Adding audio to a PowerPoint 2010 slide is simple. All you need to do is choose Insert > Audio and then open the audio clip. However, when it comes to adjusting the audio, the option you might be looking for can be difficult to find.
In a perfect world, you would be able to make adjustments to an audio clip by either right-clicking a slide's sound icon, or by using the Audio Tools. And for some things, these techniques work. For instance, if you need to trim the audio, select the audio clip on the slide and choose Audio Tools Playback > Trim Audio.
But what if you wanted to stop the audio after three slides? What if you wanted the audio to play across all of the slides, but you don't want the audio to start until you click? You won't find these options among the Audio Tools or by right-clicking the audio icon. For these tasks, you'll need to use the Animations tab. Even then, the options are buried.
How to Specify When Music Playing Across Multiple Slides Will Stop
- Select the icon for the sound file on your slide.
- From the Animations tab, ensure Play is selected.
- Still on the Animations tab, locate the Effect Options button and click the More Arrow below it to Show Additional Effect Options. (Note: the button itself will be grayed out, but you will still be able to select the More Arrow below it.)
The Play Audio dialog box will appear.
- Ensure the Effect tab is selected, and from the Stop playing section, select After and then use the up and down arrows in the slides field to indicate for how many slides the audio should play.
How to Start Music that Plays Across All Slides On-Click
- Follow steps 1 and 2 above.
- Select the Timing tab.
- From the Start drop-down menu select On Click.
- From here you have two options. If you would like the sound to play by clicking anywhere on the screen, say after a title appears, then select Animate as part of click sequence. Just be sure if you select this option, that you properly arrange the sound on the Custom Animation pane so that it begins in the desired order. If you do not want the sound to start at a specific time, but rather by clicking a specific object, select Start effect on click of and then choose the object that will trigger the sound from the drop-down menu.
Note: If you would like to be able to click the sound icon on your slide during the presentation to start the audio, select the Audio Settings tab and ensure that Hide audio icon during slide show is not selected. It will, after all, be difficult to click the sound icon if you can't see it. 😉
About the author: AJ George is IconLogic's lead Technical Writer and author of both "PowerPoint 2007: The Essentials" and "PowerPoint 2008 for the Macintosh: The Essentials."
How do you find the audio file so that you can edit it another software program?
How do you find the audio file so that you can edit it another software program?
How do you find the audio file so that you can edit it another software program?
In this example I was suggesting bringing in an audio file that you already had elsewhere on your computer. If you are working with a pre-made PowerPoint and would like to extract the audio so that you can edit it in another program, check out these instructions: http://iconlogic.blogs.com/weblog/2010/11/powerpoint-2007-2010-how-to-extract-audio-images-from-a-presentation.html
In this example I was suggesting bringing in an audio file that you already had elsewhere on your computer. If you are working with a pre-made PowerPoint and would like to extract the audio so that you can edit it in another program, check out these instructions: http://iconlogic.blogs.com/weblog/2010/11/powerpoint-2007-2010-how-to-extract-audio-images-from-a-presentation.html
In this example I was suggesting bringing in an audio file that you already had elsewhere on your computer. If you are working with a pre-made PowerPoint and would like to extract the audio so that you can edit it in another program, check out these instructions: http://iconlogic.blogs.com/weblog/2010/11/powerpoint-2007-2010-how-to-extract-audio-images-from-a-presentation.html
Can you adjust the volume of one slide without affecting the volume of the other slides?
Can you adjust the volume of one slide without affecting the volume of the other slides?
Can you adjust the volume of one slide without affecting the volume of the other slides?
Hi Pat,
I have been looking all over for a way to adjust the volume by slide–but as far as I can tell you cannot.
Hi Pat,
I have been looking all over for a way to adjust the volume by slide–but as far as I can tell you cannot.
Hi Pat,
I have been looking all over for a way to adjust the volume by slide–but as far as I can tell you cannot.
but it doesnt give me the option for effect options
but it doesnt give me the option for effect options
but it doesnt give me the option for effect options
Once you have elected to play the sound, the More arrow will become active (clickable). Thank you for pointing this out. My explanation was a bit confusing and I have edited my post to make it more clear.
Once you have elected to play the sound, the More arrow will become active (clickable). Thank you for pointing this out. My explanation was a bit confusing and I have edited my post to make it more clear.
Once you have elected to play the sound, the More arrow will become active (clickable). Thank you for pointing this out. My explanation was a bit confusing and I have edited my post to make it more clear.
It doesn’t give me “Effect Options.”
It doesn’t give me “Effect Options.”
It doesn’t give me “Effect Options.”
Hi Kuroneko,
Please check out the comment above yours and the note that appears on Step 3. If you do not see an Effect Options button at all, you probably just need to make the application window larger. All the same, the “more” arrow should still be visibile, even without the button above it.
Hi Kuroneko,
Please check out the comment above yours and the note that appears on Step 3. If you do not see an Effect Options button at all, you probably just need to make the application window larger. All the same, the “more” arrow should still be visibile, even without the button above it.
Hi Kuroneko,
Please check out the comment above yours and the note that appears on Step 3. If you do not see an Effect Options button at all, you probably just need to make the application window larger. All the same, the “more” arrow should still be visibile, even without the button above it.
Thank You, Thank You!!!! FINALLY, I was going crazy!!! Why do they make things more complicated? I have been trying to find out how to advance the slide while the audio file is playing. It’s so simple in the old versions, why the the hell have they made it so complicated!!! Thank you! you have made my day!!!!
Thank You, Thank You!!!! FINALLY, I was going crazy!!! Why do they make things more complicated? I have been trying to find out how to advance the slide while the audio file is playing. It’s so simple in the old versions, why the the hell have they made it so complicated!!! Thank you! you have made my day!!!!
Thank You, Thank You!!!! FINALLY, I was going crazy!!! Why do they make things more complicated? I have been trying to find out how to advance the slide while the audio file is playing. It’s so simple in the old versions, why the the hell have they made it so complicated!!! Thank you! you have made my day!!!!
After wasting three hours unsuccessfully trying to find a way to stop the audio during the last slide by fading out, I gave up, snapped a beer, and fired up my iPad to watch a late movie in bed.
But I couldn’t enjoy the movie. I was so irked, I Googled my problem and your site popped up. It contained new information contained in neither of my aftermarket PPT how-to books. (And don’t get me started about MS’s labyrynthine help.) I’m bookmarking your page and will use my iPad as a reference when I tackle the beast with a clear head in the morning. (Err . . . I will have the clear head, not the beast!)
After wasting three hours unsuccessfully trying to find a way to stop the audio during the last slide by fading out, I gave up, snapped a beer, and fired up my iPad to watch a late movie in bed.
But I couldn’t enjoy the movie. I was so irked, I Googled my problem and your site popped up. It contained new information contained in neither of my aftermarket PPT how-to books. (And don’t get me started about MS’s labyrynthine help.) I’m bookmarking your page and will use my iPad as a reference when I tackle the beast with a clear head in the morning. (Err . . . I will have the clear head, not the beast!)
After wasting three hours unsuccessfully trying to find a way to stop the audio during the last slide by fading out, I gave up, snapped a beer, and fired up my iPad to watch a late movie in bed.
But I couldn’t enjoy the movie. I was so irked, I Googled my problem and your site popped up. It contained new information contained in neither of my aftermarket PPT how-to books. (And don’t get me started about MS’s labyrynthine help.) I’m bookmarking your page and will use my iPad as a reference when I tackle the beast with a clear head in the morning. (Err . . . I will have the clear head, not the beast!)