How Video Playback Works in Empath: Native Videos, YouTube, and SCORM Content

Summary

Video playback in Empath can look and behave differently depending on where the course content comes from.

You may encounter three primary types of course content:

Native Empath video lessons
Embedded videos hosted by another platform, most commonly YouTube
Third-party catalog content delivered through SCORM

This article explains how to recognize each type, what controls are available, and which playback behaviors are expected.

Loom walkthrough: Watch the full video

How Native Empath Video Lessons Work

Watch this section in Loom

When you open a standard Empath course and enter a video lesson, you will typically see:

The video player
An estimated lesson duration
Supporting lesson text
A Next button for continuing through the course
A comments panel for notes specific to your tenant

Comments entered in this area are associated with and retained within your Empath tenant.

Native Empath Video Controls

See the controls in Loom

When you interact with the video, the playback controls appear at the bottom of the player.

Available controls include:

Play/Pause
Current playback time and total video duration
Playback progress indicator
Volume control and mute/unmute
Playback speed from 0.5x to 2x
Captions
Video quality settings
Pop-out mode
Full screen mode

Captions and Video Quality

See these options in Loom

Captions can be enabled directly from the Empath video player. These captions are generated from the video's transcript.

Use the Settings gear to select a playback quality or leave the player set to automatic.

You can also:

Use Pop-out to move the video into a separate player window
Use Full screen for a larger viewing experience

Depending on your browser, the pop-out player may also expose browser-level features such as live captioning or translation. These are browser features and are not currently official Empath functionality.

Native Empath Playback Restrictions

Watch this behavior in Loom

As of August 2026, native Empath video lessons include several intentional playback restrictions.

Playback stops when the lesson loses focus

If you click away from the browser or window containing the lesson and begin working elsewhere, the video stops playing.

You can return to the lesson and manually resume playback.

This is expected behavior. Native Empath video lessons currently require the learner to remain focused on the training while the video is playing.

You cannot skip ahead

The progress slider shows your position in the video, but it does not allow you to jump ahead to content you have not watched.

You can:

Rewind to previously watched content
Increase playback speed
Reduce playback speed

You cannot currently use the progress bar to skip forward through an unwatched portion of a native Empath video.

These behaviors are intentional as of August 2026. Additional account-level playback controls may be introduced in the future.

How Embedded YouTube Videos Work

Watch the YouTube example in Loom

Some Empath lessons use videos hosted on another platform instead of videos hosted directly by Empath.

YouTube is the most common example.

In these lessons, Empath displays the YouTube player inside the course. Because the player itself comes from YouTube, its controls and behavior are different from the native Empath video player.

You may see:

YouTube-style playback controls
Volume and mute controls in different locations
YouTube-provided captions
Playback speed controls
Video quality settings
Caption translation options
Alternate audio tracks or languages, when provided by the original creator

The exact options available depend on both YouTube and the settings configured by the video's original creator.

Embedded YouTube Playback Behavior

Unlike native Empath videos, an embedded YouTube video may allow you to:

Jump forward or backward on the timeline
Fast-forward through the video
Continue playback after clicking into another browser window or application

These differences are expected because Empath does not control all of the behavior provided by the embedded YouTube player.

Empath still tracks playback progress while you view the lesson.

Troubleshooting Embedded YouTube Videos

Watch the troubleshooting example in Loom

Embedded YouTube playback can depend on your browser's connection to YouTube.

If an embedded YouTube video does not play correctly:

Open YouTube in the same browser you are using for Empath.
Sign in to YouTube.
Make sure your browser is able to save the YouTube session cookie.
Return to Empath.
Refresh the lesson and try the video again.

Being signed into YouTube in the same browser can resolve many embedded playback issues and may also make additional YouTube player options available.

How Third-Party SCORM Content Works

Watch the SCORM example in Loom

Empath can also include third-party training catalogs, such as content from Inspired eLearning.

