PowerPoint 2013: Inserting Audio

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Introduction

Adding audio to a PowerPoint presentation can make it more engaging and memorable for your audience. Whether you want to add background music, insert a sound effect, record narration, or include audio commentary, PowerPoint 2013 makes it easy.

In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about inserting audio into your PowerPoint 2013 presentations.

Supported Audio Formats

PowerPoint 2013 supports the following audio formats:

  • MP3 (.mp3)
  • Windows Audio (.wav)
  • Windows Media Audio (.wma)
  • MPEG-4 Audio (.m4a)
  • Advanced Audio Coding (.aac)

For best results, use non-compressed formats like WAV or formats that use lossless compression like FLAC. Compressed formats like MP3 can degrade audio quality.

Add Audio from File

To add an audio file stored on your computer:

  1. On the Insert tab, click Audio > Audio on My PC.
  2. Browse and select the audio file.
  3. Click Insert.

The audio file will be embedded into the presentation.

Record Audio

You can record live audio directly in PowerPoint to add narration or commentary:

  1. On the Insert tab, click Audio > Record Audio.
  2. Click Record and begin speaking into your microphone.
  3. When finished, click Stop.
  4. The new audio file will be embedded into the presentation.

Audio Playback Options

In the Audio Tools Playback tab, you can set options for audio playback:

  • Play Across Slides: Plays audio file continuously across slides
  • Start: Choose to play audio automatically or when clicked
  • Loop until Stopped: Repeats audio until manually stopped
  • Hide During Show: Hides audio icon during slideshow
  • Volume: Sets volume level of audio

Edit Audio

To trim an audio file:

  1. Select the audio icon.
  2. Go to Audio Tools Playback > Edit Audio > Trim Audio.
  3. Set new start/end points and click OK.

Other editing options include fading audio in/out, setting bookmarks, and compressing audio.

Conclusion

Adding audio enhances presentations by increasing engagement and interest level. Use background music to set the mood, insert sound effects to emphasize transitions, record narration to explain concepts, and more. Experiment with the different audio options in PowerPoint 2013 to find what works best for your particular presentation needs.

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