PowerPoint: Play Audio Across Slides

Why 

Here are a few reasons why you would like the audio over multiple slides. If you have another reason, please add that reason to the comment section at the bottom of this blog post! I would love to know. 

If you have taped an ancestor talking about a story and you have photos of them it would be nice to combine the two together to share with the family.

Maybe you have them talking about themselves or their parents and you want to show multiple photos of that person as they are talking.

These slide shows could be used for weddings, receptions, family reunions and funerals. 

Before you begin

I suggest you add the timing for the slides before you add the slide. If you want each photo to slow for 6 seconds and you have 10 photos then you know that you have time for one (1) minute of the audio.

If you are off just a little or need the photos to show longer then make a copy of one slide or change the timing for one slide so that it is visible longer.

Add the audio to the first slide you want the music to start.

Music background

Before you begin

Find out the length of the song or the voice taping.

Set the timings for the slides. That is the length the slide appears on the screen. 

Calculate where the song should end based on your timing and the length of the song.

Do you have enough slides for the length of the song?

Do you have too many slides for the length of the song? 

Do you want more than one song for the slide show?

Insert the Audio file 

1. Select the slide with the audio icon

2. Click on the PLAYBACK tab 

3, Click in the Play Across Slides check box, as shown below.

If you have more slides than music or you have set it up for more than one song.

1. Go to the slide you believe the first song will end. 

2. Insert the new audio file into that slide. 

3. Select Play Across Slides

Test

Test the sound by playing the PowerPoint. I usually have to do this several times to get the timing correct, especially if I have multiple files for the presentation.

Notes

If the music goes beyond the slide you thought, watch to see which slide it does end on.

If the music ends before you thought, watch to see which slide it ended on.

PowerPoint: Add sound to One Slide

How to add a sound file to One Slide

Do you have a recording of a family member's voice? Good for you!
Now we want to share that voice with family members along with a photo of them.

These instructions will insert a sound file saved on your computer to be played on one slide of your PowerPoint presentation. The sound will start when the Audio icon is clicked or the mouse is clicked when the PowerPoint presentation is on that slide. That is the default settings. The last section explains how to have the audio automatically start when the slide appears.

Another post will explain how to have audio play over several slides.

Hint: Know where the file is that you want to play on this slide before beginning. This will make finding the file in step 5 easier.

Insert the file

1. Click on the slide where the sound will be played

2. Click on the INSERT tab of the ribbon

3. Click on Audio in the Media section of the Tab.
    The last section on the right.

4. Select on Audio on My PC...

5. Now find the file on your computer.

6. PowerPoint will list all of the following Audio types in each directory/folder of your hard drive.

7. Click on the file to select it.

8. Click on the INSERT command button in the bottom right corner of the window.

    The following appears in the middle of the slide, right over any text that might be there.

Move the Audio icon

This can be moved to another area on the slide, out of the way.

1. Move your cursor over the megaphone icon.

2. Your mouse has now 4 directional arrow icon. This is the move icon.

3. Click and drag your mouse to another spot on this slide.


Hide the Audio icon from the slide show
You can hide this completely from the slide during the show.

1. Select the megaphone, if it is not already selected.

2. Click on the PLAYBACK tab on the ribbon.
    The second of the two contextual ribbon tabs which appear only when the Audio icon is selected.

3. Click inside the box to the left of Hide During Show in the Audio Options section of the PLAYBACK tab.


Configure the audio to start when the slide appears

1. Click on the Audio icon.

2. Click on the PLAYBACK tab.

3. In the Audio Options section, click the drop-down box in the Start box. Currently says On Click.

4. Click on Automatically.

Now the audio will automatically begin when the slide appears.



Play Audio over multiple Slides

Instructions and thoughts on how to play audio over multiple slides on next post.
Play Across Slides