• Vote: Reader’s Choice
  • Meta Quest 4
  • Google Pixel 9
  • Google Pixel 8a
  • Apple Vision Pro 2
  • Nintendo Switch 2
  • Samsung Galaxy Ring
  • Yellowstone Season 6
  • Recall an Email in Outlook
  • Stranger Things Season 5

5 ways to add music to PowerPoint

how to add music powerpoint computer turntable pixabay

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.

Editors’ Recommendations

  • How to convert a PowerPoint to Google Slides
  • How to use Microsoft PowerPoint
  • How to download Microsoft PowerPoint
  • How to print a PowerPoint presentation with notes
  • Apple’s Vision Pro to get bespoke Microsoft 365 apps at launch
  • How-To Guides

Sandy Writtenhouse

With various cybersecurity threats on a constant rise, it certainly feels like dangerous malware is around every corner. This time, it found its way into PowerPoint presentations disguised as helpful guides on how to protect yourself against phishing. The irony of it all is strong, but the worst part is that this malware could help attackers empty your bank account.

Microsoft has revealed its thoughts on how artificial intelligence (AI) could shape how we work in the years to come -- and how it plans to help guide those changes. The announcement was made by Microsoft’s Satya Nadella and Jared Spataro at a company event titled The Future of Work with AI.

As the name suggests, the show was focused on how artificial intelligence (AI) could affect how we work, both now and in the future. More specifically, the tech giant discussed how it will add AI smarts into its suite of Office apps.

Microsoft is currently testing the GPT AI language that was developed by the technology brand OpenAI to potentially be used in its Office suite of products, including Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

OpenAI's intuitive technology products, including ChatGPT and Dall-E 2, have become internet sensations for their text- and image-generating prowess. Many have speculated about how ChatGPT can practically and morally be used. However, Microsoft is looking to use the company's AI models in a more functional manner. The company has already implemented a version of the OpenAI GPT text-generator model as an update to its autocomplete feature, according to The Information.

How-To Geek

How to add music to your powerpoint presentation.

4

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Microsoft Office vs. Google Docs, Sheets, Slides: Which Is Best?

What is zorin os linux for people who don’t want to leave windows, mozilla reveals thunderbird appointment, a free scheduling tool, quick links, adding music to your presentation.

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.

Audio in media section

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

two audio options

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.

Record audio

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.

Finish recording audio

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.

Insert audio from PC

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.

Audio microphone

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.

play in background

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.

other options

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

  • Microsoft Office
  • Office 2016

How to Add Music to Powerpoint Presentation for All Slides

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

How to add music to PowerPoint Presentation for all slides

Step 1: open your powerpoint presentation.

notion image

Step 2: Access the Insert Tab

notion image

Step 3: Insert Audio File

notion image

Step 4: Choose Your Music File

notion image

Step 5: Set Playback Options

notion image

Step 6: Test Your Presentation

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, create ppt using ai.

Just Enter Topic, Youtube URL, PDF, or Text to get a beautiful PPT in seconds. Use the bulb for AI suggestions.

character count: 0 / 6000 (we can fetch data from google)

upload pdf, docx, .png

less than 2 min

Mehjabi Khan

Mehjabi Khan

How to undo changes in PowerPoint

16 April 2024

How to bend text in PowerPoint

How to remove footer in PowerPoint

15 April 2024

How to change opacity in PowerPoint

How to duplicate a PowerPoint slides

13 April 2024

How to insert PPT in new PowerPoint

How to crop a picture into a square in PowerPoint

12 April 2024

How to loop a PowerPoint slideshow

How to turn PowerPoint into notes

10 April 2024

Stunning presentations in seconds with AI

Install MagicSlides app now and start creating beautiful presentations. It's free!

App screenshot

Get AI-Generated Presentations Ready in Seconds

Free AI PPT Tools

Icon 1

  • PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
  • EDIT Edit this Article
  • EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Happiness Hub Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
  • Browse Articles
  • Learn Something New
  • Quizzes Hot
  • Happiness Hub
  • This Or That Game
  • Train Your Brain
  • Explore More
  • Support wikiHow
  • About wikiHow
  • Log in / Sign up
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Presentation Software
  • PowerPoint Insertions

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 564,682 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".

Step 1 Open a project in Microsoft PowerPoint.

  • 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 .

Step 2 Click Insert.

  • 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.

Step 4 Select the audio file and click Insert.

  • 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.

Step 6 Edit the music file (optional).

  • 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.

Step 7 Edit the music button (optional).

  • 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 .

Step 1 Open a project in Microsoft PowerPoint.

