthesia that will bridge that gap through intentional enablement.

Step 1: Some tips before you get started

Effective software training videos are designed to support performance in the moment of need. Their purpose is to help people complete real tasks inside a system while work is already in progress.

From a learning science perspective, this leads to a small set of design principles:

• Each video is anchored to a clear outcome: Viewers should know exactly what they will be able to do after watching. Clear outcomes narrow attention, reduce unnecessary cognitive load, and help people connect instruction to action.
• The structure stays consistent and recognizable: Repeated patterns in pacing, naming, and visual layout allow viewers to focus on the task rather than the format. Familiar structure speeds comprehension and supports transfer to new situations.
• The video mirrors real, in-progress work: Learning transfers more reliably when examples match the context in which skills are used. Showing authentic workflows helps people recognize when and how to apply what they see.
• Revisiting is expected: Short, focused videos support retrieval and reinforcement over time. Designing for repeat access makes learning more durable than one-time exposure.
• Modularity is intentional: Modular videos support incremental learning and reflect how systems evolve. Updating individual steps keeps guidance accurate without requiring a full rebuild of the training program.

These principles ensure videos are enabling employees.

Step 2: Record the real workflow

The next step is for you or the subject matter expert (SME) to record the real workflow inside the software — exactly as it’s performed in day-to-day work.

The goal is to capture the correct process clearly and completely.

The recording should:

• Follow the actual workflow from start to finish
• Use real examples or realistic sample data
• Move at a steady, deliberate pace
• Avoid unnecessary detours or edits

We recommend using Synthesia’s AI screen recorder for software tutorials and walkthroughs, but you can also use another screen recording tool like Camtasia or Quicktime.

Step 3: Log in to Synthesia

Click here to log in or to sign up for a free account.

Step 4: Create a video

Once logged in you'll see Create in top right of your homepage. Select Video to get started.

Step 5: Choose a template

Synthesia offers a wide selection of training video templates to help you get started.

You can browse all available training video templates in your Synthesia dashboard by going to Templates and selecting the Training tag.

Software training video examples (editable templates)

Each template below maps directly to a common enablement use case and is designed to be reused, updated, and scaled over time.

✔️ Tip: Click Edit on any template to try it out and adapt the structure to your own workflows.

Product or system overview template

Most useful during: rollout and early communication

This template supports shared understanding at launch. It helps teams explain what a system is for, who uses it, and how it fits into broader workflows before detailed training begins.

Typical uses include:

• Introducing a new CRM or platform
• Aligning teams on purpose and scope
• Supporting rollout communications

Onboarding and getting started template

Most useful during: onboarding and early adoption

This template focuses on first interactions with a system. It helps new users log in, navigate the interface, and complete their first core tasks without relying on live walkthroughs.

Typical uses include:

• Role-based onboarding for new hires
• Supporting internal transfers or team changes
• Reducing early-stage support requests

Standard operating procedure (SOP) template

Most useful during: steady-state use and scale

This template documents how recurring tasks should be performed. It makes correct execution visible and provides a reliable reference as teams grow and workflows stabilize.

Typical uses include:

• Documenting repeatable processes
• Supporting consistency across regions or teams
• Preserving operational knowledge over time

Role-based or technical upskilling template

Most useful during: advanced use and system evolution

This template supports deeper capability for users whose responsibilities extend beyond standard workflows. It is well suited for advanced features, specialist roles, or edge cases.

Typical uses include:

• Training power users or admins
• Supporting new features or process changes
• Addressing complex or infrequent tasks

Once training exists as part of larger strategy, you can begin to measure whether enablement is supporting adoption and performance in practice.

Step 6: Import your screen recordings

To import your screen recordings into Synthesia click Media at the top of the screen and then Upload media

Step 7: Edit your software training video

Now it's time to edit your software training video. You can review your scenes, refine the script, and assemble all your screen recordings into a complete video.

Choose an AI avatar and voice

You can select from a wide range of AI avatars, AI voices, languages, and accents to match your audience and context.

Add B-roll

B-roll helps break up long talking-head sections and keeps training videos visually engaging. In Synthesia, you can place clips between sections or layer them behind your avatar or voiceover to reinforce key points.

B-roll works well for showing real-world examples, people performing tasks, or visuals that support the narration. You can generate clips with AI video models like Sora or Veo, upload your own footage, or use Synthesia’s built-in stock library.

Add interactivity

Add interactive elements such as quizzes, branching scenarios, and clickable buttons to keep learners engaged. For example, short knowledge checks after each section or role-based branching options allow learners to explore scenarios that are relevant to their role.

Step 8: Generate your video

Click Generate in the top-right corner to create your video. You can then download your software training video as an MP4, get a shareable link, embed your video on a webpage, or download a SCORM version of your video and upload it to your LMS.

Step 9: Publish and share your video

The final step is to publish and share your video. Most teams distribute software training videos through an LMS, company intranet, or internal communications channels.

Synthesia lets you export your video as an MP4 file, or publish it within the platform, allowing you to embed the video wherever it’s needed.

Software training as part of an enablement strategy

Enterprise software creates potential capability. Whether that capability shows up in everyday work depends on how enablement is designed across roles, workflows, and moments of change.

‍Training is not an add-on to software delivery. It is part of how systems become usable at scale.

In many organizations, enablement is treated as a launch activity. A system goes live, documentation is shared, and teams are expected to adapt.

Over time, this places increasing pressure on support teams, managers, and informal experts to fill the gaps.

Software training videos help redistribute that load by making correct use visible, repeatable, and accessible when work is happening.

When software training is treated as part of an enablement strategy, it supports three practical needs:

• Consistency: Teams share a common reference for how work should be done, even as people, regions, or tools change.
• Continuity: Training remains available beyond initial rollout, supporting onboarding, refreshers, and system updates.
• Adaptation: Training can be updated incrementally as workflows evolve.

This shifts training from a one-time delivery into an operational system that evolves alongside the software it supports.

Measuring impact

Once software training functions as a system rather than a one-off effort, impact shows up through practical signals, such as: 

• Support patterns shifting as reusable videos address common questions.
• Onboarding accelerating as new users complete core tasks sooner.
• Process consistency improving as teams share a common reference for how work should be done.

Over time, these effects compound. Videos created for onboarding continue to support role changes, refreshers, and system updates. Training effort moves from repeated explanation to targeted refinement as workflows evolve.

What matters most is alignment. When software training videos stay tied to real tasks and are updated alongside system changes, they become part of how the organization operates.

Measuring impact becomes more meaningful when signals connect to performance, adoption, and decision-making.

Common types of software training videos

Software training videos tend to follow a predictable pattern as adoption matures. Teams usually begin with shared context, then move toward role-specific guidance, repeatable execution, and ongoing refinement as systems and workflows evolve.

Understanding these common types helps teams decide what to build first, what can wait, and how training should grow over time. The categories below reflect how enablement typically unfolds in practice.

An example: rolling out a new CRM

A new CRM shows how software training typically evolves over time:

• Align at rollout: A short overview video explains what the CRM is for, who uses it, and how it supports core revenue workflows.
• Onboard by role: Sales reps learn how to manage opportunities and tasks. Managers focus on pipeline and reporting. Operations teams handle configuration and data quality.
• Standardize execution: SOP videos document recurring actions such as updating records, moving deals through stages, or handing work between teams.
• Adapt as things change: As processes evolve or new features launch, individual videos are updated or added without retraining everyone from scratch.

Over time, training shifts from launch support to an enablement system that evolves alongside the CRM.