PowerPoint presentations can be more than just visual; adding audio can transform them into immersive experiences. Whether you want to evoke emotions with background music, provide clarity with your own voiceover, or add a touch of flair with sound effects, Microsoft PowerPoint offers a range of tools to enhance your slideshows.
Adding Audio from Your Computer
If you have a song, voice recording, or sound effect stored on your computer, you can easily insert it into your PowerPoint presentation. PowerPoint supports a variety of audio file formats including AIFF, AU, MID, MIDI, MP3, MP4, M4A, WAV, and WMA. Keep in mind that versions older than PowerPoint 2013 may not support all of these formats.
Here’s how to insert audio from your computer:
1.
Locate the Slide:
Open your presentation and navigate to the slide where you want to add the audio. If you want the audio to play continuously throughout the slideshow, select the first slide.2.
Go to the Insert Tab:
Click on the ‘Insert’ tab in the PowerPoint ribbon.3.
Choose Audio:
In the ‘Media’ section of the ribbon, click on ‘Audio’.4.
Select the Audio File:
On Windows, choose ‘Audio on My PC’. On Mac, select either ‘Audio Browser’ or ‘Audio from File’. Browse for your desired audio file, select it, and click ‘Insert’. If you’re using the Audio Browser on Mac, you can simply drag the audio file onto the slide.5.
Control the Audio:
An audio icon will appear on your slide with a toolbar containing basic controls. Use the Play button to listen to the audio, rewind or move forward, or adjust the volume.Recording Audio in PowerPoint
If you want to record your own voiceover, instructions, or sound effects directly within PowerPoint, you can do so on both Windows and Mac. This feature requires a microphone connected to your computer.
Follow these steps to record audio:
1.
Select the Slide:
Open your presentation and navigate to the slide where you want to insert the recorded audio.2.
Access Record Audio:
Click on the ‘Insert’ tab and click the arrow next to ‘Audio’ in the ribbon. Select ‘Record Audio’.3.
Begin Recording:
Click the red Record button to start recording. On Windows, you’ll see a pop-up box where you can name your recording. On Mac, the Record Audio panel appears on the right. You’ll see the recording duration, which is helpful if you need to limit the length of your audio.4.
Stop Recording:
When finished, click the red Stop button.5.
Preview and Re-record:
You can listen to your recording by clicking the Play button. If you’re not satisfied, re-record the audio. On Windows, click the Record button again to replace the original recording. On Mac, click ‘Discard’ and then click the Record button to start over.6.
Insert the Recording:
Once you’re happy with the recording, click ‘OK’ on Windows or ‘Insert’ on Mac to add the audio to the slide. The audio icon and playback controls will appear, allowing you to play, rewind, and adjust the volume.Controlling Audio Playback
After adding audio to your slide, you can customize its playback settings to suit your needs. Select the audio icon on the slide and go to the ‘Playback’ tab.
Here are some ways to adjust the playback of your audio:
*
Trim Audio:
Shorten your audio clip by selecting ‘Trim Audio’. Use the start and end boxes or slider to adjust the clip’s duration, and then click ‘OK’ on Windows or ‘Trim’ on Mac.*
Fade Duration:
Create a smoother audio experience by fading in or out the audio. Use the ‘Fade Duration’ section to set the fade-in and fade-out timing.*
Volume:
Adjust the volume level of the audio to low, medium, or high.*
Start:
Choose how you want the audio to begin playing. Options include ‘In Click Sequence,’ ‘Automatically,’ or ‘When Clicked On’.*
Play Across Slides:
Keep the audio playing continuously across multiple slides by checking this box.*
Loop Until Stopped:
Loop the audio continuously until you manually stop it by checking this box.*
Hide During Show:
Hide the audio icon on the slide during the presentation by checking this box.*
Rewind After Playing:
Automatically rewind the audio to the beginning after it has played by checking this box.*
Play in Background:
This option combines ‘Play Across Slides’ and ‘Loop Until Stopped’ to play the audio continuously in the background.Whether you want to add a lively song, the sound of applause, or your own voiceover, incorporating audio into your PowerPoint presentations can make them more engaging, informative, and memorable. For even more presentation tips, explore how to add notes to your slides or how to embed videos in Microsoft PowerPoint.
