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There are many ways to improve your PowerPoint presentation---adding animations to objects, customizing slide transition styles, and using interesting themes to name a few. In addition to all that, you can also add music to your presentation.

PowerPoint makes it very simple to add music to your presentation. Adding music to your presentation may be a great idea, but there are also cases where it may be considered unprofessional. We’re not here to tell you when to do it, just how to do it, but make sure it’s appropriate for the situation.

Switch to the "Insert" tab and then click the “Audio” button.

A menu will appear, giving you the option to either upload music from your PC or record your own audio track.

If you’d like to record your own audio, select “Record Audio,” and the “Record Sound” window will appear. Go ahead and give your audio a name, then click the “Record” icon when you’re ready to start.

After the “Record” icon is selected, a timer will start which gives you the total length of the sound being recorded. Once you’re ready to stop recording, press the “Stop” icon. To listen to your recording, you can press the “Play” icon. If you’re happy with what you're recording, select “OK” to insert it into your presentation.

If you prefer to upload music from your PC instead, go back to the audio options menu and select “Audio on My PC.” This will open your PC’s directory. Locate the audio file you’d like to use, then select “Insert” at the bottom-right of the window. PowerPoint supports several popular formats, like MP3, MP4, WAV, and AAC.

Now you’ll see a speaker icon appear in your presentation. Here, you can play the audio, control the volume, and move the audio back or forward 0.25 seconds.

Additionally, the “Playback” tab appears in the ribbon. By default, the “Audio Style” is automatically set to “No Style.” This means that the audio will only play on the slide where you insert it, the icon will appear in the presentation, and the audio will only begin once you click that icon.

But you can change all that. You can use the options here to adjust the default playback volume, choose whether the music starts automatically or on a click, whether it plays across other slides, whether it loops until you stop it, and so on.

We’re going to change this by selecting “Play in Background” in the “Audio Styles” section.

There are a few other options available to you, as well. You can add (or remove) bookmarks for specific times in your audio clip, trim parts of the audio, and give your audio a fade in/out effect.

Use these tools to customize the perfect audio for your presentation.

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5 ways to add music to PowerPoint

Depending on the type of slideshow you’re creating in Microsoft PowerPoint , music might be the perfect addition to the show. You may want a fun upbeat song on a slide or a soft subtle melody throughout the presentation.

Upload a song from your computer

Download free music, record music while creating the slideshow, add an offscreen video, play the song or use as background music.

We’ll show you how to add music to PowerPoint a few different ways and then use a single song on a slide or play background music from start to finish.

What You Need

Microsoft PowerPoint

Probably the easiest way to add music to your slideshow is to upload a song from your computer. This can be a tune you’ve saved and listen to often or one from a playlist.

Step 1: Open your PowerPoint presentation and select a slide to add the music.

Step 2: Go to the Insert tab and choose the drop-down arrow for Audio on the right side of the ribbon.

Step 3: Pick Audio on my PC , browse for the music file, and select Insert .

Step 4: You’ll then see an audio icon on your slide for the song.

Step 5: Use the Play button to listen and the Playback tab to adjust the playback options.

Maybe you have the type of song in mind you want, but don’t have a copy saved to your computer. There are a few online resources for obtaining royalty-free songs for presentations at no cost.

Fesliyan Studios Inc. : Choose a genre at the top such as commercial, happy, sad, or relaxing. Press the Play button to listen, then check out alternate versions where available. Choose Download to get the song.

Chosic : You’ll see a slew of songs for presentations from upbeat to soft. When you hear the song you want, select Download > Free Download .

SoundCloud : If you’re already a SoundCloud listener, this is a good option for presentation music. Type “free downloads” or similar into the search box and review the results. When you find the song you want, select More or the three dots to download the tune.

If you can find royalty-free music on YouTube as well, there are a number of ways to download MP3s from YouTube .

Once you download one of these songs, save it to your device and simply upload it to the slideshow as described above.

If you’re lucky enough to be gifted with musical talent, you can use your skills to record a song directly in PowerPoint. Warm up your vocal cords or grab your guitar and make your own presentation music.

Step 1: Open your PowerPoint presentation and select a slide to record the music.

Step 3: Pick Record audio . Note: You must have either a built-in or external microphone for your computer.

Step 4: When the Record Sound box appears, select the red, round Record button to start recording.

Step 5: Press the square Stop button when you finish. To listen to the recording, press the green Play button.

Step 6: When you finish, select OK to insert it onto the slide.

Step 7: You’ll then see the audio icon just like with an inserted audio file. Press the Play button to hear the recording.

Sometimes the ideal song for a situation is attached to a video. While you can’t currently just play the audio and you probably don’t want the video as part of your presentation, there’s a workaround to get that tune in your show.

Step 1: Open your PowerPoint presentation and select a slide to add the video.

Step 2: Go to the Insert tab and choose the drop-down arrow for Video on the right side of the ribbon.

Step 3: Pick This Device , Stock Videos , or Online Videos and follow the prompts to insert the video.

Step 4: When the video appears on the slide, drag a corner or edge to make it smaller and then drag it off of the slide to one of the sides.

This allows you to play the video to hear the audio but not see the video in your slideshow.

Step 5: Select the video and use the Playback tab to adjust the options for playing it when clicking the slide or automatically.

Once you add the music to PowerPoint, you can set it to play on a single slide or last the duration of the presentation.

Step 1: Go to the slide containing the music and select it.

Note: If you want the music to play in the background throughout the slideshow, you’ll likely want the file on the first or second slide per your preference.

Step 2: Head to the Playback tab and choose to play the song with the slide or as background music.

Step 3: To play the song only on that slide, choose the Start drop-down box in the Audio options section of the ribbon and pick how you want the music to begin. You can select In click sequence , Automatically , or When clicked on . When you advance to the next slide, the song stops playing.

Step 4: To play the song throughout the presentation, select Play in background in the Audio styles section. This automatically checks the boxes for Play across slides and Loop until stopped . You can also choose an option in the Start drop-down box for how to begin playing the song.

Keep in mind this only works with audio files, not the video file method described above.

Step 5: Adjust any other options on the Playback tab per your preference. You can increase or decrease the volume, rewind the song after it plays, or add a fade in or out effect.

Remember to practice your presentation after you add the music to make sure it sounds the way you want. You might also consider adding closed captioning for the hearing impaired.

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From hard-to-read fonts to colors that hurt the eyes of your audience, here are some best practices to keep in mind for your next PowerPoint slideshow. Choose the fonts wisely Using a fancy, dramatic, or even whimsical font can be tempting. But you must consider the readability of the font. You want your audience to easily see your headings and bullet points. Consider the two basic font styles: serif and sans serif.

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Before you create your next PowerPoint, take a look at these tricks. They can save you time, let you customize the show, and stay organized from start to finish. Save time by reusing slides You may not realize it, but you can reuse slides from other presentations to save time. You might reuse a slide with your company mission, contact information, or details of all your locations.

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4 Easy Ways to Add Music or Audio to Microsoft PowerPoint

Last Updated: August 7, 2023 Fact Checked

Inserting a Music File (Desktop)

Inserting a web video (desktop), using android, powerpoint 2007 and 2003.

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Rain Kengly . Rain Kengly is a wikiHow Technology Writer. As a storytelling enthusiast with a penchant for technology, they hope to create long-lasting connections with readers from all around the globe. Rain graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in Cinema. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 557,086 times. Learn more...

