Question: Can you update/edit/replace a video once published?

[zeuscoder]

HI all

First time instructor here and racing the clock to finish producing my course on "BEFORE YOU LEARN TO CODE:  TECHNIQUES TO AVOID FAILURE AND DISCOURAGEMENT" 

I wanted to check whether i can update/edit/amend one or more videos after theyre published? I am experimenting with some delivery styles and i feel some of the content can be improved once i get some feedback from enrolled students. I'm hoping improving/replacing/updating individual videos is an easy process?

Thanks for you guidance!

[GregReverdiau · Accepted solution]

Yes, you can absolutely update your videos once the course is created. Don't experiment too much though, your course rating may suffer. Get the best possible course before launching, even if it means taking another few days. Best of luck! 

[zeuscoder]

thanks @GregReverdiau !  yes want to keep it to a minumum 🙂 Just want to know how best to approach material that may not work well.  My judgement should be OK, but a false positive on that assessment which is irreversible is a bigger problem!

[JonathanNg]

Hi Greg,
I recently had some feedback from a student asking if I could extend the end of my videos for a few seconds so they have the opportunity to pause before the next video auto-plays. 

It's a fairly minor update but I'm worried that my rating may suffer if I make this update. 

I've heard the Udemy algorithm punishes any deletion of content including replacements. 

Is this the reason you say ratings may suffer?

Jonathan

[GregReverdiau]

Jonathan, 

The reason I said ratings may suffer is if you decide to start your course with subpar quality while thinking you will update it later, students may not like this. My point was: get the best possible course from the get go. 

As far as updating videos, it definitely will not hurt you in terms of Udemy's algorithm. I would even go as far as saying that it will actually help you since it shows that you are actually keeping up with your course. As a matter of fact, I just re-recorded all the videos (12 hours) of my best selling course so they are higher quality. I just updated them last night and I'm waiting to see what the ratings are going to do. Course is currently at 4.67, I'm guessing it will be close to 4.8 when students start going over the content. 

[JonathanNg]

Thanks Greg. Great to get this clarification. 

[GScottBarlow]

Hi Greg,

I was searching for this topic and ran across this thread. I have a course with three modules (each module is a different topic). I've gotten some feedback that students prefer the last two modules, so I'm thinking about just changing the order of the modules and putting the least popular one at the end (so easier to skip if they don't want or need it). I just want to make sure this won't be a problem before I make the change. I'm a new instructor here and I'd really appreciate your feedback.

Thanks!

Scott

[SoyMarketer]

Hey Greg! This is exactly what I inted to do! My first course has remained without evolving since 2019. I want to overhaul it, remake the whole thing (Only 3.5 hours, not like your 12 hours! Lol)...But I am unsure how to. You did all 12 hours of new content, then you swapped it out in one day? How did you go about replacing new lessons for the old lessons? One at the time? Massive import? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[LawrenceMMiller]

Some of us have re-recorded either all, or the majority, of our earlier courses simply because we learned how to do it better. Practice may not make perfect, but it certainly makes better. Continuously improving your courses is a good strategy.

[tamboly]

Hi @LawrenceMMiller 

What about the course title? Can I add updated based on latest exam refresh etc.?

Thanks

Niloufer

[GregReverdiau]

Yes, you can. The only thing you can't change once it's published is the URL for your course. 

[DrSee]

Hi Greg,

I realize this is a reply to a post from over a year ago but I've begun to have some free time and am revisiting my first course (after submitting my second for review). I'm updating the captions on the first course and am realizing some of the audio is in serious need of updating! Is it simply a matter of re-recording the audio and then uploading the finished video? Will that overwrite the existing video or do I have to delete it and then upload the re-recorded video? Will the course need to go through another Udemy review process?

Thank you,

Mike

[SoyMarketer]

Hey @LawrenceMMiller, I´ve asked @GregReverdiau, but I am not sure if he is as active as you are. Please help me out with this, since what you did is exactly what I´m trying to do for the first time (remake my first course since I got better at editing and making courses...)

I´m just now sure how to go about it.

Here´s what I wrote Greg above:

"Hey Greg! This is exactly what I inted to do! My first course has remained without evolving since 2019. I want to overhaul it, remake the whole thing (Only 3.5 hours, not like your 12 hours! Lol)...But I am unsure how to. You did all 12 hours of new content, then you swapped it out in one day? How did you go about replacing new lessons for the old lessons? One at the time? Massive import? Any help will be greatly appreciated."

Thanks Lawrence.

I always read you and listen to your advice.

[LawrenceMMiller]

I replaced the videos section by section. So, if there were five lectures in a section, I would record and edit those five lectures, then upload them by replacing the old lectures. However, in some cases my original lectures were too long, so I recorded the new version as two or three lectures. It is easy to do. 

[SoyMarketer]

Did you ever replace the lesson with a totally new lesson? Or did you always just remake what you had already thought?

[LawrenceMMiller]

Yes. And I have added and/or replaced entire sections of a course. 

I think it is important to update your courses when there is new knowledge in your field. This keeps your course relevant. For example, in the last year or two I have added sections to several of my courses on leading/facilitating remote teams, an issue that did seem important five years ago. 

[SoyMarketer]

Thanks buddy!