Add music by inserting an audio file from your computer

The most direct way to add music to PowerPoint is to insert a file you already have. Open your presentation, click on the slide where you want the music to start, then go to the Insert tab at the top. Click Audio and select Audio on My PC. Navigate to the music file on your computer, select it, and click Insert. PowerPoint will place a speaker icon on that slide.

Once the audio is inserted, you can move the speaker icon anywhere on the slide by clicking and dragging it. You can also resize it by grabbing the corner handles. The icon will be visible during editing, but you control whether it shows during the presentation itself — right-click the icon, select Format Audio, and under the Audio Tools tab, check Hide During Show if you want the music to play without the speaker icon visible.

Common audio formats that work in PowerPoint include MP3, WAV, M4A, and OGG. If your music file is in a different format, you may need to convert it first using a free online converter or audio software.

Key Takeaways

  • Insert audio by going to the Insert tab, clicking Audio, and selecting Audio on My PC to choose a music file from your computer.
  • You can hide the speaker icon during playback by right-clicking it, selecting Format Audio, and checking Hide During Show.
  • Set the music to play automatically when the slide appears, or require a click to start it, using the Audio Tools tab.
  • Trim long audio files directly in PowerPoint by right-clicking the speaker icon and selecting Trim Audio.
  • For music that plays across multiple slides, insert it on the first slide and set it to continue playing as you advance.

Set the music to play automatically or on click

By default, PowerPoint requires you to click the speaker icon during your presentation to start the music. If you want the music to begin as soon as the slide appears, you need to change this setting. Right-click the speaker icon and select Format Audio. In the panel that opens on the right, look for the Audio Tools tab and find the section labeled Start.

You have two main options: On Click means you must click the icon to start the music during your presentation. Automatically means the music starts the moment the slide appears. Choose whichever fits your presentation flow. If you choose Automatically, the music will begin playing whether or not you are looking at that slide, so test this during a practice run to make sure the timing works with your speaking points.

Make music play across multiple slides

If you want one song to continue playing as you move through several slides, insert the audio on the first slide where you want it to start. Right-click the speaker icon and select Format Audio. In the Audio Tools tab, find the option that says Play Across Slides and check it. This tells PowerPoint to keep playing the audio even after you advance to the next slide.

The music will continue until it finishes or until you manually stop it. This is useful for background music during a section of your presentation, but be aware that the audio will keep playing over your voice and any other sounds on the following slides. Test this carefully during rehearsal to make sure the volume and timing work well with your content.

Trim or adjust the volume of your audio

If your music file is longer than you need, you can trim it without editing the original file. Right-click the speaker icon and select Trim Audio. A window will open showing a timeline of your audio. Drag the green handle at the start to skip the beginning, and drag the red handle at the end to cut off the ending. Click OK when you are done. PowerPoint will only play the portion you selected.

To adjust how loud the music plays, right-click the speaker icon, select Format Audio, and look for the Volume slider in the Audio Tools panel. You can set it to Low, Medium, or High. Keep in mind that this volume setting is relative to your computer's overall volume — if your system volume is very low, the music may still be quiet even if you set it to High in PowerPoint.

Record audio directly into PowerPoint

Instead of inserting a file, you can record audio directly into your presentation. Go to the Insert tab, click Audio, and select Record Audio. A dialog box will appear with a red record button. Click it to start recording, speak or play music into your microphone, and click the stop button when done. Give your recording a name and click Save. PowerPoint will insert the recording as an audio file on your current slide.

This method is useful if you want to add a personal message, narration, or quick audio note to a specific slide. The recording quality depends on your microphone, so use a decent-quality mic if you plan to record something important. You can trim and adjust the volume of recorded audio the same way you would with an inserted file.

Troubleshoot audio that won't play

If your music plays in PowerPoint on your computer but not when you open the file on another computer or projector, the audio file may not have traveled with your presentation. PowerPoint does not automatically embed audio files — it links to them. To fix this, go to File, click Info, and look for a button that says Check for Issues or Inspect Document. This will show you if any files are linked but missing.

The safest approach is to embed the audio file directly into your presentation so it travels with the file. Go to File and select Options. Click Advanced, scroll down to the Preserve fidelity when sharing this presentation section, and check the box that says Embed audio and video in file. This makes your file larger but ensures the audio will play anywhere you open the presentation. Save the file after making this change.

If audio still will not play, check that your file format is supported. PowerPoint on Windows and Mac support different audio formats — MP3 works on both, but WAV files may not play on a Mac. Convert your file to MP3 if you are unsure.

Use music from online sources

PowerPoint does not have a built-in music library, so you cannot search for and insert music directly from the internet. However, you can download royalty-free music from websites like Pixabay, Freepik, or YouTube Audio Library, save it to your computer, and then insert it using the steps above. Make sure you have the right to use the music — most royalty-free sites allow you to use music in presentations without paying, but read the license terms for each site.

If you want to use a song from YouTube or Spotify, you will need to download it first. Many online tools can download audio from YouTube, but check the copyright status of the song before using it in a presentation you plan to share. For presentations you are giving in person or to a small group, using copyrighted music is usually acceptable under fair use, but for presentations you plan to post online or distribute widely, stick to royalty-free or licensed music.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add music to just one slide or does it have to play through the whole presentation?

Music plays only on the slide where you insert it, unless you check the Play Across Slides option. You can insert different audio files on different slides, and each one will play independently. If you want the same music on multiple slides, insert it on the first one and enable Play Across Slides.

What happens to the audio file if I move or email my PowerPoint presentation?

The audio file will not travel with your presentation unless you embed it. To embed audio, go to File, Options, Advanced, and check Embed Audio and Video in File. This makes your file larger but ensures the audio plays on any computer. Without embedding, the audio will only play if the original file is still in the same location on that computer.

Can I fade the music in or out?

PowerPoint does not have a built-in fade effect for audio. You can trim the audio to remove silence at the beginning or end, but to create a fade effect, you would need to edit the audio file in a separate program like Audacity (free) before inserting it into PowerPoint.

Will the audience hear the music if I am presenting remotely over Zoom or Teams?

Yes, but you need to make sure your audio is set to play through your computer speakers and that Zoom or Teams is capturing your computer audio. In Zoom, go to Settings, Audio, and make sure Share Computer Sound is enabled. In Teams, the audio should play automatically, but test it before your presentation starts.

How do I remove audio from a slide?

Click the speaker icon on the slide and press Delete. The audio will be removed from that slide only. If you embedded the audio in the file, deleting it from the slide does not reduce the file size — you would need to use the Inspect Document tool to remove embedded files you no longer use.