If you want to spice up your PowerPoint presentation, background music can make it much more compelling. PowerPoint allows you to insert any WAV or MP3 file into your slides. If you're using a Mac, you can also add music directly from iTunes. You can also use music from video websites such as YouTube. Android users can select songs from their device files to play in the PowerPoint mobile app. This wikiHow will show you how to add music and audio to your PowerPoint presentations on Windows, Mac, and Android.

Things You Should Know

• If you want music to play in the background throughout your presentation, insert an audio file .
• Click "Insert" → "Audio" → "Audio on My PC/Audio from File". Select a file and click "Insert".
• To embed a music video, click "Insert" → "Video" → "Online Videos/Online Movie". Paste the video URL and click "Insert".

• You can use this method to play music on a single slide, or to keep it playing in the background as you scroll through your entire presentation.
• You'll need to have an audio file saved to your computer to insert it into your PowerPoint presentation. Audio files can be in the ADTS, AIFF, AU, FLAC, MIDI, MP3 , MP4, WAV, or WMA format.
• If you don't have an audio file, check out our guide to downloading free music .

• On Mac, this will look like Audio from File . You can also select Audio Browser to insert audio directly from iTunes.
• If you want to use a song from iTunes, you'll need to convert it to MP3 first.
• WAV files can be quite large and can make the PowerPoint presentation difficult to share. Consider converting the WAV file to MP3.

• Play in Background: Choose this option if you want the music to start automatically and play in the background across all of your slides—even when you change slides.
• No Style: Choose this if you prefer to click the button to start the music. The music will only play when you click the audio button, and will stop when you switch slides.

• Add bookmarks. When you hover over the audio object, you'll see a track time slider. Select a spot on the track and click the Add Bookmark button to create a clickable bookmark at that point in the track. This will allow you to quickly jump to specific spots.
• Click the Trim Audio button to cut out unnecessary parts of the song. This is useful if you only need to present a section of the song. Use the sliders in the Trim Audio window to select the new starting and ending point for the song.
• Use the Fade Duration options to set the fade in and fade out times. The longer the duration, the more gradual the fade will be.
• Click Volume to adjust the master volume for the song. Make sure to test the song before the presentation and adjust the volume accordingly so that you don't startle the audience.

• Click Change Picture .
• Select This Device , From Stock Images , From Online Sources , From Icons , or From Clipboard .
• Select the image source from the chosen method, and then click Insert .

• Use this method to insert music from a supported website such as YouTube, SlideShare, Vimeo, Stream, or Flip.

• On Mac, this will be Online Movie .

• You'll see a preview of the video.

• Select the web video to open the Video Format tab.
• Click Poster Frame on the left of the toolbar.
• Click Image from File… .
• Select From a File , Stock Images , Online Pictures , or From Icons .
• Resize the picture by dragging the circles at the corners. Click and hold the center to move its position on the slide.

• PowerPoint is available for Android in the Google Play Store .

• The menu will open.

• The audio file will be added to your PowerPoint.

• In Office 2003, click the Insert menu, select "Movies and Sounds", and then select "Sound from File".
• Since PowerPoint 2003 and 2007 cannot embed MP3 files, you'll have the most success if you create a new folder on your computer and put the presentation file along with the audio file in the same spot.
• You can embed WAV files, but this can create a very large presentation file. It is recommended that you use a linked MP3 file instead.

• If you set the song to play automatically, check the "Hide During Show" box to hide the button for the audio file.

• Click the Office button, select "Publish", then "Package for CD".
• Enter the name of the folder you want to create in the "Name the CD" box.
• Click "Options" and ensure that "Include linked files" is checked.
• Click the "Copy to Folder" button. A new folder will be created with your presentation and the audio file, along with a PowerPoint player so that anyone can view the presentation, even if they don't have Office.

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• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-or-delete-audio-in-your-powerpoint-presentation-c3b2a9fd-2547-41d9-9182-3dfaa58f1316#OfficeVersion=Windows
• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-a-video-from-youtube-or-another-site-8340ec69-4cee-4fe1-ab96-4849154bc6db#OfficeVersion=Windows

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1. Open a slide. 2. Click Insert . 3. Click Audio . 4. Select Audio from my PC . 5. Select a song. 6. Click Insert . 7. Choose when to start the song. 8. Adjust the volume. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Home Blog PowerPoint Tutorials How to Add Music to PowerPoint

How to Add Music to PowerPoint

When editing PowerPoint templates or creating new presentations from scratch, you might want to insert a narration or add music to PowerPoint. There are two methods by which you can insert music into your PowerPoint slides and control how it is played.

Adding Music to PowerPoint using an Audio File

You can add music to PowerPoint by using an existing audio file via Insert > Audio > Audio on my PC .

Select the music file from your device to insert it into your PowerPoint presentation.

Once the audio file is added, you can drag and drop the audio icon to place it in your slide or keep it hidden via the Playback tab by checking the Hide During Show option. The Playback tab also lets you control whether to start the music by clicking or automatically. 

You can also play the music in a loop and across all slides instead of just one. Other options allow you to preview audio, trim the music file, add a fade duration at the beginning and/or end of the audio track, and adjust the volume.

Adding Music to PowerPoint by Recording Audio

You can also record audio to insert a song or music into PowerPoint. You can use this feature if you intend to add a background score by recording it using a mic. Such as recording Live playback music. To start recording your mic and computer audio, go to Insert > Media > Audio > Record Audio .

Click the Start button to begin recording music from your connected mic.

Once the recording is complete, click Stop to insert the audio into your PowerPoint presentation. Once the audio file is added, you can manage playback settings via the Playback tab to play the video across or a single slide, trim audio, add fade effect, play in a loop, hide in the slideshow, and adjust other options according to need.

While many PowerPoint users might ask the question as to how to add music to a PowerPoint presentation, the process is the same as adding or recording audio in general. The same process can also be used to add narration, be it from an existing file or by recording it. Also, check our article about how to add audio to PowerPoint .

To add music from your computer: – Go to Insert > Audio > Audio on my PC. – Select the music file from your device. – Click Insert to add the audio file to your slide.

Yes, you can control music playback via the Playback tab. Options include: – Start On Click or Automatically – Play Across Slides – Loop Until Stopped – Hide During Show – Adjust Volume – Trim Audio – Add Fade In and Fade Out

To hide the audio icon: – Select the audio icon. – Go to the Playback tab. – Check the Hide During Show option.

Yes, to play music across all slides: – Select the audio icon. – Go to the Playback tab. – Check Play Across Slides.

To add fade effects: – Select the audio icon. – Go to the Playback tab. – Set the desired Fade In and Fade Out times in the Fade Duration section.

Yes, to trim the audio file: – Select the audio icon. – Go to the Playback tab. – Click Trim Audio. – Adjust the start and end points in the Trim Audio window. – Click OK.

To record audio: – Go to Insert > Media > Audio > Record Audio. – Click Start to begin recording. – Click Stop to finish recording. – The recorded audio will be inserted into your slide.

Yes, you can use recorded audio as background music: – Record your audio via Insert > Media > Audio > Record Audio. – You can adjust playback settings via the Playback tab to play the audio across slides, loop it, and hide the icon during the show.

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How To Add Music To PowerPoint

In this article, I’m going to teach you how to add music to PowerPoint. By the time you finish reading this, you should be able to insert music to your slides like a pro!

If you’re intending to export your PowerPoint presentation to video or maybe use it as a self-running presentation at a kiosk or booth in a conference or trade show, then you might want to consider adding music to your PowerPoint. Doing this is easy and in fact, can quickly be done in a few clicks.

