Want to include subtle background music in your presentation? Interested in adding a sound effect for some pizzazz? We’ll explain how to add audio in PowerPoint to enhance your slideshow.
From music to sound effects to your own voice, you can insert an audio file or make a recording easily in Microsoft PowerPoint.
Along with the built-in features of PowerPoint for working with sound, you can use Plus AI to create and edit slideshow content for a time-saving way to build an engaging presentation.
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Upload an audio file to a slide
In PowerPoint, you can easily add an audio file you’ve saved to your computer. Whether a sound effect, narration, or song, you simply insert the file and then play it during the presentation.
- Select the slide and go to the Insert tab.
- Open the Audio menu in the Media section of the ribbon and pick Audio on My PC.
- Browse for and select the file, then click Insert.
- You’ll see the sound icon display on your slide representing the audio file. If you select the icon, you’ll see the playback bar beneath to play, pause, move back or forward, and mute or adjust the volume.
Along with inserting the audio file, you can make adjustments to the way the sound icon appears or hide it completely.
Open the Audio Format tab to change the color of the icon, add an artistic effect, or place a border around it.
Make an audio recording
Do you want to capture a short narrative or the sound in your environment? You can record and insert your own audio using a built-in PowerPoint feature.
- Select the slide and go to the Insert tab.
- Open the Audio menu in the Media section of the ribbon and pick Record Audio.
- Enter a Name for the file and press the Record button (circle) to capture the sound.
- To stop the recording, press the Stop button (square) and the hit Play (triangle) to preview your recording. If you’re happy with it, click OK to insert it on your slide.
Once you make your recording and see it displayed on the slide, you can use the same settings on the Audio Format tab above to adjust how the icon appears. You can also check out the playback options below for both recordings and file uploads.
Audio playback options
Once you add your audio file to PowerPoint, you have various options for controlling the playback. This includes playing it in the background across the slides, starting the playback automatically, looping or rewinding the audio, and more.
Select the audio file on your slide and go to the Playback tab to check out the tools below.
Play the audio across the slideshow
If you choose music for your audio, you may want to play it in the background and/or across your entire slideshow. This can set the mood or offer a nice accompaniment to the presentation.
Mark the Play Across Slides checkbox to keep the audio going as you move through the slides.
Click the Play in Background button to play the audio across the slides and loop the sound until you stop it. You’ll notice when you select this button that Play Across Slides and Loop Until Stopped are automatically marked.
Play the audio automatically
Maybe you’d like your audio to start playing automatically when you arrive on its slide. This is helpful so that you can concentrate on presenting your slideshow rather than starting the song or other sound.
Open the Start drop-down box and pick Automatically. Your audio will begin playing as soon as you reach the slide.
Loop or rewind the audio
With the above setting, you might want the audio file to play in a continuous loop or automatically rewind when it reaches the end.
Mark the Loop Until Stopped checkbox to replay the audio as soon as it ends or the Rewind After Playing to set the audio back to the beginning when it stops.
Trim the audio
If you want to shorten the audio you upload or remove a sound at the beginning or end of your recording, you can trim the audio right in PowerPoint.
Select Trim Audio and use the slider to set the portion you want to keep. Then, Play the audio to make sure you like it and click Trim to save the change.
Additional playback settings
You’ll notice a few other settings on the Playback tab that may come in handy for your audio file.
- Fade Duration: Add a Fade In and/or Fade Out effect.
- Volume: Set or mute the volume for the playback.
- Hide During Show: Hide the sound icon while you present the slideshow.
Build content with audio using Plus AI for PowerPoint
If you want to create slideshow content from the audio in a video, this is an awesome feature of Plus AI for PowerPoint. Plus AI uses the audio to add the text to your slides which you can then edit as you like. This is handy for a step-by-step tutorial, product demonstration, or informative presentation.
Once Plus AI provides you with the slideshow, you can use its editing features to insert more slides, rewrite text, or remix the slide layout.
Check out the feature set and then start your free trial to see how Plus AI helps you create attractive and engaging presentations in both PowerPoint and Google Slides.
Conclusion
Whether a meaningful song, round of applause, or the sound of the ocean, you can add audio to PowerPoint and then customize the way it plays through your presentation.
And remember, Plus AI can do more than create slideshows based on a prompt or pasted text. You can take advantage of the video-to-presentation feature to capture narration or instructions from any clip.
FAQs
How do I enable audio on a video in PowerPoint?
When you insert a video in PowerPoint, the audio should be enabled automatically. If you can’t hear the sound, make sure the clip isn’t muted. Use the Speaker button in the video’s floating toolbar and check the Volume menu on the Playback tab to confirm that Mute is turned off.
How do I add audio to Google Slides?
You can add audio to Slides from Google Drive, a recent file, or with a URL. Open Insert > Audio, locate and select the audio file, and pick Insert.
What music is compatible with PowerPoint?
While file formats differ on Windows, Mac, and mobile, there are several common across the platforms. This includes AIFF, AU, MP3, MPEG-4, and WAV audio files. For a complete list by platform, visit the Microsoft Support page for supported audio and video formats.
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