Google Slides is unarguably an intuitive tool for creating an engaging presentation. It is loaded with features to enrich your performance, such as adding audio and video to Google Slides. Learning how to add audio to Google Slides helps enhance audience engagement during your presentation.
Inserting audio in Google Slides is an easy task. This web-based presentation program supports both WAV and MP3 audio format to meet your preference. If you make a presentation using a self-recorded video and need a narration, inserting audio can keep your audience focused.
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How to Add Audio Recording to Google Slides
When you deliver a presentation, you might want to build more engagement with the audience. There is a situation where you cannot explain the slides in person. In this case, embedding a narration to Google Slides makes your presentation more professional.
The narration to be added to the slides can be sourced from anywhere. But if you wish to personalize the presentation, you should consider recording audio by yourself. However, Google Slides is not packed with a built-in recording tool, which means you need to use another program to get this done.
You may use the phone’s native audio recorder to record your voice. You may also work from the computer and choose recording programs as you prefer. Once completed, save audio on your laptop or desktop computer and upload to Google Drive before adding to the slide.
Follow step-by-step instructions below to help you accomplish this task:
- Find an audio recording program to record your voice.
- When you record, open your presentation to make sure your explanation relates to the slides.
- After the recording is completed, save your file to the computer.
- Go to Google Drive and login to your account.
- Upload the recorded audio to Drive by tapping the New button then choose File upload.
- Locate your audio and click Open to upload.
- Now you are ready to add audio to the slides. Open your presentation in Google Slides.
- Click Insert, select Audio.
- Click My Drive tab to import audio from your Drive.
- You will see a list of audios in your Google Drive. Click the audio that you want to insert and choose Select.
- The audio will be embedded in the slide.
Besides learning how to add audio to Google Slides, you might also need to know how to edit your audio. Google Slides enable you to make a few adjustments on audio playback. Go to format options and you will see a panel on the right side of the screen.
This panel allows you to play audio automatically. You can also choose Stop on slide change to avoid audio repeats on the next slide. If you want to hide the audio icon, simply choose Hide icon when presenting and your audience will focus on the slides.
How to Add an Audio File to Google Slides
You can also improve your presentation with sound effects, music, and other audio files. Without having to record the audio by yourself, simply upload a file to your Drive and it will be ready to embed to the slide.
The steps are quite similar to inserting audio recording above. Take a closer look at the instructions below:
- Upload your audio file to Google Drive by tapping the New button and choose File upload.
- Browse for the audio and select Open.
- Audio file is now uploaded to your Drive.
- Go to Google Slides and open your presentation or create a new one.
- Click on the slide where you want to add the audio file. Click Insert in the menu bar, navigate to Audio.
- A new window will open. Click My Drive tab to choose the audio file from your Drive.
- You will find all audio files uploaded to Drive. Pick a file that you want to add to the slide, click Select.
- Audio file is now embedded in the slide. You will see a speaker icon somewhere in the slide.
Google Slides has a number of format options that enable you to adjust the audio. For instance, you can set audio playback to start automatically or on click. You can also choose to play the audio on loop or stop when the slide changes.
There are other options to choose from, such as speaker icon recolor and adjustment. You will also find standard options like size and position, reflection, and drop shadow.
How to Play Your Audio in Google Slides
Now you know how to add audio to Google Slides. But do you know how to play the audio file both in editing and presentation mode? Fortunately, playing audio in Google Slides is completely easy. Whether you are in editing mode or presentation mode, here is how to do it:
1. Editing Mode
If you are in editing mode, embedded audio file can be played simply by hovering your cursor over the speaker icon. A control panel will appear. Click the play button and the audio file will be played. Check if it is the right audio you want to insert to the slide. From the same panel, you can also adjust the volume.
Since it is a web-based program, audio playback heavily depends on your internet connection. Poor internet connection will cause lags during the playback.
2. Presentation Mode
In presentation mode, how to play audio file depends on your setting. If you set the audio to play automatically, audio playback will automatically start when you go to presentation mode. But if you choose to click, you will need to click the speaker icon to play the audio.
When you decide to play the audio automatically, Google Slides enables you to hide the speaker icon so your audience will focus on the material. Check the box next to Hide icon when presenting in format options and it will disappear in presentation mode.
When Should You Embed Audio in Google Slides?
Adding audio content to presentation slides is quite common. There are various audio files to choose from, such as sound effect, music, and narration. While sound effect and music makes your presentation more immersive, narration has a different function.
If you are creating a presentation for audience to view independently, adding a voiceover is an ideal solution to help them understand the material. You can successfully deliver the message without having to speak in person.
There are some benefits of having a voiceover in Google Slides. Besides building an engagement with the audience, it also keeps them focused during the presentation. It also breaks boredom so viewers can enjoy the presentation from start to end.
After knowing how to add audio to Google Slides, it is your turn to give it a try. Start with a simple presentation and see if you can make it correctly. Next, create a real presentation and personalize it with your own audio file.