Before we get into the main tutorial, I’d like to give you a quick list of where you can get free music for your PowerPoint presentations (if you don’t have a music library, of course).

Where To Get Free Music For Your PowerPoint Slideshow

When we say ‘free music’ it can mean ‘royalty-free’ or ‘stock music.’ Some royalty-free music isn’t really free at all, but some are. You’d have to read the license details so you’d have an idea of where you can use the music track. For example:

• Some licenses require 1-time payment, but you’re at liberty to use it an unlimited number of times; this essentially means you’re not paying any royalties to the music author.
• Some music licenses specify that you can use the music whenever and wherever you want, but you’d have to give attribution to the author; this often means you’d have to link to the site or the author’s website.
• Some music tracks are 100% free to download and use. You don’t need a license, and you can even use them for commercial purposes.

In short, you have to go through each soundtrack’s license to avoid getting into any trouble. With that said, here are a few sites where you can get some ‘free’ music ( again, please check the license ):

YouTube Audio Library

You can download free music for your project, however, some require attribution. If you see a human-figure icon, then it means you need to attribute where you got the music from.

If you’re going to be converting your PowerPoint presentation to video format and then upload it to YouTube, then you must add the attribution in your video description.

Here’s what it looks like:

Free Stock Music

You just need to sign up and register so you can start downloading royalty-free music tracks. They promise you won’t be paying fees for the use of their music nor do you need to attribute. Here’s an example license on one of their free music tracks:

At the time of writing, there are 1,355 royalty-free music available for download. You can use the music anywhere you want, even commercial use, but you have to attribute or link to the site or the author’s YouTube channel or video.

You can download the MP3 file directly or on iTunes. The author even includes a handy permission document form where you fill in your details and use it as a license if someone (like YouTube!) ever asks you if you’ve got a license to use the music. Here’s a screenshot:

Josh Woodward

Downloading music from this site is free. When you click the download button though, you will be prompted to enter your email address. But I think it’s a small price to pay for getting access to the author’s music.

If you want to download a high-quality version of the music or buy a license to use his music, you can do this as well.

I think these 4 sites should give you plenty of music to use for your PowerPoint presentations. There are plenty more – both free and premium music – you just need to do a quick search on Google.

Just remember to always check the license details carefully to avoid getting into any trouble later on.

Alright, now that you know where you can grab some free music tracks, it’s time to show you how you can add music to PowerPoint.

Once you’ve downloaded and saved your music to your computer, you can decide whether you want to use one music track for your entire presentation or use one track per slide, it’s totally up to you. Here’s how you get started:

• Go to Insert > Audio > Audio On My PC .

• The Insert Audio dialog box will then pop-up. Select the audio file you want to use in your presentation. For this example, I selected the music track, mp3 . Hit Insert.

• When you see the audio icon on your slide, this means you’ve successfully inserted or embedded your music file. Here’s what it looks like:

• If you want to play the audio file in the background, you can go to Audio Tools > Playback . Then click on Play in Background . When you do this, default settings will automatically be applied. These are:
• The audio file will start automatically.
• It will play across slides.
• It will loop until stopped.
• The audio clip icon will be hidden during the slideshow.

Here’s what it looks like in PowerPoint:

There are other settings you can tweak in Audio Tools . For instance, you can adjust the Volume (low, medium, high, mute), you can add a Fade effect, you can Trim the audio, add a bookmark, and more.

Embedding Audio vs. Inserting Link To Audio

The audio insertion method I’ve shown you so far is also called embedding . This means the audio file size will contribute to the overall PowerPoint file size.

If you want to save on disk space, and reduce your PowerPoint file size by a few hundred kilobytes or megabytes, you’d need to link to the audio file instead of embedding it.

Here’s what you need to do:

• When the Insert Audio dialog box pop-ups, select your audio as usual and then click on the little arrow beside the Insert Instead of clicking on Insert, click on Link To File .

If you compare the file sizes between a file with embedded audio and another file with linked audio, I can guarantee the first file (embedded audio) will have a much larger file size.

Final Words

Adding music to your PowerPoint slide show is very useful especially if you plan on converting or exporting your slideshow to video. Or, if you plan on letting it play unmanned in a kiosk, booth, or somewhere similar. Just remember to make sure you use music you’re authorized to use to avoid getting in hot water later on.

You might also find this interesting: Everything You Need To Know About PowerPoint’s Morph And Zoom Features

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How to add music to a PowerPoint slideshow to make your presentation more engaging

• You can easily add music to a PowerPoint slideshow if you want to make your next presentation more engaging.
• You can add any MP3, MP4, WAV, or AAC file on your computer to your PowerPoint presentation, and adjust the settings so that it plays across slides if you want to.
• Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories .

It's true that Microsoft   PowerPoint is a business program made for creating official-looking presentations  for school or office settings — but that doesn't mean you can't use it to make your presentations fun, too. 

One way to spice up a presentation is to add music — in a business setting, it'll be unexpected, and the fun surprise may just make your colleagues sit up straighter, pay attention, and maybe even enjoy the meeting. 

This feature can also give a little extra umph to a school presentation — for example, a presentation on America in the '60s could be enhanced by the addition of some Motown music in the background.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Microsoft office (from $149.99 at best buy), apple macbook pro (from $1,299.00 at apple), acer chromebook 15 (from $179.99 at walmart), how to add music to a powerpoint presentation.

1. At the top of the PowerPoint screen, on the toolbar, click the "Insert" tab.

2. Under "Insert, on the right side of the screen, click "Audio."

3. If you're using a PC, click the option for "Audio on My PC." If you're using a Mac, click the option for "Audio from File" or "Audio Browser."

Note: You can also record your own sound if you select "Record Audio."

4.  Locate the file you'd like to use, then click "Insert" in the dialog box. You can use MP3, MP4, WAV, or AAC files.

5. The file will appear on your PowerPoint as a little playback bar. You can use this to control the song. Move it to a part of your slide where it won't be in the way.

6. If you want the sound to play throughout the presentation, rather than just on the slide that the audio file is located on, click on the file to bring up the "Playback" tab on the toolbar at the top of your screen, and click on it.

7. Directly underneath the "Playback" tab, click the option for "Play in Background" to play the sound throughout. 

Adjust any other options you want in this tab, like volume, fade in and out, and looping. When you're finished, return to the home tab to continue working on your presentation, or click save to finish. 

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• Main content

2 Ways to Add Any Music to PowerPoint in 2021

PowerPoint presentations are far more engaging with music added. I'll go over 2 different ways to add any track you want to your presentations in 2021.

An appropriate song can be effective in setting the tone of the presentation, retaining your audience's attention , and making your project more memorable .

Even better – a musical track playing along with your presentation can help you refine your timing when you prepare, so you're on pace when you present. It's easy to add any music you have saved to your device, or even a track you found online, to your PowerPoint presentation. Here's what you'll need to know:

Adding a track from your computer

Adding a track from youtube or soundcloud, editing the audio timing in powerpoint.

Open your presentation and select the slide where you'd like the track to begin playing. Select the " Insert " tab in the top toolbar and choose " Audio ," then " Audio from file ." When you've selected the file you want to use from your file browser, PowerPoint will add a small audio layer that looks like a speaker icon.

Even easier, you can simply find the right audio file in your file browser, then drag & drop it onto the correct PowerPoint slide. Once you've added it to your presentation, you'll need to customize its timing and trigger so it works the way you want.

