How to Switch Video Platforms Without Breaking Live Courses
When a university decides to leave its video platform, the conversation usually starts with storage, price and features. It should start with a simpler question: what happens to the courses that are running right now?
Moving recordings from one host to another is a solved problem. What turns a switch into a one to two year project is everything that depends on those recordings: embeds in thousands of course pages, graded video quizzes, timestamped discussions, captions, and years of viewing data. This guide sets out what typically breaks, what to protect first, and a timeline that keeps courses running from the first day to the last.
What breaks in a typical video platform migration
| Item | What usually happens | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Course embeds and links | Point at the old vendor and stop working when it is switched off | Students see broken videos mid term |
| LMS integration | Old LTI tool removed, new one installed, placements rebuilt | Admin work in every course shell |
| In video quizzes | Built in the old player, cannot be exported | Instructors rebuild them by hand |
| Gradebook passback | Wired to the old tool | Grades stop syncing |
| Discussions and comments | Stored by the old vendor | Lost, along with class history |
| Captions | Sometimes exported, sometimes not | Accessibility gaps after the move |
| Analytics history | Ends with the contract | Trends start again from zero |
The principle: decouple first, then move
The safest migrations change the order of work. Instead of moving the video and then rebuilding everything on top of it, you first move the things people touch into a layer that does not depend on the host. Once courses point at that layer, the host underneath can be replaced without anyone in the course noticing.
That is how a Multi Video Platform works. Courses, embeds and the LMS connect to Annoto. Annoto wraps the current host first, then the library moves underneath to a new host or to Annoto hosting.
A step by step plan
Step 1: Inventory what depends on video
- Number of videos and total hours.
- Courses with embeds, current and archived.
- Graded video activities and where their grades go.
- Interactions built in the current tool: quizzes, comments, assignments.
- Caption files and their sources.
- Which reports people actually use.
Step 2: Read the exit terms
Check the notice period, how long you keep access after termination, and what the vendor will export. Our renewal checklist lists the questions to put in writing.
Step 3: Connect the new layer while the old host is live
Install one LTI 1.3 integration and wrap the current host. Nothing moves yet. Courses keep playing the same video, now through a layer you will keep after the switch.
Step 4: Pilot with real courses
Pick a few courses across departments. Confirm playback, quizzes, gradebook sync and analytics work as expected, and that instructors and students see no difference. This is the evidence to take to leadership.
Step 5: Move the library underneath
Transfer recordings and captions to the new host in batches. Because course links point at the layer and not at the old vendor, nothing in the course has to be edited.
Step 6: Switch off the old host
Once every video plays from the new host, the old contract can end. Interactions, grades and analytics stay where they were.
Timing the switch
- Start before the notice deadline. Many contracts require notice months before renewal. Working back from that date sets your real timeline.
- Avoid exam periods for the final cutover, even if nothing is expected to break.
- Tell faculty early, and tell them clearly what they do not have to do. The main worry in any migration is lost work.
Frequently asked questions
Can we switch video platforms mid semester?
With a traditional migration, it is risky. When courses point at a host independent layer, the host can change mid term because students and instructors keep using the same links and tools.
Do instructors have to rebuild their quizzes?
Not if the quizzes live in the layer above the host. They stay attached to the video when it moves.
What if our contract ends very soon?
Talk to us. Connecting the layer and wrapping the current host can be done quickly, and the library can move after that, even past the original end date if the old vendor allows a transition period.
Which hosts can we move from?
Annoto works with Kaltura, Panopto, Mediasite, Brightcove, Wistia, Vimeo, YouTube, Microsoft Stream, Echo360, AWS, WeVideo and its own hosting. See the full list.
Planning a renewal or a move? Book a demo and we will walk through your current setup and what the switch would look like for your courses.