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

Step 2 Find a web video you want to insert.

  • On Mac, this will be Online Movie .

Step 6 Paste...

  • You'll see a preview of the video.

Step 7 Click Insert.

  • 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.

Step 1 Open a project in the PowerPoint app.

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

Step 2 Tap the menu icon.

  • The menu will open.

Step 3 Tap Home.

  • The audio file will be added to your PowerPoint.

Step 1 Open the slide you want to start the song on.

  • 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.

Step 3 Decide how you want the sound to start playing.

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

Step 4 Right-click on the new audio object and select

  • 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.

Community Q&A

Community Answer

You Might Also Like

Save a PowerPoint Presentation on a Thumbdrive

  • ↑ 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

About This Article

Rain Kengly

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

  • Send fan mail to authors

Is this article up to date?

Do I Have a Dirty Mind Quiz

Featured Articles

Protect Yourself from Predators (for Kids)

Trending Articles

Superhero Name Generator

Watch Articles

Wear a Headband

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Info
  • Not Selling Info

wikiHow Tech Help Pro:

Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve

Art of Presentations

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

By: Author Shrot Katewa

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

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

play song during powerpoint presentation

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”

play song during powerpoint presentation

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

play song during powerpoint presentation

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

play song during powerpoint presentation

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

play song during powerpoint presentation

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.

play song during powerpoint presentation

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

play song during powerpoint presentation

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?

play song during powerpoint presentation

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

play song during powerpoint presentation

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

Step-2: Click on the “Playback” tab

play song during powerpoint presentation

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?

play song during powerpoint presentation

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?

play song during powerpoint presentation

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).

Home Blog PowerPoint Tutorials How to Add Music to PowerPoint

How to Add Music to PowerPoint

Cover for 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 .

How to add music to PowerPoint

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

Select music file in PowerPoint

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. 

Music playback options in PowerPoint

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.

Play music across all slides in PowerPoint

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 .

Record audio in PowerPoint

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

Start recording audio in PowerPoint

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.

Stop audio recording in PowerPoint

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.

Like this article? Please share

PowerPoint Tools, Presentation Ideas Filed under PowerPoint Tutorials

Related Articles

How to Add a Timer to PowerPoint

Filed under PowerPoint Tutorials • July 30th, 2024

How to Add a Timer to PowerPoint

Generate expectations for your presentation introductions by mastering how to add a timer to PowerPoint. Step-by-step instructions + templates.

How to Create a Demo Presentation

Filed under Business • July 24th, 2024

How to Create a Demo Presentation

Discover the secrets behind successful demo presentations and what they should contain with this article. Recommended PPT templates included.

How to Find Quick Access Toolbar in PowerPoint

Filed under PowerPoint Tutorials • July 24th, 2024

How to Find Quick Access Toolbar in PowerPoint

Easily customize PowerPoint’s UI by locating and editing the Quick Access Toolbar in PowerPoint

Leave a Reply

play song during powerpoint presentation

  • DynamicPowerPoint.com
  • SignageTube.com
  • SplitFlapTV.com

PresentationPoint

How to Play Music Playlists in PowerPoint as Your Own Radio Station?

May 19, 2015 | Articles , DataPoint Real-time Screens , How-To

How to insert a single song or mp3 file on a slide?

Music brings life and in some PowerPoint presentations and it is allowed to play back music for entertainment or a single sound effect.  Start with a new presentation or open an existing presentation. Insert a new slide or navigate to the slide where the user wants to add the mp3 file.

insert audio on powerpoint menu

Pin It on Pinterest

  • StumbleUpon
  • Print Friendly

PresentationPoint

  • Privacy Overview
  • Strictly Necessary Cookies

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

Critical PowerPoint Shortcuts – Claim Your FREE Training Module and Get Your Time Back!

nuts and bolts speed training logo

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.

Example of an audio file added to a PowerPoint presentation

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.

Adding music to PowerPoint increases the file size of your presentation, sometimes by a lot

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 insert music into PowerPoint, click the Insert tab, open the audio dropdown options, file the audio file on your computer and click insert

​ 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.

After inserting a music file and PowerPoint you will see audio playback options and settings in your ribbon

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

To hide a music file tab and select hide during show

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 starts playing in PowerPoint, click the Playback tab and in the start dropdown select when your music will start playing

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 click sequence of your music in PowerPoint, open the animations pane and rearrange your music files to change the click sequence

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

To keep your music playing, even when the song ends, on the playback tab select loop until stopped

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.

A common mistake is to select when clicked on for a song to start in PowerPoint, but also hiding the audio file so you can never click it

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

To loop music across an entire PowerPoint presentation, select to start automatically, play across slides and loop until stopped on the playback tab

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.

