


How do I control video playback using the play(), pause(), and seek() methods?
Jul 01, 2025 am 01:20 AMTo control video playback using JavaScript, use the play(), pause() and currentTime properties. First, set the
To control video playback using JavaScript, you can use the play()
, pause()
, and seek()
methods (technically currentTime
for seeking) on ??a video element. These let you start, stop, and jump to specific points in the video — all without needing external libraries.
Setting Up Your Video Element
Before diving into controls, make sure your HTML includes a <video></video>
element with controls and a source file:
<video id="myVideo" width="640" height="360" controls> <source src="example.mp4" type="video/mp4"> Your browser does not support the video tag. </video>
Then assign it to a variable in JavaScript:
const video = document.getElementById('myVideo');
Once that's done, you're ready to add custom controls or logic.
Playing the Video with play()
Use the play()
method to start or resume video playback. This is often triggered by a button click or some user interaction.
For example:
document.getElementById('playButton').addEventListener('click', () => { video.play(); });
- Browsers usually require user interaction (like a click) to allow autoplay due to autoplay policies.
- If the video is paused or stopped, this will resume playback.
- You can also call
play()
after pausing or seeking.
You might want to disable the play button once it's clicked, then re-enable it when the video ends or pauses.
Pausing the Video with pause()
The pause()
method stops the video at the current playback position.
Example usage:
document.getElementById('pauseButton').addEventListener('click', () => { video.pause(); });
- This doesn't reset the playback position; the video remains at whatever timestamp it was at.
- Useful if you want users to temporarily stop and later resume from where they left off.
- Like
play()
, this is typically attached to a UI element like a button.
You could also toggle between play and pause states based on whether the video is currently playing.
Jumping to a Specific Time with seek()
There's no actual seek()
method — instead, you set the currentTime
property of the video element to jump to a specific point in seconds.
Example:
video.currentTime = 30; // Jump to 30 seconds
This is useful for:
- Skipping ahead/back
- Creating custom scrub bars
- Implementing bookmarks or chapter markers
Some things to note:
- You can set
currentTime
before callingplay()
to start from a specific time. - Seeking too far forward may cause buffering depending on video loading.
- You can listen for the
seeked
event to run code after the seek completes.
If you're building a progress bar or timeline, updating currentTime
based on user input is key.
That's how you manually control video playback using JavaScript. It's straightforward once the video element is accessible, and gives you full control over how and when media plays. Just remember to handle browser restrictions around autoplay, and always test across different devices and browsers.
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