How to Put Songs on Microsoft PowerPoint

Adding a song file to your slideshow can increase viewer interest.

Putting songs on a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation can add life to your slideshow, make it more meaningful and create viewer interest. PowerPoint accomplishes this task in one of two ways that depend on the size and type of the song file. If the file is a .wav file under 100 kilobytes (KB), PowerPoint will embed, or include, the file within the presentation. If the song file is not a .wav file or if the size exceeds 100KB, PowerPoint will link the file to the presentation.

Things You'll Need

• PowerPoint 2007
• Song file

Instructions

1. Copy the song file into the folder where you saved the PowerPoint presentation. First, locate the song file, right-click and select "Copy." Then, open the folder where you saved the presentation, right-click and select "Paste" to add the song to your folder. Taking this step ensures PowerPoint can locate the song if it uses the link method to incorporate the song or if you move the presentation to another computer.

2. Select the PowerPoint slide where you want the song to begin playing. Select the "Insert" main menu tab, and then select "Sound," "Sound from File." Navigate to the folder containing the presentation and song file and double-click the song file to insert it into PowerPoint.

3. Decide when you want the song to begin playing. A message will prompt you to select either the "Automatically" or "When Clicked" option. If you select "When Clicked," PowerPoint places a sound icon at the bottom of the slide you can use as a trigger to start playing the song.

4. Set the song to play throughout the entire length of the PowerPoint presentation. Select "Sound Tools" from the main menu, then "Options," "Sound Options." From the "Play Sound" drop-down list, select "Play Across Slides."

5. Select "Save" to save the presentation and song file.

Tips & Warnings

• Alternatively, you can configure a song to play only during slides you select by choosing the "Animations" main menu tab and then "Custom Animations." The song you inserted will appear in the Custom Animation task pane, along with a drop-down box next to the song name. Select "Effect Options" from the drop-down list and choose how you want the song to play. For example, you can configure the song to play for only one slide or you can set a number, such as "3," to set it to play for three slides.

• You must have copyright permissions and performing rights clearances for the sound file you want to use prior to adding it to your PowerPoint presentation.

References

• Microsoft: Add Sound Effects to Your Presentation

Resources

• CopyrightKids: Getting Permissions
• SmartComputing: Microsoft PowerPoint---Troubleshoot Sound and Music
• Microsoft: Use Embedded and Linked Sound Files in PowerPoint