To start your PowerPoint presentation from the beginning slideshow mode F5 on your keyboard

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.

In the trim audio dialog box adjust the start time and end time to trim your music in your PowerPoint presentation

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 navigate to it on your computer in a file explorer window

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

In the file Explorer click the view tab and select filename extensions to show the 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:

The file name extensions are .pptx for PowerPoint, .xlsx for Excel, and .docx for Word

3. Turn your PowerPoint into a ZIP file

Change the file name extension for your PowerPoint presentation from .pptx to .zip

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.

Changing the file name extension of your powerpoint presentation to .zip turns it into a zipped folder

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

Navigate to the media folder within a zipped file and delete all of the music files you want to remove from your PowerPoint presentation

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

When you are done deleting your music files from your PowerPoint presentation, right-click a zipped folder and rename the file extension to .pptx to turn it 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.

Example converting a zipped folder back into a PowerPoint presentation by changing attention to .pptx

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

To hide your file extension names, in the file explorer window click the view tab and unselect 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 .

What’s Next?

Related articles, about the author.

' src=

Popular Tutorials

  • How to Strikethrough Text (l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶) in Word, Excel & PowerPoint
  • How to Make Animated Fireworks in PowerPoint (Step-by-Step)
  • Strikethrough Shortcut (l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶) for Word, Excel & PowerPoint
  • How to Create a Flash Card Memory Game in PowerPoint (Like Jeopardy)
  • Keyboard Shortcuts Not Working: Solved

PowerPoint Tutorial Categories

  • Strategies & Opinions
  • Presentation Design
  • Pictures, Icons, Videos, Etc.
  • New Features
  • Miscellaneous
  • Charts & Data Viz

We help busy professionals save hours and gain peace of mind, with corporate workshops, self-paced courses and tutorials for PowerPoint and Word.

Work With Us

  • Corporate Training
  • Presentation & Template Design
  • Courses & Downloads
  • PowerPoint Articles
  • Word Articles
  • Productivity Resources

Find a Tutorial

  • Free Training
  • For Businesses

We help busy office workers save hours and gain peace of mind, with tips, training and tutorials for Microsoft PowerPoint and Word.

Master Critical PowerPoint Shortcuts – Secure Your FREE Training Module and Save Valuable Time!

⌛ Master time-saving expert techniques.

🔥 Create powerful presentations.

🚀 Propel your career to new heights.

We value your privacy – we keep your info safe.

Discover PowerPoint Hacks Loved by Industry Giants - KKR, AmEx, HSBC!

Over 114,880 professionals in finance, marketing and sales have revolutionized their PPT skills with our proven methods. 

Gain FREE access to a full module of our premium PowerPoint training program – Get started today!

We hate spam too and promise to keep your information safe.

You are currently viewing a placeholder content from Facebook . To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.

play song during powerpoint presentation

Play music or other sounds in your slides

PowerPoint for the web plays music and other sound effects that you’ve added to your slides using the PowerPoint desktop application, but you can’t add them from within PowerPoint for the web yet.

If you have the PowerPoint desktop application, you can add sound effects there. Here’s how:

In PowerPoint for the web, click the Edit Presentation tab, and then click Edit in PowerPoint .

Edit in PowerPoint desktop

In the PowerPoint for the web desktop application, use these articles to learn how to add music and sound effects to your presentation:

PowerPoint for Windows

PowerPoint for Mac 2016

Note:  When you save the presentation, it is stored to the same location you opened it from in PowerPoint for the web.

More about PowerPoint for the web and the desktop PowerPoint application

PowerPoint for the web is a great way to work on documents in your browser, but you can do even more when you use it alongside the desktop PowerPoint application. Try or Buy the latest version of Office now.

Facebook

Need more help?

Want more options.

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

play song during powerpoint presentation

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

play song during powerpoint presentation

Microsoft 365 training

play song during powerpoint presentation

Microsoft security

play song during powerpoint presentation

Accessibility center

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

play song during powerpoint presentation

Ask the Microsoft Community

play song during powerpoint presentation

Microsoft Tech Community

play song during powerpoint presentation

Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

Was this information helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

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. 

play song during powerpoint presentation

Related coverage from  Tech Reference :

How to change and format the background of your powerpoint slides to custom designs, how to add a border to slides in powerpoint, and give your slideshow a sleek design, how to change your language settings in microsoft powerpoint in 3 different ways, how to copy or duplicate a powerpoint slide and put it anywhere in your slideshow, how to download and access microsoft powerpoint on your mac computer.

