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Creating effective training videos starts with choosing the right type for your goal, whether it’s onboarding, upskilling, or compliance. Pick the wrong format and even the best content won’t stick.
In this guide, I’ll go through the most common types of training videos, when to use each, and how to create them.
The good news is that AI tools like Synthesia make video creation simple. You can turn scripts and training materials into professional, localized training videos without cameras, actors, or editing, and do it in a fraction of the time and cost.
What are the types of training videos to use and when do you use them?
Which type of video you choose depends on several factors such as your:
- Learning objective
- Target audience
- Available resources
- Chosen delivery platform
In the below list, I've covered exactly what scenario you'd want to use each type in to make sure your workplace training excels.
If you're stuck on how to best engage online learners or want to get started immediately, consider choosing a "how-to" tutorial video. It's not only the most popular type of video but I think it's also the most versatile.
Type 1: How-to training videos
How-to videos are considered instructor-led training videos and are the most popular types of training videos.
With a person to narrate or demonstrate, these instructional videos teach employees how they can complete a task step-by-step.
To describe any process, you can pair your script — the information you're teaching — with different visuals like screen recordings, B-roll footage, or whiteboard animation.
The goal is to separate content into logical, consecutive steps leading to a precise result that learners can reproduce.
How-to videos are best for:
- Teaching a skill
- Instructor-led training videos
- Illustrating how to use a product or piece of software
- Conveying complicated concepts with explanatory visual graphics
- Demonstrating technical process instructions
- Software tutorials covering a specific feature
Type 2: Screen-capture tutorial training videos
Screen-capture tutorial videos (also known as screencast training videos) are a simpler alternative to how-to videos. While they're still considered instructor-led training videos, they're more straightforward and require less production time and budget.
They typically take the form of a video demonstration of a task paired with audio narration. I like using screen-capture tutorials when I need to work through actual software on screen to help the user learn a new task.
I've found that hybrid screen-capture videos that include a talking head or animation typically generate a higher response rate over screen-only recordings.
Screencast training videos are best for:
- Instructional videos covering technical processes, software tutorials, or demos
- Customer support content as an engaging alternative to written FAQs
- Over-the-shoulder style tutorial videos
- When you need to create instructor-led videos
Type 3: Animated training videos
Within the umbrella term of animation, there are many styles of animated videos, from sleek infographics to funky whiteboard videos or friendly 2D cartoons.
Animated training videos excel at teaching concepts rather than actual tasks.
Because they can quickly adapt to the idea that needs to be conveyed, they're a powerful visual aid when getting your employees to that "aha" moment.
Animation is best for:
- Explaining ideas for the ethos of large-scale software companies
- Instructional videos that need to explain invisible or difficult-to-imagine concepts
- Making videos with bland graphics and statistics more visually appealing
Type 4: Presenter training videos
A presenter video (also known as a talking head video) puts an expert or an actor front and center. The presenter guides learners through the topic via audio narration. I'll also often add in some demonstration videos to help learners visualize the subject matter.
Traditionally to create presenter training videos, you'd need to hire actors, lights, cameras, and a production studio.
Now there's an alternative. You can create training videos using minimal equipment with an AI video generator like Synthesia.
I think presenter videos are especially valuable when content changes frequently. With Synthesia's AI avatars you can update a script and regenerate the video in minutes without needing to re-book studios, actors, or crew. This makes presenter formats practical even for content that updates monthly.
Presenter training videos work best for:
- Quickly creating training content from in-house resources
- Showcasing a presenter's knowledge and skills
- Lending authority and credibility to instructional videos
- Scenario-based training videos that need to cover different topics
I've found that presentor-based learning resources lead to significantly higher learner engagement. One organization I've worked with reported completion rates jumping from 85% to 97% after switching to presenter-led videos.
Type 5: Presentation training videos
Not to be confused with presenter videos, presentation videos are all about the information you visually show on the screen. Rather than teach, they're best training videos to use for informing and making excellent compliance training videos or report overviews.
Presentation videos shine when you need to communicate updates quickly—new policies, product changes, quarterly results.
Because they're slide-led, you can swap out a few slides and regenerate rather than starting from scratch.
Presentation videos are best for:
- Conveying messages that hype up the audience
- Showing off how a product/service works
- Crafting creative and fun presentations for any business aspect
- When you don't necessarily need instructor-led videos
Type 6: Lecture-capture training videos
Lecture capture is simply in-class recordings that students can access at a later time. These recordings make it easy to refer back to an in-person event or include those who were not able to attend.
Recordings typically include training discussions, visual resources presented during the training (like PowerPoint presentations), and the full-length lecture.
I suggest using these types of training videos when you have a live event. Be prepared to spend a small budget on quality recording hardware and editing software. I also recommend breaking the recordings up into snippets to make it easier for learners to digest.
