3 Easy Ways to Add Music & Audio to PowerPoint Presentations

Presentations often rely heavily on text and visuals to convey information. But what if you could add another element to engage audiences and enhance their understanding? Music has the power to transform a presentation from informative to truly immersive. It can set the mood, highlight key points, and enhance your audience’s memory retention. In this post, you will learn how to add music to PowerPoint presentations. We’ll explore the benefits of incorporating audio and provide instructions for different scenarios. This ensures your presentations leave a lasting impact.

Part 1. Can I Add Music to PowerPoint

Are you one of the many PowerPoint users questioning, Can you add music to PowerPoint? To put an end to your curiosity, the answer is YES! You can definitely add music to your PowerPoint slides. This can be a great way to set the mood, enhance transitions between slides, or add background ambiance. For instance, you’re creating a presentation about a historical event. You could include dramatic orchestral music to heighten the impact of key moments. You can also do voiceover on PowerPoint to make it more authentic and relatable. By incorporating music strategically, you can elevate your presentations. This creates a more engaging experience for your audience.

PowerPoint’s Supported Audio Formats:

• • AIFF Audio File (.aiff)
• • AU Audio File (.au)
• • MIDI Audio File (.mid or .midi)
• • MP3 Audio File (.mp3)
• • Advanced Audio Coding - MPEG-4 Audio File (.m4a, .mp4)
• • Windows Audio File (.wav)
• • Windows Media Audio File (.wma)

Method 1. Add Music to PowerPoint Presentation for Multiple Slides

PowerPoint allows you to add music to your presentation to create a cohesive atmosphere and enhance your message. For instance, you create a presentation about a bustling city. Upbeat background music can set the energy level and keep your audience engaged.

Here’s how to insert audio into a PowerPoint presentation for multiple slides:

1. Open your PowerPoint presentation, head to the top ribbon, and select the Insert tab. Locate the Media section, choose the Audio option, and click it.

2. Select the Audio on my PC from the dropdown menu. Navigate to the folder where your music file is stored and select it.

3. The Speaker icon will appear on your slide. Click the Speaker icon to activate the Audio Tools tab on the ribbon. Under the Playback section, choose the Play in Background option.

Note: Clicking this option ensures the music plays throughout the presentation.

Method 2. Add Music to PowerPoint Presentation for Certain Slide

PowerPoint allows you to add music that plays on certain slides, creating targeted emphasis. This method allows you to place music clips throughout your presentation strategically. It enhances specific slides and creates a more dynamic audience experience.

Here’s how to add audio on PowerPoint presentation for certain slides:

1. Open the PPT presentation and go to the slide where you want the music to play. Navigate to the Insert tab, look for the Media section, and select the Audio option.

2. You’ll be presented with Online Audio, Audio on My PC, and Record Audio options. Choose Audio on My PC to open the folder where your music file is stored and select it.

3. A Speaker icon will appear on your slide. Click it to access the Audio Tools tab on the ribbon. Under the Playback section, look for the Start option and choose Automatically.

Note: This option ensures the music will play only for that slide automatically during the presentation. This eliminates the process of playing the music manually. Remember, just repeat the steps to insert music clips for other specific slides.

Part 2. How to Add Music to PowerPoint from Your Computer (PC & Mac)

PowerPoint allows you to add music from your PC for customization. It lets you incorporate your desired sounds to create a more engaging presentation. This allows you to enrich your PowerPoint presentations with background music or targeted sound effects.

Here’s how to add music to PowerPoint presentation from a PC:

1. Choose a music file stored on your computer that complements your presentation’s theme and duration. Ensure your music file is saved in a PPT-supported format.

2. Launch the PowerPoint app and open the presentation you want to add music to. Click the Insert tab located on the top ribbon of the PowerPoint interface.

3. In the Media section of the Insert tab, locate the Audio button. Click it to access the audio insertion options. Choose the option labeled Audio on My PC from the menu.

4. Select your desired music file from the file explorer window that will pop up. After loading it, a Speaker icon will appear on the slide where you clicked.

5. Click the Speaker icon to activate the Playback tab on the ribbon. Optionally, you can drag and drop the icon to a discreet location where it won’t interfere with your content.

While PowerPoint supports common formats like MP3, WAV, and M4A, you might occasionally run into issues where a track won't play—usually due to unsupported formats (like FLAC, OGG, or AIF) or corrupted file headers.

If PowerPoint throws an error when inserting your audio, you can use a quick format converter like AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate. It can easily convert audio files to standard 128 kbps or 192 kbps MP3, and then you can re-insert it into your slide. As a bonus, converting high-bitrate files to MP3 also helps compress your overall presentation size so it's easier to email.

1. First, acquire the free download of AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate. Install the multimedia conversion software and allow the installation process to complete.

2. Once the installation process is complete, launch the AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate on your computer. Head straight to the Converter tab and click the + Add Files button.

