How to Add Audio to PowerPoint

Adding audio to your PowerPoint slides is a great way to make a dull presentation more lively. It can also help the audience relate more to the points you’re making. This article will show you how to add audio files to all versions of  PowerPoint.

How to add audio to a slide

Option 1: Import an audio file

1. Select the PowerPoint slide you would like to add an audio file.

   

2. Select Insert on the ribbon bar.

   

3. Click Audio in the “Media” section and select Audio on My PC.

   

4. A dialogue box will pop up, prompting you to locate an audio file on your computer. Select the audio file you want to add and click on Insert.

   

5. A speaker icon on the slide will represent the audio file.

   

Option 2: Record your audio

Note: Ensure that your computer has a sound card installed and you have a working microphone for this option.

1. Select Insert on the ribbon bar.

   

2. Select Audio in the “Media” section, then click Record Audio.

   

3. A dialogue box will launch. Give your audio file a name and click on the Record button. Begin speaking to your microphone to record your voice.

   

4. When done recording, click the Stop command, then click Ok.

   

5. The audio file will appear on the slide.

   

How to listen to an audio file

1. Click on the play button on the audio to listen to it.

   

2. You can also listen to the audio in a slide show. Click on the Slide Show tab.

   

3. In the “Start Slide Show” section, selecyt the option From Beginning.

   

4. While in the slide show, click on the Play button to listen to the audio.

   

Change the appearance of the audio tool

Let’s look at a few ways to make the audio tool look better in a slide show. Primarily I will focus on two methods:

• How to change the position of the audio tool.
• How to change the color of the speaker icon.

Changing its position

The audio tool is movable on the slide. Click and drag the speaker Icon to move the audio to a new location.

How to change the colour of the speaker icon

1. You can edit the speaker icon to a different colour or size. Select the speaker icon and click Format on the ribbon bar to change the colour.

   

2. Click Color in the “Adjust” section and select any colour of your choice.

   

3. The speaker icon will change to the colour selected.

   

Editing your audio file in PowerPoint

Let’s look at how to edit an audio file within PowerPoint. Here are some of the ways to edit the file:

• Trimming the audio file.
• Applying fade-in and fade-out effects.
• Remove the option to hide, loop, and play the audio on all slides.

How to Trim the Audio

1. Click Playback on the ribbon bar.

   

2. In the “Editing” section, select Trim Audio.

   

3. A “Trim” Audio dialogue box will pop up. Click Play, then pause the audio to identify where you want the audio to start.

   

4. Drag the green marker on the left side to the chosen starting point to trim the audio.

   

5. Drag the red marker to a new stop point for the audio, then click OK.

   

6. Preview the trimmed audio on the slide by clicking Play on the audio tool.

   

Adding fade-in and fade-out effects

1. Select the audio and select Playback on the ribbon bar.

   

2. Click the up arrow of the Fade In option. Choose between 04:00 to 08:00 seconds to have a gradual fade-in effect.

   

3. Next to Fade Out, click on the up arrow to choose how long you want the audio to fade.

   

4. Click on Play to preview your audio. Play the audio.

How to hide, loop, and play the audio on all slides

The audio tool is hidable during the slide show. If the audio happens to be background music, it can be looped to play throughout the presentation. The audio also has to play across all the slides to enable this function. Follow these steps to apply the effects to the audio file:

1. Select the audio and go to Playback on the ribbon bar.

   

2. Click Play in Background in the “Audio Styles” section.

   

Note: The Play in Background option will automatically hide the speaker icon during a presentation. It will also loop and play the audio across all slides.