This content may be delivered using SCORM, a common format used to package and deliver learning content between learning platforms.

Unlike a native Empath lesson, a SCORM course is largely controlled by the way the original course author designed it.

That means different SCORM courses may have different:

Navigation controls
Playback buttons
Progress indicators
Volume controls
Keyboard shortcuts
Full-screen options
Completion requirements
Layouts and interfaces

There is not one universal SCORM player experience across all third-party content.

Courses That Must Be Completed in One Sitting

See an example in Loom

Some third-party courses display a banner stating that the course must be completed in one sitting.

If you see this message, you must complete that piece of content from beginning to end during the same session.

If you exit before completing it:

Your progress may not be saved
You may need to restart the course from the beginning

This requirement comes from how the original third-party course was designed rather than from the standard Empath video player.

Confirmation Steps: Identify Which Player You Are Using

Before troubleshooting playback behavior, first determine which type of content you are viewing.

Native Empath video

You are likely using the native Empath player if:

The controls match the standard Empath video interface
Leaving the lesson window stops playback
You can rewind but cannot jump ahead into unwatched content

Embedded YouTube video

You are likely using an embedded player if:

The interface looks like YouTube
You can see YouTube branding or recognizable YouTube controls
You can jump around the timeline
Playback may continue when you click away from Empath

Third-party SCORM course

You are likely viewing SCORM content if:

The entire course interface looks different from a normal Empath lesson
Navigation and playback controls are contained inside the third-party module
The module provides its own instructions or completion requirements
You see a notice that the course must be completed in one sitting

Important Notes

Native Empath videos intentionally stop playing when the lesson loses focus as of August 2026.
Native Empath videos currently allow rewinding but do not allow learners to skip ahead through unwatched content.
Playback speed can be adjusted between 0.5x and 2x on native Empath videos.
Embedded videos inherit many of their controls and restrictions from the platform hosting the video.
YouTube playback issues may be resolved by signing into YouTube in the same browser and maintaining the session cookie.
Third-party SCORM course behavior is determined largely by the original course author.
A complete in one sitting warning should be taken literally. Exiting early may require you to restart that course.

Best Practices

For learners

Take a moment to identify which player you are using before assuming unexpected behavior is a problem.
Keep the Empath lesson active while watching native Empath videos.
Use playback speed controls when you need to move through familiar material more quickly.
Review the controls when starting third-party catalog content because layouts can vary between courses.
If a SCORM course says it must be completed in one sitting, make sure you have enough time to finish before starting.

For managers and learning managers

When assigning third-party catalog content, consider reviewing the learner experience first.

A SCORM course may have different navigation, completion rules, and playback behavior than your team's standard Empath content. Knowing those differences in advance can help you set expectations for learners.

Troubleshooting

The video stops when I click onto another monitor or application

If this is a native Empath video, this is expected behavior as of August 2026.

Return to the lesson and resume playback.

I cannot drag the progress bar forward

Native Empath videos do not currently allow learners to skip ahead through unwatched video content.

You can rewind or change playback speed.

An embedded YouTube video will not play correctly

Try signing into YouTube using the same browser where you have Empath open, make sure the browser is retaining your YouTube session, then refresh the lesson.

My video controls look completely different

Check whether the lesson is:

An embedded YouTube video
Third-party SCORM catalog content

Those players do not necessarily use the same controls as native Empath videos.

My third-party course restarted from the beginning

Check whether the course displayed a message requiring it to be completed in one sitting.

Some SCORM courses do not preserve partial progress if you exit before completion.

Support

Watch the support guidance in Loom

If playback still does not work as expected, contact Empath support at support@empathmsp.com or use the in-app chat bubble.

When contacting support about a specific piece of training, please include:

The course name
The lesson name
A description of what happened
Whether the content appears to be a native Empath video, embedded video, or third-party course, if known

Providing the specific course and lesson helps us identify which playback system is involved and troubleshoot the issue more quickly.