You can add any music you want to your presentation, even if you don't have them saved already. I recommend finding music on YouTube or SoundCloud : YouTube contains nearly every song you know, and SoundCloud is perfect for discovering new music in pre-curated playlists, and both are completely free & accessible. Once you've found the track you want to use, right-click on the URL bar and copy the song's link.

Next, head over to Kapwing.com, and paste the link you copied into the white box. Wait a few seconds while Kapwing uploads the file.

Then, click the green "Export Video" button in the top right corner and selection "MP3" from the dropdown. If you want to use just a specific part of the track, you can also trim the file while you're in the Studio.

Once your music is finished processing, click "Download" to save it to your computer. Now, open your presentation and select the slide where you'd like the track to begin playing.

Select the " Insert " tab in the top toolbar and choose " Audio ," then " Audio from file ." Alternatively, you can find the recently downloaded file in your file browser and drag & drop it directly into your PowerPoint window. Now you're ready to customize your presentation's timing!

Just adding music to your PowerPoint presentation isn't enough – you'll need to make sure it starts playing when you want it to, with the right triggers, and for the correct duration. Start by selecting the audio layer – it looks like a white speaker icon. With the track selected, choose " Animations " from the top toolbar.

Click the "Play" icon in the top toolbar to open the animations sidebar. Using the options in the sidebar, you can set the beginning of your audio track, the end trigger, the duration, and the media options.

I recommend using the " After Previous " option for the beginning trigger, and setting the media duration using slide numbers – if you want the music to play automatically until the end, just set the duration to the remaining number of slides under the " Media Options " section.

For more content on audio, video, and presentation editing, check out our YouTube channel Kapwing App . And for for information on audio editing and high-level presentation creation, read through some related articles on audio editing with Kapwing:

• How to Add Music to an Instagram Story • How to Add Any Music to TikTok • How to Add Music to Snapchat • Add Music to Photos Using Kapwing

How to Quickly Fix and Enhance the Audio in Any Video

How to Record Audio or Voice Overs on an iPhone: A Step-by-Step Tutorial

How to Edit Videos: A Complete Beginner's Guide to Modern Video Editing

How to add music to PowerPoint Presentation for all slides

Elevate your PowerPoint presentations with background music across all slides using these simple steps

Step 1: Open Your PowerPoint Presentation

Step 2: Access the Insert Tab

Step 3: Insert Audio File

Step 4: Choose Your Music File

Step 5: Set Playback Options

Step 6: Test Your Presentation

Conclusion:

Frequently asked questions:, can i use any audio file format for background music, will the music play automatically when i open the presentation, can i adjust the volume of the background music, what if i need to share my presentation with others.

Sanskar Tiwari

Founder at MagicSlides

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How to Add, Record or Edit Audio or Music in PowerPoint

Do you want to set the right mood and keep your audience engaged and entertained during your next presentation? In this new Slidesgo School tutorial, you’ll learn how to add audio or music to your presentations . You’ll also find out how to edit them to your liking .

Adding Audio from your Computer

Recording audio from powerpoint, editing audio, adding online audio, adding music from youtube, playing several clips in succession during your presentation.

• Before we begin, please note the following: in PowerPoint 2010 or older, you should use .wav or .wma files in Windows, and .wav files in Mac. If you’re using a newer version, we recommend that you work with AAC .m4a files.
• Open your PowerPoint presentation and select the slide where you want to add audio.
• On the Insert tab, in the Media group, click the Audio drop-down arrow. You’ll see two options: the first one allows you to add audio from your PC, whereas the second one allows you to record audio (you’ll need to have a microphone set up in your computer).
• Select Audio from My PC. A new window will open, where you have to locate the audio file you want to add to your presentation.
• Once located, click the drop-down arrow next to Insert. You’ll see two options:
• If you choose Insert , the audio will be directly inserted into your presentation, increasing the size of the document.
• If you choose Link to File , a link to the file will be created, reducing the size of the document. However, there could be issues if you use the presentation in a different computer, forcing you to link the audio file to the presentation again.
• Select the option that best suits your needs.
• If you want to export any audio included in your PowerPoint presentation, right-click its icon → Save Media As (you can only do this with audio inserted from your PC).
• Please note that if you want to play a different audio in each slide, you’ll need to add the audio files one by one. You’ll also need to uncheck “Play Across Slides”. You can refer to the “ Editing Audio ” section in this tutorial if you want more information.
• On the Insert tab, in the Media group, click the Audio drop-down arrow. Select Record Audio. A new window will open.
• Enter the name of the audio file you’re about to record.
• Press Record to start recording. To stop, press the Stop button. To play what you’ve recorded, press Play.
• If you’re happy with what you’ve recorded, click OK. If that’s not the case, click Cancel.
• Select the audio whose format you want to adjust. A new set of tabs, called Audio Tools, will appear on the toolbar.
• In the Bookmarks group, you’ll find an option to add bookmarks, which will be visible in the timeline. These can be helpful if you want to quickly find the main points in your audio during the presentation.
• In the Editing group, there are options to add a fade in and a fade out. You’ll also find the Trim Audio option. If you click it, a new window will open, where you can set the start point and the end point of the audio clip.
• In the Audio Options group, you’ll find the following options to adjust the behavior of the audio clip:
• Volume: It allows you to set the volume of the clip.
• Start: Click the drop-down arrow to choose how you want the audio to start. If you’re using Office 2010, you’ll also find an option here to play the audio clip during the entire presentation.
• Loop until Stopped: Once the audio clip finishes, it starts again indefinitely until you stop it.
• Play Across Slides: If you enable this, the audio clip will be played during the entire presentation. If “Loop until Stopped” is enabled too, it won’t stop playing until you reach the end of the presentation.
• Hide During Show: Check this option if you want to hide the icon.
• Rewind after Playing: Check this option if you want the timer of the audio clip to go back to the beginning when it reaches the end.
• If you’re using newer versions of PowerPoint, you’ll find a group called Audio Styles. Choose “No Style” if you don’t want additional effects. Choose “Play in Background” if you want the audio clip to be played in the background during your presentation.
• You can change the icon of the audio clip. To do so, on the Format tab, in the Adjust group, click Change Picture.
• Insert an icon or a picture. We’ll use it to link the online audio. Please refer to the How to Add and Modify Icons tutorial to learn how to insert icons.
• Add the link to the online audio resource. If you don’t know how to do it, please refer to the How to Insert a Hyperlink in PowerPoint tutorial.
• Once added, click the icon of this audio. A new window will open, where you must click the Play button. Some audio platforms, such as Soundcloud, allow you to generate an autoplay sharing link. With that, you just need to click the icon to play the audio automatically.
• If you want to pause the playback, you’ll need to exit the presentation mode and do it manually.
• Insert the video containing the audio or music you want. If you don’t know how, please refer to the How to Add a Video in PowerPoint tutorial.
• Decrease the size of the video and place it outside the visible part of the slide.
• We need to set it to automatically play in presentation mode. To do this, on the Playback tab, in the Video Options group, click the Start drop-down arrow and select “Automatically”. If you need more information, please refer to the How to Add a Video in PowerPoint tutorial.
• Please note that the audio will stop when changing slides.

To create a playlist that plays across all slides during your presentation, you need to use an audio editing software, such as Audacity or Adobe Audition, and edit the clips so that they come one after another. When you’re done, export it as a single audio file, which you can now use in your presentation.

