How to Add Music to a PowerPoint Slideshow: Step-by-Step Guide

Why do we add music to a PowerPoint slideshow

Adding music to a PowerPoint slideshow enhances the overall presentation by setting the tone and creating a more immersive experience. Whether you're presenting to a business audience, showcasing a portfolio, or creating a personal slideshow, background music can evoke emotions, hold the audience's attention, and make the content more memorable. Music also helps to smooth transitions between slides, making the presentation feel more cohesive. By learning how to add music to a PowerPoint slideshow, you can elevate the professionalism of your presentation and create a lasting impression that goes beyond the visuals alone.

How to add music to a slideshow on PowerPoint

Note: PowerPoint supports importing audio formats, including MP3, WMA, WAV, M4A, etc., while some formats are not allowed to be added to the slideshow, such as FLAC.

Adding music to your PowerPoint slideshow can make your presentation more engaging and professional. Follow these simple steps to seamlessly incorporate audio into your slides:

STEP 1
1. Insert audio into PowerPoint

Open your PowerPoint presentation and navigate to the slide where you want to add music. Go to the "Insert" tab and click on "Audio," then select "Audio on my PC." Choose the audio file you want to add from your computer.

STEP 2
1. Set audio to play across slides

Click on the audio icon that appears on the slide, and go to the "Playback" tab. Select "Play Across Slides" to make the audio play continuously throughout your entire presentation, not just on one slide.

STEP 3
1. Customize audio settings

In the "Playback" tab, you can adjust the audio settings, such as setting the music to start automatically or when clicked. You can also trim the audio to fit your presentation or set the volume to ensure it doesn't overpower the visuals.

While PowerPoint provides basic tools for adding music to your slides, CapCut takes it a step further. CapCut offers a wide range of advanced tools for editing your slideshow with music, including rich, copyright-free music tracks and customizable video transitions.

Create slideshows with music on CapCut (Rich copyright-free music)

CapCut is a video editor that allows you to create a slideshow video with music. Its copyright-free music library allows you to choose from a wide variety of tracks that perfectly suit your slideshow's theme. Moreover, it allows you to customize the music track with different tools. You can also apply video transitions to ensure smooth, dynamic flow between your slides, adding an extra layer of polish to your presentation. Download CapCut and create your engaging slideshow with copyright-free music tracks!

Key features

• Copyright-free music tracks: CapCut offers a wide variety of copyright-free music tracks, allowing you to enhance slides legally without copyright issues.
• Video transitions: CapCut allows you to apply smooth video transitions between slides for a professional look.
• Audio copyright detection: CapCut includes audio copyright detection to ensure that the music used in your project is free from copyright claims.

How to use CapCut to create your slideshow with music

STEP 1
1. Import media files

Open CapCut and start a new project by clicking on "New project." Import your images directly into the workspace. You can also import music files to add to the slideshow at this stage. CapCut supports various formats, such as JPEG and PNG, so ensure your files are compatible for easy editing.

STEP 2
1. Edit the slideshow with music

Drag your imported images to the timeline, arranging them in the desired order. In addition to adding your own audio from the local, you can also choose the music that meets with the slideshow style from the "Audio" library. CapCut allows you to trim the music, adjust the volume levels, and apply special audio effects to enhance the mood of your slideshow. You can also add transitions between images to ensure a smooth visual flow that complements the audio.

STEP 3
1. Export the slideshow

Once you're satisfied with the adjustments, click on the Export button in the top right corner of the screen. CapCut gives you options to choose the resolution of your exported file, including 2K and 4K. Select your preferred file format (e.g., MP4), and specify the output settings before saving your project.

