How to Add and Edit Audio or Music in Google Slides

Adding music or audio to your presentation can make it more dynamic, engaging, and effective. Whether you're trying to maintain your audience's attention during a business pitch or create a memorable classroom lesson, sound can add that extra layer of professionalism and interest. In this tutorial, we'll cover everything you need to know about adding and editing audio or music in Google Slides, along with a few creative tips to make the most out of your presentation.

Adding Audio from the Insert Tab

Before diving into the steps, note that Google Slides currently supports adding audio files that are saved in your Google Drive. The supported formats are .mp3 and .wav, so be sure to upload your audio files to Google Drive before starting.

Here's how you can add audio using the Insert tab:

1. Open Google Slides: Start by opening the presentation in which you wish to add audio.
2. Select a Slide: Choose the slide where you want the audio to be played. If you need background music across all slides, it's best to add the audio to the first slide.
3. Insert the Audio:
4. Click on Insert from the menu.
5. Choose Audio from the dropdown.
6. A new window will open showing the audio files available in your Google Drive. Choose the one you want to add, and click Select.
7. Audio Icon Appears: After inserting, an audio icon will appear on your slide. Click on this icon to access playback functions.

Tip: If the audio option is not available, this could be due to regional limitations where the Google Slides update has not yet been applied.

Editing Audio Settings

Once the audio is added, you can configure it to suit your presentation style and needs. Here’s how you can edit the audio:

1. Select the Audio Icon: Click on the audio icon that appears on the slide.
2. Open Format Options:
3. Click Format options from the toolbar, or right-click on the icon and select Format options.
4. A panel will open on the right side of the screen with multiple tabs.
5. Audio Playback Settings:
6. Go to the Audio playback tab.
7. You can set the audio to play on click or automatically when the slide appears.
8. Use the volume slider to adjust the playback volume.
9. Additional options include stopping the playback when switching slides, looping the audio, or hiding the audio icon (if set to play automatically).
10. Customizing the Audio Icon:
11. From the Size & Rotation tab, adjust the width and height of the audio icon to make it less obtrusive.
12. In the Position tab, specify the icon's position on the slide by modifying the X and Y axis values.
13. Use the Recolor tab to change the icon color to match your slide theme.
14. In the Adjustments tab, modify transparency, brightness, and contrast to make the icon blend better.
15. Finally, enable Drop Shadow or Reflection effects to add visual interest to the icon.

Pro Tip: You can replace the default audio icon with a custom image by right-clicking on it and choosing Replace image. This helps personalize the appearance of your presentation.

Adding Online Audio

If your audio isn't saved in Google Drive, there are still ways to include audio in your Google Slides presentation by adding online audio links. Here’s how:

1. Insert an Icon or Image: Use an icon or an image as a placeholder for your audio link. You can insert it using the Insert → Image option.
2. Add the Link to the Audio:
3. Select the icon or image you inserted.
4. Click on the Insert link icon in the toolbar or press Ctrl+K.
5. Paste the link to the online audio (e.g., SoundCloud, Spotify, etc.).
6. Play the Audio: When presenting, click on the icon or image, and a new window will open with the audio link ready to play. Some platforms, like SoundCloud, offer an autoplay feature that can help automate the playback during your presentation.

Adding Audio from YouTube

If you don't have an audio file but found a YouTube video with the desired music or sound, you can use it as audio. Follow these steps:

1. Insert the YouTube Video:
2. Open your presentation and select the slide.
3. Go to Insert → Video, then paste the YouTube URL and click Select.
4. Resize and Position the Video: Reduce the size of the video and move it to an area of the slide that isn’t visible during the presentation.
5. Autoplay the Video:
6. Right-click the video, select Format options, and then expand Video playback.
7. Enable Autoplay when presenting to ensure that the video’s audio starts automatically.

Note: The YouTube audio will stop when you change slides, so this method works best if you need audio for only one slide.

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Conclusion

Adding and editing audio in Google Slides can enhance your presentation, keeping your audience engaged and creating an immersive experience. Whether you add local audio files, use online links, or creatively employ YouTube, there are numerous ways to make your presentation come alive.

Remember to explore different audio playback settings and customize the audio icon to fit your style. And if you want to speed up the entire presentation creation process, don’t forget to try smallppt, which helps bring your vision to life with minimal effort.