Adding an audio element is one surefire way to make your Google Slides presentations in Google Slides more engaging.
But how do you do it?
That’s easy!
Google Slides now allows users to add voice, music, and sound effects to their presentations.
And that’s not all!
You can also customize your audio elements to play them as and when you want.
Excited to learn how to add audio to Google Slides?
Let’s get started.
Is It Possible To Add Audio To Google Slides?
Yes. It is possible to add audio to Google Slides.
You can choose to insert an audio file in your Google Slides from your computer, a streaming service, or YouTube.
Let’s see how it works in the step-by-step guide below.
Step-By-Step Guide to Adding Audio to Google Slides
Step 1: Upload Audio Files to Google Drive
Before you add the audio to your slide, you will need to upload it to Google Drive.
- Go to the Google Drive tab and click on the New button at the top left side of the screen.
- Choose the Folder/File Upload option.
You can either upload your audio file to the drive directly or add it to a separate folder.
We suggest you make a new folder for the audio files to prevent any confusion later. This will also help you locate the folder easily when sharing your Google Slide presentation with your students, team, or co-workers later.
Note: Make sure to also preview your audio files at this stage as the insert process does not allow you a preview option.
- Select the Folder option and give it a distinguishable name.
- Once you’ve created the folder, locate it in the drive and click on it.
- This will open the folder you’ve just created.
- You can now drag and drop the audio files you want into this folder.
- Check the upload progress in the tiny window at the bottom right of your screen.
Note: You can only add .mp3 or .wav format file audio to your Google Drive. So make sure to convert your files into these formats.
You can now move on to insert audio files into your Google Slides.
Step 2A: Add Audio to Google Slides
- Open the Google Slides presentation if you want to add the audio files.
If you’re creating the presentation right now, then you can choose to add the audio now or after completing the presentation.
- Once the presentation is open, click on the Insert option on the toolbar at the top.
- Select the Audio option from the drop-down menu.
- This will open a pop-up window where you can find all the contents of your Google Drive.
- Locate the audio file you want to add and click on it, then click on the Select button at the bottom of the window.
The audio file has been successfully inserted into your slide. You can now format the icon, audio, or its position on the screen.
Format the Audio Track
- Open the slide that your audio file is inserted in.
- Click on the audio icon.
- Locate the Format panel on the right side of the screen.
- Click on the feature you want to customize from the format options given.
You can customize the following features and more using The Format Panel.
- Audio playback
- Re-Color
- Size and Rotation
- Drop Shadow
- Reflection
Resize Or Reposition The Audio File Icon
- Resize the icon by clicking on it and dragging any of its corners outward or inward.
- To reposition the icon, click on it and drag it to any place on the slide.
You can play or preview the audio file by hovering on it and clicking the play icon. You can also use the playback bar to pause or fast-forward the audio.
Step 2B: Add Audio To Google Slides Using YouTube
If the audio you want to use is available as a YouTube video, then you have two options. Either insert the video file or convert it to an audio file and then insert it into your slide.
We recommend that you insert the audio file, as playing a video file on the slide is bound to distract your viewers from the presentation.
Convert the video to an audio file using an online converter.
- Copy the link to the YouTube video and paste it into the online converter.
- Once you’ve created the audio file, upload it to your Google Drive and follow the steps given in Step 2A to insert it into your slide.
If you wish to use the video, follow the steps given below.
- Go to the YouTube page with the clip you want to insert.
- Select the Share option for the video.
- Copy the link with the URL for the video.
- Visit the presentation and open the slide where you want to insert the audio clips.
- Select the Insert option from the toolbar at the top and paste the link into the Link Text window.
- Click select.
How To Hide Your Video Thumbnail?
- Click and drag the video thumbnail out of the way or to a corner.
- Resize it so that it does not distract viewers from the presentation.
- You can also hide the thumbnail of the video behind an image or color over it.
Want to customize the start and end timestamps for the video?
You can do it with the help of the Format Panel tab.
- Click on the video icon and locate the Format Panel at the right.
- Select the Video Playback option and enter Start and End timestamps.
- You can also choose the play automatically to autoplay the video during your presentation.
Step 2C: Add Audio to Google Slides Using a Streaming Service
Want to use a sound clip you found on the internet?
Follow these steps to use it on your Google Slides presentation.
Note: You will need an internet connection to add the link and to play it as well.
- Locate the sound file on a streaming service.
- Select the Share option for the music file.
- Copy the URL of the sound file from the pop-up window.
- Open the presentation and select the slide you want to add the sound to.
- Select the icon or text on the slide to insert the link and click on the Insert option from the toolbar.
- Enter the link in the Link Text box and click on Apply.
Some streaming services may allow you to run the sound file directly by clicking on the link. For others, you will need to visit the window to play and pause the audio during your presentation.
Should You Be Aware of Copyrights?
Yes, an awareness of copyrights can save you from a lot of trouble later.
If the music you want to use is copyrighted, you must first gain permission to use it. If the music is under a creative commons license, you only need to credit the musician.
Want to use music freely?
Why not try to find something in the public domain? Public domain music can be used without any worries about crediting the creator or getting the permissions.
How To Add Audio On Google Slides
Google Slides makes adding audio easy. You just need to open up the slide you want to add audio to and select the option to insert audio.
