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Set the speed your video starts at in Share → Viewer settings → Default playback speed, from 0.5x to 2.5x. Viewers can still change the speed themselves in the desktop player.

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Set the default playback speed

As the video creator, you can set the default playback speed that viewers will see when they first open your video.

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From the Share menu

  1. Open your video in the Tella editor.
  2. Click Share.
  3. Select Viewer settings.
  4. Find Default playback speed. You can choose from 0.5x, 0.8x, 0.9x, 1x, 1.1x, 1.2x, 1.5x, 1.7x, 2x, and 2.5x.
  5. Choose your preferred default speed from the dropdown menu.

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From the view page

  1. Navigate to your video’s view page.
  2. Click More (…) in the top right, then select Viewer settings.
  3. Find Default playback speed. You can choose from 0.5x, 0.8x, 0.9x, 1x, 1.1x, 1.2x, 1.5x, 1.7x, 2x, and 2.5x.
  4. Select the speed you want viewers to start with.
This default speed will apply to all viewers when they first open your video, but they can still adjust it to their preference.

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For all new videos

Go to Settings → Preferences and pick a default under Playback speed. New videos start with that speed; existing videos keep their own setting.

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Duration before playback

Before you press play, the view page and embedded player show the estimated watch time below the play button. Tella divides the video’s duration by its default playback speed: a 12:34 video set to 1.5× shows about 8:23 and a 1.5× badge. At 1×, you see just the duration. The time is hidden until the video’s duration is known.

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How viewers change playback speed

On desktop, viewers can change the playback speed from the video player. The control’s location depends on the player’s width.
  1. In a wide player, click the speed button (it shows the current speed, such as 1.0x). In a narrow player or embed, click More (…) and choose Speed.
  2. A menu will appear with different speed options.
  3. Choose from 0.5x, 0.8x, 0.9x, 1.0x, 1.1x, 1.2x, 1.5x, 1.7x, 2.0x, and 2.5x.
  4. The video will immediately play at the selected speed.

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What you need to know

Audio quality: When viewers adjust the playback speed, Tella automatically adjusts the audio pitch so voices still sound natural, even at faster speeds. Speed preferences: Viewers will see your chosen default speed when they first open the video. Their selected speed stays active for the current video, including when they visit the editor and return to the view page, but resets when they open a new video. Mobile: The speed control is not shown in the mobile player, so mobile viewers watch at your default speed. For a full overview of all viewer settings, see Viewer settings.
Last modified on September 28, 2026