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How to Add Music to PowerPoint (Step-by-Step)

• PowerPoint Tutorials
• Shortcuts & Hacks
• October 18, 2019

In this article you’ll learn how to add music to PowerPoint, and the different playback and looping options that are available to you.

There are two main things to note about adding music (or other audio files) to PowerPoint:

1. Adding music to your presentation is slightly different than adding narration directly from within PowerPoint.

If you are trying to add pre-recorded narration files to your presentation, I recommend instead using the  Record Audio  or  Record Slideshow  features to narrate a PowerPoint.

That’s because the built-in narration tools make lining up your voice narration with your slides a lot easier. To learn all about how to narrate a PowerPoint using these tools,  read our guide here .

2. Adding music to PowerPoint will increase the size of your PowerPoint presentation, as you can see in the picture below.

Because the MP3 music files are embedded directly into your PowerPoint presentation, the size of your presentation will increase by the size of the MP3 music file you add.

For example, if you add a 17MB song to your presentation, the size of your presentation will increase by 17MB. If you add two music files to your slides, it will increase even further.

Embedding lots of audio files can make sharing your presentation difficult. To learn different ways you can compress PowerPoint to reduce your file size, read our guide here.

How to add music to PowerPoint (MP3 or other)

​ To add music to a PowerPoint presentation, simply:

• Navigate to your  Title slide  (or wherever you want your music to start)
• Click the  Insert  tab
• Open the  Audio  drop down (in the Media group)
• Select  Audio on My PC…
• Navigate  to the folder on your computer
• Select  the Audio file
• Click  Insert

As a result, the audio file is embedded in your presentation as an object on your slide, and two new Ribbon tabs become available as you can see in the picture below.

Because the audio file is embedded in your presentation, anyone who now opens the presentation can access and play the music inside PowerPoint.

By default, your song will play within the  Click Sequence  of your presentation (see details below).

After inserting music to your presentation, you can then convert your entire presentation into a  video and share it with your colleagues. To learn how to save your presentation as a video,  read our guide here .

How to hide an audio file in PowerPoint

If you don’t want your audio file to be visible on screen during your presentation, you can either click and drag it off your slide space, or simply:

• Select  the Audio File
• Open the  Playback Options  tab
• Select  Hide During Presentation

Selecting  Hide During Presentation  hides the audio file object on the slide when running your Slideshow, so that it doesn’t display.

If you do this, make sure you are using either the  In Click Sequence  or  Automatically  play options for your audio file, otherwise your music will never play, as discussed below.

Note:  Make   sure you add your audio and music files to the exact slides on which you want them to play, because they can only be played once you reach the slide where they have been placed.

Adjusting when your music plays in PowerPoint

By default, your music files will play as part of the click sequence of your presentation which you can see and set within the  Animations Pane ​ (see  In Click Sequence  below).

However, like for most things in PowerPoint, you can change what triggers your music to play.

To change when your music file starts playing in PowerPoint, simply:

• Select the  Music file  on a slide
• Open the  Playback Options  tab
• Open the  Start  drop down
• Choose  In Click Sequence ,  Automatically  or  When Clicked

Below is an explanation of what each of these different playback options means.

1. In Click Sequence

In Click Sequence means that your song will play based on it’s click sequence in your Animations Pane. If you have no animations or triggers set up on your slide, your song will play right before you advance to the next slide.

To change the order of your Click Sequence with other animations, simply.

• Open the Animations tab
• Click the Animation Pane
• Reorder your music file with your other animations

2. Automatically

Automatically means that your music plays as soon as you advance to that slide, and continues playing until either the song ends, or you advance to the next slide.

If you think you might be on this slide awhile and want the song to continue playing, simply select Loop Until Stopped .

3. When Clicked On

When Clicked On means that the music file will only play if someone physically clicks on the music file during your presentation.

This can be useful when you only want to play a song under certain circumstances, or when you want to control when the music starts or stops using your mouse.

Just make sure that if you select When Click On that you don’t also select Hide During Show . That’s because Hide During Show hides the audio file when you are giving your presentation, which means that you cannot click on it to start your song.

How to loop music across your entire presentation

If you are turning your PowerPoint presentation into a video, or want your music to play across all your slides as you present them, follow these steps:

• Insert  and  select your music file on your first slide
• Open the  Playback  tab
• Check  Loop Until Stopped
• Check  Play Across Slides
• Set the  Start  to play  Automatically

Doing so, your music will play as soon as you start your presentation ( F5  on your keyboard) and will continue to loop and play throughout your presentation.

Your music will now only stop when you either exit slideshow mode (hitting  Esc  on your keyboard) or get to the end of your presentation.

To learn the different keyboard shortcuts for starting and stopping a PowerPoint slideshow,  read our guide here .

How to trim music in an PowerPoint presentation

If you only want a section of your audio file to play, you can use the audio trimmer tool in PowerPoint.

To trim an audio file in PowerPoint after you’ve inserted it, simply:

• Select  your Audio file
• Select the  Trim Audio  command
• Adjust the  Start time
• Adjust the  End Time

As a result, your audio file will be trimmed to the new start and end times you set.

Note:  If you later compress the media in your presentation, the parts of the audio file you trimmed away will be permanently removed.

This will decrease the size of the audio in your PowerPoint presentation, but it will also permanently alter your music file.

To learn a variety of different ways you can reduce your PowerPoint file size by compressing things in PowerPoint,  read our guide here .

How to remove all music files from your presentation

Audio and media files can easily be removed from your presentation by simply selecting them and hitting Delete.

However, if you have a lot of audio, video or music files spread out throughout your presentation, you can remove them all at the same time by following these simple steps.

1. Find your presentation in File Explorer

Save and close your PowerPoint presentation, and then open the file folder where your presentation sits.

If your presentation is on the Desktop, simply click and drag it into a folder so you can see it in  File Explorer  as pictured above.

2. Turn on File name extensions

To turn on the file name extensions in  File Explorer , simply:

• Click on the  View  tab
• Select  File name extension s

This enables you to see (and edit) the file name extensions of your files. For example:

3. Turn your PowerPoint into a ZIP file

To turn your PowerPoint presentation into a ZIP file, simply:

• Right-click  your file
• Select  Rename
• Replace the ‘ .pptx ‘ part with ‘ .zip ‘ and hit  Enter
• Select  Yes

This converts your PowerPoint presentation into a ZIP file with all your PowerPoint objects in it. As a result, you’ll be able to open the folder and edit its contents.

4. Delete any MP3 or MP4 files from your media folder

For example, if you want to delete the media files (MP3 and MP4) out of your presentation, simply:

• Open the  ZIP  folder
• Double-click  PowerPoint
• Double-click  Media
• Select the MP3 and MP4 files you want to delete and hit  Delete

This deletes all the selected files from your presentation, regardless of where they exist within your presentation.

Note: The media folder also includes any audio or video narrations you have added to your presentation, so if you delete all those file types, you’ll remove the narration as well.

Therefore, if you are not sure which MP3 or MP4 files you want to delete from the folder, double-click them inside the ZIP folder to preview them before you delete them.

5. Turn your ZIP folder back into a PowerPoint presentation

Once you’ve deleted your media files, turn your ZIP file folder back into your PowerPoint presentation, simply:

• Right-click  your ZIP folder
• Change the ‘ .zip ‘ to ‘ .pptx ‘

As a result, you can now open your PowerPoint presentation without all the media files you deleted.