Lecture capture is best for:
- Live presentations, events, and lectures
- Granting repeated access to valuable, one-time training resources by expert
Type 7: Interactive training videos
Interactive videos create a engaging tutorial environment.
Learners don't just sit and watch passively.
They actively interact with the instructional video by clicking sections of the screen, taking tests, and even switching scenarios.
When creating interactive elements for your training videos, you can use story-based branching scenarios, built-in polls and quizzes, gamification, hotspots, and augmented or virtual reality dispersed through the learning modules.
User-driven decision-making is a huge benefit of this simulation training videos. People feel more involved and are more likely to pay attention.
Check out this series of interactive HSE training videos that hooks you from the start, makes you select a learning scenario, and shoots questions at you for a practical learning experience.
Interactive training videos are best for:
- Creating videos for safety training regulations
- When you need resources to pair with an in-person regular training session
- Creating high-impact, active learning experiences
- Planning customized learning paths for particular outcomes
I've seen companies that have moved to interactive video training formats see a 25% increase in knowledge retention compared to passive formats. The active participation helps cement learning and makes training more memorable.
Type 8: Microlearning videos
Microlearning videos break down complex topics into short, easy-to-follow lessons.
This approach removes the pressure of instructional videos that were otherwise ineffective due to their length. The easily digestible, three-minute format of micro-lessons helps make complex subjects more approachable.
In my experience learners are most likely to complete videos that come in under 5 minutes, and I've seen microlearning videos improve knowledge retention by up to 20% by reducing cognitive overload.
The key is to ensure you are pushing one behavior or concept per video. Instead of a "30-minute compliance overview," create six 3-minute videos: "What is GDPR," "Your data handling responsibilities," "Spotting a data breach," and so on.
I think microlearning videos are more about the length and subject matter than the overall look of the instructional video. I often add kinetic typography, whiteboard animations, webcasts, live demos, or interactive elements to my microlearning videos.
Microlearning videos are best for:
- Short and sweet product knowledge training
- Speeding up employee onboarding with bite-sized teaching materials
- Simplifying compliance training, especially in highly regulated industries
Type 9: Scenario-based and role-play training videos
Scenario-based videos recreate realistic workplace situations—customer objections, difficult conversations, compliance dilemmas—and show how to navigate them. Role-play videos take this further by letting learners practice responses.
Organizations use these for sales training (objection handling), customer service (de-escalation), and leadership development (giving feedback). One benefit: they build empathy and decision-making skills that pure instruction can't deliver.
With AI avatars, you can create multiple scenarios quickly, showing both effective and ineffective approaches to common workplace challenges. This helps learners understand not just what to do, but what to avoid.
Scenario-based videos are best for:
- Soft skills training (communication, empathy, conflict resolution)
- Sales and customer service simulations
- Compliance scenarios showing real consequences
- Leadership and management training
About the author
Strategic Advisor
Kevin Alster
Kevin Alster heads up the learning team at Synthesia. He is focused on building Synthesia Academy and helping people figure out how to use generative AI videos in enterprise. His journey in the tech industry is driven by a decade-long experience in the education sector and various roles where he uses emerging technology to augment communication and creativity through video. He has been developing enterprise and branded learning solutions in organizations such as General Assembly, The School of The New York Times, and Sotheby's Institute of Art.
Frequently asked questions
How long should my training videos be?
Learners are more engaged with training videos of under 20 minutes, the average preferred length being 3-6 minutes.
- Create shorter videos for the more straightforward topics and expand your videos on the more complex subjects.
- Make video training more effective with complex topics by segmenting your training into video chunks of up to 6 minutes.
What are short training videos called?
Short training videos are commonly referred to as microlearning videos. These concise and focused videos are specifically designed to deliver small, bite-sized bursts of information that can be easily consumed and retained by learners. Microlearning videos offer an efficient and effective way to deliver targeted training content, making them a popular choice for organizations and individuals seeking quick and accessible learning solutions.
What are the different types of learning videos?
There are any different types of learning videos, but the 8 most common types are:
- How-to training videos
- Screen capture training videos
- Animated training videos
- Presenter-led training videos
- Presentation training videos
- Lecture-capture training videos
- Interactive training videos
- Microlearning videos
How do I measure the success of my training videos?
The most apparent evaluation metrics are the number of views and the completion rate. You can take your research further by getting feedback from the audience with surveys or focus groups that will tell you how well they received the training video.
How much does it typically cost to develop training videos?
Developing a live-action training video costs anywhere between $1,500 to $10,000 per minute.
By contrast, AI video production using online tools can cut costs to $10 per minute of training content. Using an AI video maker will also ensure your video will remain relevant to future training programs as it's easy to update videos with new content.