Insider Inc. receives a commission when you buy through our links.

Watch: How Apple’s keynote formula keeps audiences engaged

play song during powerpoint presentation

  • Main content

How to Add More Than One Song on a PowerPoint

Music can set the tone for a PowerPoint presentation and help it better convey the message you want to send. Nevertheless, if your presentation is somewhat long or covers several topics, adding a single music file to the slide show might not suffice. Multiple songs in your PowerPoint presentation can make transitions between key points or slides not only more effective but more professional as well. Adding multiple songs to a presentation does require some preparation and tinkering, but it is not particularly difficult.

Advertisement

Launch PowerPoint and open the presentation to which you want to add multiple music tracks.

Video of the Day

Click and select the slide in your presentation at the point at which you want your first audio file to begin playing. Click the slide to view in the main editing window.

Click "Insert" on the ribbon bar tab menu. Click the "Audio" button. Click "Insert Audio," then browse to the first music file to insert in the PowerPoint presentation. Wait while PowerPoint imports the music file into the presentation.

Use the mouse to drag the audio icon on the slide to a corner or other area that does not block text or images on the slide.

Click "Playback" on the "Audio Tools" tab. Determine whether you want the music to play during the current slide only or across multiple slides. If you want the music to play during one slide only, click and select "Automatically" in the "Start" drop-down box. To play the music on two or more slides, select "Play across slides."

Match the length of time the music file plays to the display time for the slide(s). One method is to click the "Trim Audio" button and use the sliders to set start stop points for the music. This method is effective for choosing only a portion of a music file to play during a single slide. A better method for matching the duration of a song during multiple slides is to use the "Rehearse Timings" option on the "Slide Show" tab. This method allows you to use your mouse to advance slides manually and determine the number of slides that display during playback of an audio file.

Select other slides and insert additional music files in the same manner. Insert the music file in the slide at the point in your presentation where you want the song to start playing. Use the "Trim Audio" or "Rehearse Timings" option to synchronize additional music files with slides in the presentation.

Click the "Slide Show" tab, then "From Beginning" to review all of the slides and listen to the songs as the presentation progresses. Use the "Rehearse Timings" option to fine tune the slides so that they advance properly during playback.

Click "File" then "Save" to save the new music files and timings with the presentation.

  • The Microsoft Office Blog; Optimizing Your Media for the World; August 12, 2009
  • The Microsoft Office Blog; PowerPoint 2010 Technical Preview; June 25, 2009
  • Microsoft Office: Add Audio to Your Presentation
  • Shop Now: Amazon Labor Day Tech Sale
  • Get These 12 Student Discounts!

Edit Music, Sound, or Other Audio Settings in PowerPoint

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

  • Brock University
  • 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.

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day

  • How to Fix Audio Playback Issues in PowerPoint Presentations
  • 13 Free PowerPoint Game Templates
  • How to Save Sounds From PowerPoint Slideshows
  • Play Sound and PowerPoint Animation at the Same Time
  • How to Make a Slideshow on PowerPoint
  • How to Create a Microsoft Sway Presentation
  • How to Do a Voiceover on PowerPoint
  • Troubleshooting Audio Problems With PowerPoint
  • How to Use Microsoft's Free PowerPoint Viewers
  • How to Use Portrait and Landscape Slides in the Same Presentation
  • Use This PowerPoint Template for a Multiple Choice Quiz
  • How to Make a Shape Transparent in PowerPoint
  • How to Add an Excel Chart to a PowerPoint Presentation
  • Create a Default Presentation Template in PowerPoint
  • The 8 Best Free PowerPoint Alternatives
  • How to Add Audio to Google Slides

IMAGES

  1. How to Play Music On All Slides in PowerPoint

    play song during powerpoint presentation

  2. How To Play Music Across Slides in a Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation?

    play song during powerpoint presentation

  3. Play multiple songs at once powerpoint

    play song during powerpoint presentation

  4. 2 Ways to Add Any Music to PowerPoint in 2021

    play song during powerpoint presentation

  5. How to add background music to powerpoint presentation

    play song during powerpoint presentation

  6. How to Add Music & Audio to PowerPoint

    play song during powerpoint presentation

VIDEO

  1. How to Run a Program while giving Presentation , How to use action settings in PowerPoint

  2. How to View Notes in PowerPoint While Presenting (See Notes in PowerPoint with Presenter View)

  3. How to Make Audio Play Across Slides in PowerPoint

  4. How to Add Music and Voiceovers in PowerPoint🎵🎧

  5. 3 Ways to Add SFX to PowerPoint Games

  6. Image Slide Show Transition Animation with Music in PowerPoint 2021

COMMENTS

  1. Play music across multiple slides in your slide show

    Play a song across slides. On the Insert tab, select Audio, and then Audio on My PC. In the file explorer, browse to the music file you want to use, and then select Insert. With the audio icon selected on the slide, on the Playback tab, select Play in Background. Play in Background makes the audio file start automatically during a slide show ...

