To add a 360° video to WordPress, export it as an equirectangular MP4, upload it to the Media Library and show it with Photo Sphere Viewer's free 360° video player — via the PSV 360° Video widget in Elementor or a [psv_video] shortcode anywhere else. Visitors drag to look around while it plays. For very large files, uploading to YouTube as a 360° video and embedding it is the alternative.
Why the normal Video block doesn't work
A 360° video is stored as a flat, stretched rectangle — an equirectangular frame twice as wide as it is tall. WordPress's Video block plays that rectangle as it is, so visitors see a distorted panorama instead of a scene they can look around. A 360° player wraps the frame onto a sphere and lets the viewer choose where to look.
Option 1: self-hosted with Photo Sphere Viewer (free)
Photo Sphere Viewer's 360° video player gives visitors play/pause, seek and volume controls, and they can drag (or move their phone) to look in any direction while the video plays. You can turn on muted autoplay and loop.
In Elementor
- Upload the MP4 to the Media Library.
- Drag the PSV 360° Video widget into your layout and choose the video.
- Set the height, autoplay and loop, and publish.
In the block editor or anywhere else
- Upload the MP4 to the Media Library.
- Open Photo Sphere Viewer → Shortcode Builder, choose the video type and the file. The builder previews it and writes the shortcode for you.
- Copy the
[psv_video …]shortcode and paste it into a Shortcode block (or a widget area or WooCommerce product description).
The video stays on your site — no iframe, no third-party account and no watermark — and the player's scripts load only on pages that contain a viewer.
Option 2: YouTube
YouTube supports 360° video: upload an equirectangular video with 360° metadata (most camera apps add it on export), and the YouTube player lets viewers drag to look around. Embed it with the normal YouTube embed block.
| Self-hosted (Photo Sphere Viewer) | YouTube | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting and bandwidth | Your server | YouTube |
| Large, long videos | Heavy for your hosting | Handled by YouTube's streaming |
| Branding and suggestions | None | YouTube player, related videos |
| Privacy | No third-party requests | YouTube cookies unless you use privacy-enhanced mode |
| Muted autoplay and loop | Yes | Via embed parameters |
| Matches your panoramas and tours | Same player and toolbar | Different player |
Rule of thumb: self-host short clips (a 20–60 second room walk-through, a product spin, a hero loop). Use YouTube for long or very high-resolution videos.
Getting the file right
- Format: equirectangular MP4, 2:1 aspect ratio.
- Resolution: a viewer only sees a slice of the frame at once, so 360° video needs more pixels than flat video to look sharp. Export at the highest resolution your camera records, and test on a phone.
- Length and size: keep self-hosted clips short. Trim to the best 30 seconds and compress before uploading; a smaller file starts faster.
- Stable horizon: use your camera app's horizon levelling and stabilisation. Tilted or shaky 360° video is uncomfortable to watch.
- Upload limit: if WordPress rejects the file, your host's maximum upload size is lower than the video. Compress it further, or ask your host to raise the limit.
Other plugins that play 360° video
From each plugin's WordPress.org readme as of October 27, 2026.
- Panorama Block — a lightweight block for 360° images and videos (MP4, WebM) with autoplay, mute and loop. Virtual tours are in its Pro version.
- WPVR — a virtual tour builder that includes 360° video. See Photo Sphere Viewer vs WPVR.
Photo Sphere Viewer's advantage is that the same plugin also handles panoramas, unlimited-scene tours and AR 3D models, with one consistent player.
Ideas for 360° video
- Hero loop: a muted, looping 360° clip of a venue or landscape behind your headline.
- Real estate: a short walk from the front door to the garden.
- Events and venues: the room filling up, the stage, the dance floor.
- Tourism: a boat ride, a summit, a street at night.
For still panoramas and tours, start with the complete Photo Sphere Viewer guide.