Note:  If you don’t like seeing the  File extension names  in your file folders, you can simply turn them off in File Explorer, like this:

• Navigate to the  View  tab
• Uncheck  File name extensions

In conclusion, there is a lot you can do with audio when you add music to your presentation.

If you followed the instructions in this article, you now know exactly how to add music to PowerPoint, and the different playback and looping options available to you.

Just remember to pay attention to how and when you trigger your music to play in PowerPoint… especially if you choose to hide your audio file in Slideshow mode, as otherwise it might not play.

If you enjoyed this article, you can learn more about how to improve your PowerPoint skills by visiting us here .

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Edit Music, Sound, or Other Audio Settings in PowerPoint

You can use PowerPoint to edit music, sound, or other audio

• Brock University

In This Article

Jump to a Section

• Play Music Across Slides

Set Music Playback Options Using the Animation Pane

• Play Music Over a Specific Number of Slides
• Hide the Sound Icon During a Slide Show
• Change the Volume Setting on a Slide

Use sound and narration audio files to enhance your presentation. Play audio files across several slides, play music during specified slides, or play background music along with narration. After you've added the sound files, change the volume level and hide the audio icons on the slide.

Instructions in this article apply to PowerPoint 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007; PowerPoint for Mac, and PowerPoint for Microsoft 365.

Play Music Across Several PowerPoint Slides

There may be times when you want a single audio file to play during an entire slide show or from a certain slide to the end of the show. For example, you can add a voiceover on PowerPoint that will narrate your slides for you.

To play music across several PowerPoint slides until the audio ends:

Navigate to the slide where the music, sound, or another audio file will start playing.

On the ribbon , go to the Insert tab.

In the Media group, select Audio , then choose Audio on My PC .

If you don't have a pre-recorded audio file, select Record Audio to create a narration.

Navigate to the folder where the sound or music file is stored, choose the file, then select Insert .

Select the audio icon.

Go to the Audio Tools Playback tab.

In the Audio Options group, select the Play Across Slides check box.

The sound file will play across 999 slides or to the end of the music, whichever comes first.

If you want to play several selections of music (or parts of several selections) and want the music to stop after a precise number of slides have been shown, set up the audio files as animations.

To find the animation options:

Navigate to the slide which contains the sound file icon.

On the ribbon, go to the Animations tab and select Animation Pane .

In the Animation Pane , select the drop-down arrow next to the audio file.

Select Effect Options .

The Play Audio dialog box opens and displays the Effect tab.

Use the Effect tab to set when an audio file should start playing and stop playing.

Use the Timing tab to set how the sound should start and to set a delay time.

How to Play Music Over Specific Number of PowerPoint Slides

To change the number of slides that the audio file will play across:

In the Play Audio dialog box, go to the Effect tab.

In the Stop playing section, delete the entry 999 .

Enter the specific number of slides for the music to play.

Select OK to apply the setting and close the dialog box.

Go to the Slide Show tab and select From Current Slide to start the slide show at the current slide.

If you prefer to use keyboard shortcuts, select Shift+F5 .

Preview the music playback to make sure it is correct for your presentation.

Hide the Sound Icon During a PowerPoint Slide Show

A sure sign that a slide show was created by an amateur presenter , is that the sound file icon is visible on-screen during the presentation. Get on the right road to becoming a better presenter by making this quick and easy correction.

To hide the sound icon:

Select the sound file icon. The Audio Tools tab appears above the ribbon.

In the Audio Options group, select the Hide During Show check box.

The audio file icon will be visible to you, the creator of the presentation, in the editing phase. However, the audience will never see it when the show is live.

Change the Volume Setting of an Audio File on a PowerPoint Slide

There are four settings for the volume of the audio file that is inserted into a PowerPoint slide: Low, Medium, High, and Mute. By default, audio files that are added to a slide are set to play at the High level. This may not be your preference.

To change the volume of the audio file:

Select the sound icon on the slide.

In the Audio Options group, select Volume .

Choose Low , Medium , High , or Mute depending on your needs and preferences.

Select Play to test the audio volume.

If you choose a low audio volume, the audio file may play much louder than anticipated. Adjust the sound playback further by changing the sound settings on your computer, in addition to changing the audio volume in PowerPoint.

To make sure the audio plays at the right volume, test the audio on the presentation computer if this computer is different than the one you used to create the presentation. Also, preview your presentation in the location where the slide show will take place to make sure the audio sounds good with the room's acoustics.

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How to Add Music to PowerPoint? [A Complete Guide!]

By: Author Shrot Katewa

Whether you want to play some pleasing melody while playing your presentation at an event or whether you want to play some soothing music when giving a presentation to a class, the first step is to know how to add music in PowerPoint!

To add music to PowerPoint, first, click on the “Insert” tab. Then, click on the “Audio” option from the ribbon, and then choose “Audio from my PC” from the dropdown. A file explorer window will open up. Navigate to the folder containing the music file, select the file, and click on “Insert”.

But, just knowing how to add a music file is not enough. There are quite a few things that you can do with music in PowerPoint!

In this article, we’ll do a deep-dive on adding music to PowerPoint. We shall also take a look at how you can play the music across slides. Plus, we shall also learn how to adjust a few settings so we can play the music with a click! That, and much more!

So, let’s get started!

1. How to Add Music to PowerPoint?

Microsoft PowerPoint has an “Audio” feature that allows you to add a recorded presentation speech or music to a slide. Although you can choose to add some music to your presentation, with this feature you can also add narration to your slides in PowerPoint!

Here’s a detailed step-by-step process that you need to follow to add music to your PowerPoint presentation –

Step-1: Click on the “Insert” tab

Select the slide to which you want to add the music to from the slide thumbnail pane and then click on the “Insert” option from the menu bar located at the top of your screen.

Step-2: Click on the “Audio” button

In the “Insert” menu, click on the “Audio” button which is the speakerphone icon. In the dropdown menu, select the “Audio on My PC” option (as shown in the image in step 1).

This will open a “File Explorer” popup window.

Step-3: Select the preferred audio from “File Explorer”

In the “File Explorer” window, select the music file that you want to add to the PowerPoint slide. Then click on the “Insert” button at the bottom of the window.

1a. Add Music to PowerPoint 2007

All older versions of Microsoft PowerPoint, including PowerPoint 2007 allow you to add music to a slide. All you have to do is follow the 4 simple steps mentioned below –

The first step is to click on the slide where you want to add music. Then click on the “Insert” tab from the menu bar located at the top of your screen.

Step-2: Click on the “Sound” option

Under the “Insert” tab, click on the “Sound” option with a downward-facing arrow. Be sure not to click on the speakerphone icon right over the “Sound” option. This will open a dropdown menu.

Step-3: Click on “Sound from File”

In the dropdown menu, click on the “Sound from File” option to open a “File Explorer” window. Now all you have to do is select your preferred music file and click on the “OK” button.

Step-4: Select preferred way to play the music

Now you will see a dialogue box in the middle of the screen. Click on the “Automatically” option if you want to play the music as soon as the slide is opened. Click on the “When Clicked” option if you want to play the music manually during the presentation.

1b. Add Music to PowerPoint 2016

The process of adding music in PowerPoint 2016 is similar to that of PowerPoint 2020.

To add music, all you have to do is click on the “Audio” button in the “Insert” menu and select the “Audio on My PC” option. Then select the preferred music from the “File Explorer” window.

1c. Add Music to PowerPoint on Mac

In a Mac device, you can easily add music to a Microsoft PowerPoint slide. Follow the 3 quick steps.