Then, choose where you’d like the sound file to play, and what volume level you’d like it to be at. Finally, hit “Insert.”
From there, you’ll see a pop-up window with options for choosing different types of sounds. Once you’ve selected one, you’re good to go. Let’s look at the process in a bit more detail.
The following guide will tell you how to add audio on google slides or if you want more information, you can visit the Google Slides website to learn more about this process.
How It Works
In the past Google Slides didn’t offer much flexibility when it came to adding audio to presentations. If you wanted to include music or sound effects in your slides, you’d have to use one of the third-party tools.
However, Google recently added support for including audio in your slides without having to resort to external sources.
The process involves audio recording of Google Slides, uploading the file to Google Drive, and finally embedding it into your slide.
This isn’t entirely intuitive, especially since you won’t find many resources online about how to do it. Luckily, we’ve got you covered. Here are the steps involved to select audio for a Google Slide presentation:
1. Record Your Audio File
There are two main routes you could take to record a voice-over. You may want to use Powerpoint or Google Slides to play each slide that plays as your students go through the presentation.
PowerPoint has recording functionality built-in, but with Google Slideshow there are extra steps involved. With either option, once you’ve recorded your voiceover, you’ll upload it to Google Drive before you can embed it on each slide.
Or you may want to ditch those slides and create a screencast of your entire presentation. This gives you the flexibility to edit the file later.
Screencasting programs like Camtasia let you easily record your screen while talking through the slides. Once you’ve recorded your voiceovers, you can export the file as an a.mp3 file.
Then, you’d open up the Google Slides template you used to create your slides, copy the text from the slides, paste it into the screencast, and save it again. Now you have a full-fledged video lesson that you can embed anywhere.
And if you’re a ThinkIfic user, you can create Voice Over slides with our Presentation Lesson feature. In just a few minutes, you can turn your presentation into a great learning experience.
2. Upload Your Recorded Sound File to Google Drive
Now that you’ve recorded your audio file, you need to upload it to Google Drive. To do this, simply drag the file onto the Google Drive icon located in the upper left corner of Google Slides.
A pop-up window will ask you to select whether you’d like to upload the file to Google Docs or Google Sheets. Choose Google Docs, and the file will automatically be uploaded.
3. Add the Audio File to Your Presentation
Once your audio plays the file on Google Drive, you can now add it to your presentation. The next screen will show you all the files available on your drive. Click Browse, navigate to the location of your audio file, and then click Open.
4. Select Where You Want the Audio to Play
Next, you’ll have to decide where you want the audio to play. There are two ways to do this:
- Drag the slider bar to adjust the volume of the audio.
- Click the speaker icon (the small speaker symbol) to bring up a pop-up window containing several options. These options range from playing the audio through speakers, headphones, or both.
5. Hit Insert
Finally, once you’ve chosen where you want the audio to play, you can hit Insert. A new box will appear on your slide, allowing you to type text over the audio.
6. Adjust the Volume Level
When you first inserted the audio, you may have noticed a little red dot in the bottom right corner of the box. That’s the volume control. By clicking and dragging the dot, you can increase or decrease the volume level of the audio.
7. Save & Publish
When you’re finished with the presentation, go ahead and save it.
8. Download Your Presentation
After publishing your presentation, you can download it as an. odp file. Simply open the file in Microsoft Office Online and you’ll see your presentation there!
Inserting a video
Video is one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal. But it’s often underutilized because marketers don’t know how to use it effectively.
The problem is that many people think video is just another tool like a slide deck or a blog post. While those are important parts of a successful campaign, there’s much more you can do with video.
For example, a well-made video can increase conversion rates by up to 300%. And while slides are great for explaining complex concepts, video lets you show off your product or demonstrate a feature.
The URL tab is handy for inserting videos directly into slides without having to copy and paste the embed code. Simply enter the URL of the video you want to include in your presentation.
You can either paste it straight into the text area or select the URL option from the dropdown menu. Once selected, the video will automatically play on your slide. To stop the video playing, simply tap anywhere outside the video player.
You’ll see a screen asking where you want to save the video. Click Save to continue. Now, find your file and click Select.
You can either upload the video directly to your slides or send it to another person. Make sure you include the link to the video along with the presentation.
Embedding a YouTube video
As well as adding video and audio to google slides you can also embed a YouTube clip if required: A window will pop up where you can search for a YouTube clip. Find the video you want to add, then click Select.
As with any media you use, make sure you have the right to use the video you chose. Your video is now embedded in the slide and you can move it around or size it like any other Slideshow object.
In summary
Google Slides is a simple tool for creating beautiful presentations quickly. If you need help creating a PowerPoint template, why not enroll in a free online training course to get you started?
How to Share Your Audio File?
If you’re planning to share your slide with someone, then make sure to also allow them access to the audio file.
Without access to your audio file, the viewers won’t be able to play the audio in your presentation.
- Open Google Drive and find the folder you want to share.
- Right-click on the audio file folder.
- Select the Share option.
- Add the people you want to share the audio file with.
- Change the Get Link option to anyone with a link.
- Click on Done.
Conclusion
We hope our guide was a helpful resource in teaching you how to add audio to Google Slides.
Let us know in what exciting ways you plan to use this feature and make your presentation more engaging.