3. Load the file you want to convert. Once loaded, navigate to the Output Format section and select the Audio tab. Choose MP3 as the new format, which PPT accepts.

4. After selecting the new output format, click the Output Format Settings button. Here, you can customize the audio encoder, sample rate, channel, and bitrate.

5. If you prefer a specific location for your converted file, click the Save To section. It is located below the Output Format section, then select your desired folder.

6. Once you’re satisfied with your settings, click Convert All to begin the conversion. After successful conversion, return to the PPT and repeat the previous step for adding music.

AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate makes the conversion of audio files to various formats easy. However, there’s a tiny catch. By default, PowerPoint is only accepting audio files with a maximum of 50MB. So, if it exceeds the required size, you need to compress audio. You can go to the Toolbox tab and look for the Audio Compressor tool for this purpose.

Part 3. How to Find & Add Music to PowerPoint from the Web (Royalty-Free)

If you've used older versions of PowerPoint, you might remember an option to search for audio online right inside the app. Microsoft has actually removed that built-in online audio search in recent updates. But don't worry—you can still easily grab music from the web and put it into your slides.

The most important thing here is to make sure you're using royalty-free music. Using copyrighted songs (like downloading something off Spotify or YouTube without a license) can lead to copyright issues, especially if you're presenting at work, school, or uploading your slides online.

1. Download music from a safe, royalty-free site

First, download some royalty-free audio files from a reliable source. Here are some recommended websites:

• • Pixabay Audio: Tons of free background tracks and sound effects you can use without worrying about copyright.
• • YouTube Audio Library: Perfect if you have a Google account. It offers hundreds of free tracks categorized by mood and genre.
• • Incompetech: A classic site for presentation background music (just make sure to credit the artist if required).

Look for a track that fits your presentation's vibe, download it as an MP3 or WAV file, and save it somewhere easy to find on your computer (like your Downloads folder).

2. Insert the downloaded web audio into your slide

Once you have the file on your computer, bringing it into PowerPoint is super straightforward:

1. Open your PowerPoint presentation and click on the slide where you want the music to start.

2. Go to the top ribbon, click the Insert tab, then select Audio > Audio on My PC... (On Mac, it'll say Audio from File...).

3. Find the track you just downloaded from the web, select it, and hit Insert.

4. You'll see the little speaker icon show up on your slide. Click it, head over to the Playback tab at the top menu, and check Play in Background so it loops smoothly across your presentation.

Note for PowerPoint Web Version: If you are using PowerPoint within an internet browser (i.e., the web version of PowerPoint) rather than the desktop application, please note that its media functionality is relatively limited. You can still insert audio files, but if you need to use advanced features such as fade-out or editing, it is recommended to open the file directly in the full desktop version.

Part 4. How to Add Music to PowerPoint by Recording Audio

Method 1. Use the PowerPoint Record Audio Feature

PowerPoint has an in-built feature that allows you to record audio from computer. It allows you to add your narration or sound effects directly into your presentation. This can be a great way to personalize your presentation and add emphasis to key points.

Here’s how to insert music into PowerPoint presentation by recording audio:

1. Open your PowerPoint presentation and head to the Insert tab. Locate the Audio option and click it. You can find this option under the Media section.

2. Select the Record Audio option from the dropdown menu that will appear. The recording window will pop up; enter a name for your recording.

3. Click the small red circle button to start capturing your audio. Speak clearly while narrating your presentation. Once done, click OK to end the recording and insert it into the slide.

Recording audio directly in PowerPoint offers flexibility and control. You can narrate your entire presentation or add sound effects. It also allows you to record Q&A sessions for later reference.

Method 2. Use a Third-Party Audio Recording Software

PowerPoint's built-in recorder works great for basic voiceovers on a single slide. However, if you need to record both your voice narration and computer system audio (like background music) simultaneously, PowerPoint's native recorder has its limits.

For more complex recording needs, such as capturing a full presentation walkthrough with live audio and webcam overlay, a dedicated tool like AnyMP4 Screen Recorder can be helpful. It allows you to record system sounds and your microphone on separate tracks, adjust volume levels on the fly, and export a clean audio track ready to embed right into your slides.

1. Beforehand, get the free download of AnyMP4 Screen Recorder. Install the recording software and wait for the installation process to finish.

2. After finishing the installation process, launch the AnyMP4 Screen Recorder on your computer. Among the available recording features, select the Audio Recorder mode.

3. In the Audio Recorder window, toggle the Sound System and Microphone switch to turn them on. If needed, adjust their volume to achieve the precise sounds.

4. After configuring the audio recording settings, click REC to start recording narration and system sounds. Once done with the recording, click Stop to end the audio recording.

AnyMP4 Screen Recorder allows you to create high-quality recordings that seamlessly integrate narration with system sound. By doing so, you leave a lasting impression on your audience. Aside from recording audio, you can also record a PowerPoint presentation for later use.