  2. Play music or other sounds automatically when a slide appears

    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 ...

  3. 5 ways to add music to PowerPoint

    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 ...

  4. Video: Insert music and time it to your slides

    I want to play music in the background of this slide show and time the slides to fit the music. Let's do that. First, I'll insert the music file. With the first slide displayed, I'll click INSERT, Audio, and Audio on My PC. I'll select the music file, and click Insert. The file is placed in the middle of the slide.

  5. How to Add Music to Your PowerPoint Presentation

    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.

  6. How to add Background Music for all slides in PowerPoint

    In this step-by-step tutorial video, learn how to add music in your Microsoft PowerPoint presentation that plays automatically across all slides and loops un...

  7. How to add Background Music for all slides in PowerPoint (2022)

    In this video, learn how to add music in your Microsoft PowerPoint presentation that plays automatically across all slides and loops until the presentation i...

  8. How to Add Music to Powerpoint Presentation for All Slides

    Step 3: Insert Audio File. Click on the "Audio" option within the "Insert" tab. From the dropdown menu, select "Audio on My PC" if you have the music file saved locally, or choose "Online Audio" to insert music from an online source.

  9. How to Add Music to PowerPoint: Windows, Mac, Android

    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".

  10. EASY: Play Music Over Multiple Slides in PowerPoint & Get ...

    Do you want music to play over more than one slide in your PowerPoint presentation? This is the video for you. We demonstrate how to set a music or any aud...

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

    In a Mac device, you can easily add music to a Microsoft PowerPoint slide. Follow the 3 quick steps. Step-1: Click on the "Insert" tab. 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.

  12. How to Add Music to PowerPoint: Step-by-Step Guide

    To start recording your mic and computer audio, go to Insert > Media > Audio > Record Audio. Record audio in PowerPoint. Click the Start button to begin recording music from your connected mic. Start recording audio in PowerPoint. Once the recording is complete, click Stop to insert the audio into your PowerPoint presentation.

  13. How to play music playlists in PowerPoint?

    Insert a new slide or navigate to the slide where the user wants to add the mp3 file. From the PowerPoint menu, click to open the Insert menu. At the Media group, click Audio and choose Audio on My PC from the menu list. Browse to the file that the user wants to insert and click the Insert button. A speaker icon is placed on the slide.

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

    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.

  15. Sound Across Slides in PowerPoint 365 for Windows

    Select the audio file in the Task Pane, and double-click to bring the Play Audio dialog box, as shown in Figure 6. In the Effect tab of this dialog box, you will see that PowerPoint has already set 999 as the number of slides in the Stop playing After text box, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 6. Figure 6: Stop playing after 999 slides.

  16. Add or delete audio in your PowerPoint presentation

    2:00. To add music or other audio clip to your slide show, select the slide you want and click Insert > Audio.You can add audio to a single slide, play audio automatically when a slide appears, or add a song that plays as background music during your entire presentation.

  17. Play music or other sounds in your slides

    If you have the PowerPoint desktop application, you can add sound effects there. Here's how: In PowerPoint for the web, click the Edit Presentation tab, and then click Edit in PowerPoint. Note: When you save the presentation, it is stored to the same location you opened it from in PowerPoint for the web.

  18. Adding Music to PowerPoint Presentations

    Learn how to add music to your PowerPoint presentations. With just a few steps you can add background music to enhance your message or focus audience attent...

  19. How to Play Music On All Slides in PowerPoint

    In this video, I will walk you through how to add continuous audio to a PowerPoint Presentation, such that it plays across every slide.OVERVIEW0:00 Intro0:07...

  20. 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." At the top of the screen, click Insert > Audio ...

  21. How to Add More Than One Song on a PowerPoint

    Step 5. Click "Playback" on the "Audio Tools" tab. Determine whether you want the music to play during the current slide only or across multiple slides. If you want the music to play during one slide only, click and select "Automatically" in the "Start" drop-down box. To play the music on two or more slides, select "Play across slides."

  22. Edit Music, Sound, or Other Audio Settings in PowerPoint

    At times you need to fine-tune the music or audio settings in your PowerPoint presentation. Updated to include PowerPoint 2019. ... 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 ...