In the menu bar located at the top of the screen, click on the “Insert” tab to open the “Insert” menu.

Step-2: Select the “Audio Browser” option

In the “Insert” menu, click on the “Audio” button which is the musical note icon. Now click on the “Audio Browser” option from the dropdown menu. This will open a dialogue box.

Step-3: “Drag and Drop” the music file

Scroll through the “Audio Browser” dialogue box to find your preferred music file. Now all you have to do is “Drag and Drop” the music file from the dialogue box to the selected slide.

If you are using Office 365 on Mac, the process is the same as the one described for Windows.

2. Choosing Music for your Presentation

Now that you know how to add music to your presentation, you will most definitely need to know where to get the music files from!

There are a couple of things that you can do apart from adding music that you may already own on your computer.

The first thing that you can do is use music videos from YouTube!

2a. How to Add Music to PowerPoint from YouTube?

Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to add media files including music files from external sources as well. You can add media files from online sources like Youtube, Vimeo, Stream, etc.

In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can directly add music from YouTube. In this method, I’m going to show you how to add a video from YouTube in PowerPoint.

All you have to do is follow the easy steps mentioned below –

Step-1: Click on the “Insert” menu

In the slide thumbnail pane, click on the slide where you want to add the music. Then click on the “Insert” tab from the menu bar at the top of the screen.

Step-2: Click on the “Online Videos” option

In the “Insert” menu, click on the “Video” button to open a dropdown menu. Select the “Online Videos” option from the dropdown menu (as shown in the image in step 1).

This will open a dialogue box.

Step-3: Paste the link to the Youtube video

Click on the box under the “Enter the address for the online video” option. Now all you have to do is paste the link of the Youtube music video which you want to add to the slide.

Then click on the “Insert” button at the bottom of the dialogue box.

Step-4: Move the Video Outside the Slide Canvas

If you don’t want the video to show, you can simply drag the video outside the slide canvas and it won’t appear during the slideshow. However, it will still play if you have set it to play on a click! (which we shall talk about later in the article)

2b. Can You Add Music to PowerPoint from Spotify?

Microsoft PowerPoint does not support the “Ogg Vorbis” file format which the Spotify application uses. So you cannot directly add music from Spotify to PowerPoint.

Furthermore, the music files in Spotify are encrypted, so it is not legal to add a music file to PowerPoint from Spotify. However, you can add the music from YouTube or from iTunes in a PowerPoint on Mac.

I’d highly recommend getting a music file from one of the other sources that I’ve shared in this article rather than getting it through illegal means from Spotify!

3. How to Get FREE Music for PowerPoint?

So, if Spotify doesn’t work, you may be wondering how to get free music for your PowerPoint presentations!

Well, there are actually quite a few websites on the internet that will provide you with some music options. But, you really need to be careful with the licenses and legalities involved.

I’ve had the most success with the following three options!

1. YouTube Audio Library

YouTube Audio Library is a great free resource to get some good music.

You can easily search for a particular type of music. You can also search by a specific genre or even the artist.

Then, click on the file to play it and see if you like it. Once you’ve decided on the file that you like, you can simply download the file on your computer.

One drawback with YouTube Audio Library is that you need to have a YouTube channel to access it. However, creating a channel is free and it only takes a minute. You don’t have to run the channel, just create it and use the audio library for the music.

Do make sure that you check out the license terms and conditions of use of the music provided by YouTube.

Another great resource for some decent music is Pixabay .

The music available on Pixabay is completely free to download and use even for commercial projects. You can easily search through a variety of different moods and genres of music through the panel on the left.

You can also use the search bar to quickly look for a good music option.

In my experience, although Pixabay is free, it takes a lot of time to find a really good music file that you can actually use in your presentation!

3. Envato Elements

The best option on this list is Envato Elements .

With Envato Elements , you get a ton of options and the quality of the music provided is surprisingly really high! So, it really doesn’t take too long to find a good music option that you can actually use in your presentation!

You can easily search for the type of music file that you are looking for.

Although Envato Elements requires you to pay a monthly subscription fee. But the reason I consider this a FREE resource is that you get to download unlimited files! You heard that right, you get UNLIMITED downloads with no restrictions!

And, while you are at it, you can also download an unlimited number of presentation templates for your future needs as well!

You can sign up once and cancel the subscription immediately. So, you end up paying for just 1 month. And, when you cancel your subscription, your account still remains active for the end of the cycle.

For that one month, go crazy downloading all the files that you need! [You can thank me later! :-)]

4. How to Play Music Across Multiple Slides in PowerPoint?

In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can easily play the music inserted in one slide across all slides of the particular presentation.

To play music across slides, first, select the audio file. Then, click on the “Playback” tab. From the ribbon, click on the “Play in Background” option.

Once that’s done, the music will play in the background across all the slides in PowerPoint when in presentation mode.

5. How to Edit Music or Audio Files in PowerPoint?

PowerPoint allows you to carry out some of the basic editing functions to the music file.

After inserting music or an audio file in Microsoft PowerPoint, you can easily edit the music. Here’s what you need to do –

Step-1: Click on the speakerphone icon

In the slide with the music added, click on the speakerphone or “Audio” icon.

Step-2: Click on the “Playback” tab

Now all you have to do is click on the “Playback” tab from the menu bar located at the top of the screen. In the “Playback” menu, you will find various options to edit the music or audio file.

Here, you can trim the music file, apply fade-in or fade-out effect, play it across slides, loop until you want to stop it, and much more!

6. How to Get Music to Play Automatically in PowerPoint?

It is very easy to get the music to play automatically in PowerPoint. All you have to do is click on the “Playback” menu.

Now click on the “Start” button and select the “Automatically” option from the dropdown menu.

7. How to Set Music to Play on a Click in PowerPoint?

Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to choose how to play the music added to a slide.

To set the music to play on a click, open the “Playback” menu from the menu bar located at the top of the screen. Now all you have to do is click on the “Start” box and select the “When Clicked On” option from the dropdown menu.

8. How to Delete the Music File in PowerPoint?

If you receive a PowerPoint presentation that has a music file that you want to get rid of or if you want to insert a different music file in your presentation, you can easily delete the audio file in PowerPoint!

To delete the music file in PowerPoint, first, select the music file by clicking on the “Speaker” icon of the audio file on the slide. Then, simply press the “Delete” key on your keyboard to remove the music file from your presentation.

Once the file has been deleted, you can choose to insert a different music file by following the process described in the article to add an audio file!

Credit to drobotdean (on Freepik) for the featured image of this article (further edited).

How to Put Music in a PowerPoint from YouTube (Any PPT Version Supported)

YouTube music can be video or audio. When creating a PowerPoint presentation, do you need to insert a YouTube music video to enhance the content? Or is your goal to engage your audience and improve their listening experience by adding background music, narration, or sound effects? Read on to learn how to put music in a PowerPoint from YouTube.

Table of Contents

• Compare Method 1 and Method 2
• Method 1: Insert a YouTube Music Link into PowerPoint

Method 2. Download YouTube Music and Add It to PowerPoint

2 methods to put a youtube music on a powerpoint .

There are 2 methods helping you put YouTube music to PowerPoint: Insert a direct link to a YouTube music video (method 1) and download YouTube audio to Mac or PC, then manually import it to your presentation (method 2). Take into account the pros & cons, and choose the option that aligns with your needs.

