Create Multimedia Notes in Obsidian for Distraction-Free Learning
You’ve been there: you’re trying to learn something new, but you’re jumping between a video player, your note-taking app, a PDF reader, and maybe even an audio player. Each switch breaks your focus. You lose context, you lose time, and you lose the thread of what you were trying to understand. The digital world is full of learning mediums—videos, podcasts, PDFs, images—and keeping them organized across different apps is a recipe for distraction. If you’re a knowledge worker, student, or researcher, you know this pain intimately: the struggle to stay focused when your learning materials are scattered everywhere.
What if you could bring everything together into one place? One note where you can watch videos, listen to audio, read PDFs, and view images without ever leaving your note-taking app. That’s the promise of creating multimedia notes in Obsidian. It’s about reducing distraction by consolidating all your learning materials into a single, centralized note. By the end of this post, you’ll understand exactly how to do this and why it’s such a powerful productivity hack.
Why Multimedia Notes Reduce Distraction
The core idea is simple: keep everything in one note. Obsidian has the capability to open many types of files directly within your vault. This means you can embed videos, play audio, view images, and even read PDFs without opening separate applications. This approach minimizes context switching, which is a major productivity killer. When you’re learning from a single note, you maintain your flow state. You don’t have to remember which app has which material; everything is right there.
This method works especially well for building what’s called a “Map of Content” (MOC)—a single index note that organizes all your notes on a particular topic. In the video, the creator demonstrates how they’ve organized all their investment-related notes inside a “Mock Investment Index” note. Similarly, you can create a multimedia MOC for any topic you’re learning about.
How to Embed and Play Videos in Obsidian
Embedding videos directly in Obsidian is straightforward. Here’s how:
Step 1: Get the Video Embed Code
Go to YouTube, click “Share” on the video you want to embed, and copy the embed code. This will give you an HTML iframe snippet.
Step 2: Paste the Embed Code in Your Note
Paste the embed code directly into your Obsidian note. Obsidian will render the video inline. You can actually watch the video without leaving your note. This is a huge distraction-free win because you don’t have to open a browser tab or switch applications.
Step 3: Enable Web Viewer for Links (Optional)
If you don’t want to embed every video (sometimes embedding can be heavy), you can still open video links within Obsidian using the Web Viewer plugin. Here’s how:
- Go to Settings → Community Plugins
- Install and enable the “Web Viewer” plugin
- Now when you click on a video link in your note, it will open directly in Obsidian instead of your external browser
This keeps you in your learning flow. You can watch videos and follow links without ever leaving your vault.
Adding and Playing Audio Notes in Obsidian
Audio is another powerful medium for learning. You can either:
- Drag and drop existing audio files directly into your note. Obsidian will link them automatically.
- Record audio notes directly in Obsidian using the Audio Recorder core plugin.
To record audio:
- Go to Settings → Core Plugins
- Enable “Audio Recorder”
- A recording button will appear in your note editor
- Click it to record meetings, thoughts, or any audio content
- The recording will be embedded directly in your note and saved in your vault
All your audio materials will appear in the left sidebar of your vault, giving you a clear overview of all your multimedia content. This centralized approach gives you peace of mind—everything is in one place, in its original format.
Embedding Images and PDFs into Your Notes
Images and PDFs are essential for comprehensive learning notes.
Images
Simply drag and drop an image file into your note, or use the standard Markdown image syntax: . Obsidian will display the image inline.
PDFs
PDFs are particularly powerful in Obsidian. Here’s how to add them:
- Drag the PDF file directly into your note
- Obsidian will render the PDF inline, allowing you to read it without opening an external PDF viewer
- If you prefer to open the PDF in a separate tab, hold Control (or Command on Mac) and click the PDF. It will open in a new tab within Obsidian, acting as a native PDF viewer
This means you can read entire research papers, manuals, or ebooks directly within your note-taking app. No more switching between your note-taking app and a PDF reader.
Building a Centralized Learning System
The ultimate goal is to create a distraction-free learning environment where all your materials live in one place. Here’s how to structure it:
- Create a topic-specific MOC: Make an index note for your learning topic (e.g., “Obsidian Start Here Series” or “Investment Basics”).
- Add multimedia content: Embed videos, add audio notes, include images, and link PDFs—all within this single note.
- Use the Web Viewer: Enable the Web Viewer plugin to open external links within Obsidian.
- Maintain a single source of truth: Keep all materials for a topic in one note to avoid fragmentation.
This approach works because it:
- Reduces context switching
- Keeps your focus on learning, not app management
- Provides a clear overview of all your materials
- Makes review and reference much easier
Watch the Full Video
For the complete step-by-step walkthrough, watch the full video below:
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👋 About Me
Hi, I’m Shuvangkar Das — a power systems researcher with a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, currently working as a Research Scientist. I work at the intersection of power electronics, inverter-based DERs (IBRs), and AI to help build smarter, greener, and more stable electric grids.
My work spans large-scale EMT simulations, firmware development, reinforcement learning, and hardware prototyping. Beyond engineering, I’m also a YouTuber and content creator — sharing hands-on insights on productivity, research, and knowledge management. My goal is simple: to make complex ideas more accessible and actionable for everyone.
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