Microsoft will change the version of Stream videos to save up space drastically

Microsoft Stream on SharePoint will soon be enhanced with new updates that will change the version of the videos uploaded on the platform to save up more space.

According to the latest entry in the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, the new updates will no longer trigger an entirely new version of the file history. They will soon make it so that only changes to the video itself will create a new version, while metadata changes will update the existing version

Currently, any change to video metadata (like title or description) creates a new version of the video, using more storage. Stream video files on SharePoint and OneDrive can take up a lot of storage space because of that.

However, these updates aim to change that. Additionally, SharePoint will introduce new limits and controls to help manage storage by reducing the number of low-value file versions. It’s also worth mentioning that these changes only apply to Microsoft Stream videos stored in OneDrive and SharePoint.

Here’s what the entry says:

Stream (on SharePoint) video files tend to be large and consume considerable space against your OneDrive and SharePoint storage quotas. Currently, when you make changes to video metadata, such as adjustments to the video title, description, transcript, chapters, interactivity, thumbnails, or media settings, those changes trigger a new version (that includes both the video and metadata) to be created and stored in the version history for that file. Each of these versions consumes storage that counts towards your storage quota. To reduce the storage footprint driven by small changes, we are adjusting how Stream (on SharePoint) handles versions. Soon we will release an update to Stream version history. Once released, any changes made to the metadata of Stream files will no longer trigger an entirely new version in the file’s version history. Instead, it will update the metadata of the most current version of the video in version history. If you edit the video itself, then a new version that includes both the video and metadata will be created and stored in the version history. Note: The update to Stream version history applies to Stream videos stored in OneDrive and SharePoint. SharePoint is also introducing new version history limits and controls that help tenant and site admins or document library owners reduce the storage footprint driven by low value file versions. These new version history limits and controls will only apply to Stream videos if changes to the video are made from within a SharePoint document library without opening the video in Stream (e.g. a file name change from within a SharePoint doc library).

Microsoft

The changes will impact Microsoft Stream videos starting in August. In other news, Microsoft will also update Stream to support an engagement-based analytic report that allows managers to see which content is the most engaging among employees.

With it, managers can get the general feeling of the company: what kind of content works and what doesn’t, and plan accordingly.

What do you think about all these changes coming to Stream?