Method 1. Insert a YouTube Music Link into PowerPoint

PowerPoint allows you to insert videos directly from YouTube, SlideShare, Vimeo, Flip and Stream. It doesn't require much skill and can be easily used by anyone.

How to put music in a PowerPoint from YouTube without installing additional apps:

Step 1. Copy the link to the YouTube video containing the desired music.

Step 2. Open your presentation on your computer.

Step 3. On the ribbon, go to the “Insert” tab > “Video” > “Online Video”.

Step 4. Paste the online YouTube video link into the text box.

Step 5. Wait for analyze, then click “Insert”.

If PowerPoint cannot successfully detect a video through it long link, e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjIuTU79Sqk, then you can try to use its short link. Right-click on the video and select “Copy video URL” to get it: https://youtu.be/BjIuTU79Sqk.

Most users who add music to PowerPoint from YouTube are more interested in adding background music to PPT. Obviously, the first method only supports adding videos. In this case, you need to install a YouTube audio downloader for Mac or PC to get the music from YouTube, and then import it to PowerPoint locally.

For the purpose of downloading YouTube music video/audio files and save them to your local computer, Cisdem Video Converter is ready to help. It allows you to batch save music into as many different formats as you can think of, including MP4, MP3, M4A, WAV, AAC, MKV, M4V, etc. Besides YouTube, it also help you safely and steadily get music from Vimeo, Facebook, Dailymotion, TikTok, X (Twitter), Mixcloud, name to a few.

How to download YouTube music file:

Step 1. Download and install Cisdem Video Converter. Hit the third icon at the top of the software to switch to the “video downloader” interface. 

Step 2. Find the music video you want to download from YouTube and copy its URL.

Step 3. Paste the URL of the video into the software and click on the “+” button. 

Step 4. Choose the needed downloading format, say, “m4a (mp4a) - 129k”, and then hit “download” icon in the lower right corner.

Step 5. Once the download is complete, click the blue “✓” icon to find your downloaded YouTube M4A music.

More tips to use Cisdem Video Converter:

• When you want to add multiple YouTube music in a PowerPoint, you can use Cisdem Video Converter to download them at the same time. No need to download one song after another, which helps to improve efficiency.
• YouTube music is usually downloaded in MP4, WEBM and M4A formats by default, and only WEBM is not supported by PowerPoint. If you want to convert music to other formats, you can use the media file conversion function of Cisdem Video Converter. Just click the first icon at the top to switch to the "Video Converter" interface.

• In addition to downloading and converting YouTube music on Mac and Windows, you can also use this app to edit/play media files and rip content from DVDs into file formats.

How to put background music on PowerPoint from YouTube:

Step 1. In your PowerPoint, click “Audio” under the “Insert” tab. 

Step 2. Choose the M4A audio you just download from YouTube. 

Step 3. Click “Open” to import it to PPT.

You can make some edits to the audio in PowerPoint, such as fading in and out, looping, trimming, setting the audio volume/image, hiding the sound icon, playing across slides, and so on.

Moreover, if you previously downloaded a YouTube music video, click “Video” on the ribbon and upload a video from your device. 

Final Thought

The above is all about how to put music on a PowerPoint from YouTube. Method 1 supports embedding any YouTube music video in PPT for playback and presentation when there is an internet connection. Method 2 supports not only inserting YouTube video but also YouTube audio. Although method 2 has restrictions on music files, most people search for this topic to add YouTube background audio to PowerPoint, which method 1 cannot do.

Why are you putting YouTube music into PowerPoint? Did the above solve your problem? Do you have a more convenient method to recommend? Feel free to let all other readers know in the comments section.

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Play music or other sounds automatically when a slide appears

You can tell PowerPoint to play music or other audio automatically when a certain slide appears during a slide show.

There are different ways to play it automatically when you get to that slide in your presentation:

To start the audio immediately when the slide appears during the presentation, use the options on the Playback tab .

To start the audio after a delayed interval of time that you set, use Animation options .

Start the audio in the click sequence or immediately

In Normal view (where you edit your slides), click the audio icon on the slide.

On the Playback tab, in the Audio Options group, select In Click Sequence or Automatically in the Start list.

To test the sound, on the Slide Show tab, click From Beginning .

Note:  To hear music or sounds, your computer must be equipped with a sound card and speakers.

Start the audio after a delay

On the Animations tab, click Add Animation .

Under Media , select Play .

On the Animations tab, click Animation Pane .

In the Animation Pane , make sure your audio clip is in first position at the top of the pane.

Click the down arrow to the right of the sound clip, and then click Effect Options .

On the Effect tab under Start Playing , select From beginning .

Under Stop Playing , select After current slide .

On the Timing tab, in the Start list, select With Previous .

To begin playing the sound after a brief delay, in the Delay box, press the up arrow to increase the delay in seconds, and then click OK .

Play music for the duration of your slide show

Are you having video or audio playback issues?

Trim a video, music clip, or sound clip

Add or delete audio in your PowerPoint presentation

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Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Presentations > Six tips for recording a presentation

Six tips for recording a presentation

Your latest presentation is filled with crucial information and key concepts your colleagues need to remember. Record and archive it for easy reference and absorption.

How to record your presentation

Whether you’re recording a presentation for work, a webinar or school, both you and your colleagues will greatly appreciate having it available to reference. You can absorb information at your pace, ensuring that you retain pertinent information, without having to rely solely on your notes. While the method of recording depends on the virtual meeting platform or whether its in person, here are some guidelines on how to record you presentation:

Tell your story with captivating presentations

Powerpoint empowers you to develop well-designed content across all your devices

1. Choose the right equipment

High-quality recording equipment is essential for producing professional-looking and sounding presentations. Laptops are equipped with microphone and a high-resolution webcam, but it’s always a good idea to consider investing in higher quality recording equipment.

2. Test Your equipment

Before starting your presentation, it’s crucial to test your recording equipment to ensure everything is working properly. Check the audio levels, video quality, and any additional accessories you may be using, such as lighting or a green screen. Conducting a test run will help identify any technical issues that need to be addressed. Review the virtual meeting platform you are using to ensure that the recording feature is enabled, so you won’t have to search for it when the presentation time rolls around.

3. Optimize your environment

Choose a quiet, well-lit environment for recording your presentation. Minimize background noise and distractions to ensure clear audio and video quality. Consider using a neutral background or a virtual background to maintain a professional appearance. Natural lighting is ideal, but if that’s not possible, invest in good quality lighting equipment to ensure your face is well-lit and visible.

4. Organize your presentation contents

Organize your presentation materials in a logical order to facilitate smooth delivery. Create an outline or script to guide your presentation, making sure to include key points, transitions, and visual aids. Practice your presentation multiple times to become familiar with the contents and ensure a confident delivery. If you have multiple presenters, solidify the speaking order and designate one person to facilitate the presentation.

5. Engage with Your Audience

Even though you’re recording your presentation, it’s essential to engage with your audience as if they were present in the room with you. Encourage interaction by asking questions, prompting viewers to think critically, and inviting them to share their thoughts or experiences in the comments section. Respond to comments and questions promptly to foster a sense of community and connection with your audience.

6. Monitor Your Time

Keep track of time during your presentation to ensure that you stay within the allotted timeframe. Plan your presentation carefully, allocating sufficient time to cover each topic or section. If you find yourself running out of time, prioritize the most critical points and consider saving less crucial information for a follow-up or supplementary material.

For more ways to improve presentation skills, like calming presentation anxiety and connecting with a virtual audience , learn more presentation tips .

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