Tips to customize music playback in PowerPoint

• Choose the right audio format: PowerPoint supports MP3, WAV, and MIDI files. Ensure your audio is in one of these formats for optimal playback and compatibility with the presentation.
• Set audio to play across all slides: To make the music play throughout your entire presentation, select Play Across Slides in the Playback tab. This ensures continuous audio without interruptions as you move between slides.
• Adjust the audio start time: You can control when the audio starts by selecting Start Automatically or Start On Click in the Playback options. This allows you to sync the music with specific parts of the presentation.
• Control the duration of the music: Use the Trim Audio feature in the Playback tab to cut audio to the desired length. This helps you ensure the music fits perfectly with the timing of your slides.
• Use custom audio for specific slides: If you want different music for certain slides, simply insert a new audio file on the specific slide. You can set it to play automatically or adjust its timing as needed.
• Test the audio before presenting: Always preview your slideshow with the audio before presenting to ensure everything is synchronized properly. Make adjustments to timing and volume if needed.
• Avoid overcrowding with audio: Avoid adding too much audio or too many sound effects. Keep the music subtle and ensure it complements the visuals, enhancing the presentation without overwhelming it.

Bonus: Guide to music types for different types of slideshow

Choosing the right music is key to creating an engaging PowerPoint slideshow. Whether you're working on a wedding slideshow or a business presentation, the music you choose can set the tone and enhance the experience. Here's a guide to help you select the best music for each type of slideshow and how to add music to a slideshow on PowerPoint.

• Wedding/Memorial slideshow

For weddings or memorials, choose soft, emotional instrumental music or love songs. Slow, sentimental tracks will help set a reflective and heartfelt tone. To add music to a slideshow on PowerPoint, choose a song that matches the emotion of the photos displayed.

• Travel/landscape photography slideshow

Use uplifting, cinematic music with an adventurous vibe. Tracks with light percussion or orchestral music work well for showcasing nature and landscapes, creating an inspiring atmosphere. Select something that complements the mood of the photos.

• Education/teaching slideshow

Opt for light background music, such as soft instrumental or ambient music. Music should not overpower the content, allowing the audience to focus on educational material. Choose calming, subtle tunes that don't distract from the teaching content.

• Memorial slideshow

Similar to wedding or memorial slideshows, use sad and solemn music. Classical, instrumental tracks or meaningful songs will help create a respectful and nostalgic atmosphere. Adding music to a slideshow on PowerPoint can evoke emotions and highlight memories beautifully.

• Business/work report slideshow

Choose professional and upbeat background music, like score tracks. The goal is to keep the presentation engaging without being distracted from the content. Right music can help maintain energy and focus during a work-related presentation.

• Parent-child themed slideshow

For a playful and fun slideshow, use light-hearted and cheerful music. Choose upbeat tunes, nursery rhymes, or playful instrumental pieces to engage both children and parents.

Regardless of the situation in the slideshow, CapCut provides a large number of copyright-free music, including a variety of themes and emotions, to meet the production needs of various slides. In addition, you can use various audio editing tools to better integrate the added music with the slideshow, such as applying fade-in/out effects.

Conclusion

In this guide, we've covered everything you need to know about how to add music to a slideshow on PowerPoint, from inserting audio files to customizing playback settings. By following the simple steps in PowerPoint, you can easily enhance your presentations with music that complements your slides. For even more professional results, CapCut offers advanced features like rich, copyright-free music tracks, seamless video transitions, and powerful audio editing tools. If you're looking to take your slideshow to the next level, download CapCut now and explore its advanced music syncing capabilities to create stunning, polished presentations.

FAQs

1
1. What type of audio file is compatible with PowerPoint?

PowerPoint supports audio files in MP3, WAV, and MIDI formats. Ensure your audio file is in one of these formats to ensure compatibility with PowerPoint's features. For more advanced audio editing, CapCut supports various audio formats and offers audio editing tools to further refine and enhance your audio for presentations, including voice changer.

2
1. How do I use CapCut to enhance my PowerPoint slideshow's music?

To enhance your PowerPoint slideshow's music, you can import your audio into CapCut and use its powerful audio editing tools to adjust the volume, trim, apply filters, and sync the music perfectly with your slides. Finally, export the audio to MP3 or WAV format for PowerPoint using.

3
1. How to add music to a slideshow from another video?

If you want to add music from a video to your slideshow, CapCut allows you to extract audio from videos. Simply import the video file into CapCut, and use the audio extraction feature to separate the music. Then, export the audio in MP3, FLAC, WAV, or AAC format. Finally, import the exported audio file into CapCut to create a new slideshow.