Update: we highly recommend the OSEmbed extension for embedding code in Joomla.
OSEmbed is the easiest way to embed anything in Joomla. You can add YouTube videos with just a URL. Plus you can also add Facebook posts, X / Twitter tweets, Flickr images, Vimeo videos and over 60 other types of media.
OSEmbed really is the best way to embed YouTube videos and everything else.
There are actually several ways to go about embedding a YouTube video into an article in Joomla, but I have built a plugin that makes it dead simple. You can download the plugin here.
Here's how it works:
- Step 1: Download the plugin.
- Step 2: Install it.
- Step 3: Enable (publish) it.
- Step 4: Go to YouTube.com and find a video that you want to embed.
- Step 5: Copy the URL for that video from your browser bar.
- Step 6: Paste the URL into your content item.
- Repeat steps 4-6 for as many videos as you wish to embed.
That's all there is to it. Really. It's that simple. The plugin handles all the embedding code for you. I am releasing the plugin under the GNU/GPL, so feel free to use it on as many sites as you wish.