How to Add Music to PowerPoint Presentations: Expert Step-by-Step Guide

Make your PowerPoint slideshows more engaging with custom music. Beyond advanced transitions and slide resizing techniques—like our guide on how to resize slides in PowerPoint—leverage free resources for sound effects, videos, animations, clip art, and cartoons from 30 top sites.

Adding background music, whether a single track or a playlist, elevates your presentation without complexity. As PowerPoint experts with years of experience creating professional decks, we've streamlined the process for you.

How to Add Music to Your PowerPoint Slideshow

Start with a suitable audio file saved on your computer—PowerPoint doesn't include built-in tracks. For public use, ensure licensing: opt for royalty-free options from trusted sources like our recommended 3 places for great royalty-free music.

Launch PowerPoint, open your presentation, and follow these steps:

1. From the top ribbon, select Insert.
2. Click the Audio icon.
3. Choose Audio on My PC (or Record Audio for custom narration).
4. Browse to your music file and click Insert.

After insertion, use the Playback tab to customize:

Key options include:

• Play Across Slides: Continuous playback through all slides.
• Loop Until Stopped: Repeats until the presentation ends.
• Trim Audio: Shorten tracks to fit your slideshow duration.
• Bookmarks: Set start/stop points in the track.

What's your go-to way to use audio in PowerPoint? Share in the comments below.