How to Add Audio to PowerPoint: Music, Voice and Looping (2026)

A deck with no sound can feel flat, and a deck with the wrong sound is worse. Whether you want a bit of background music for a stand at an event, a voice clip that explains a tricky slide or a recorded welcome for clients who open your file later, PowerPoint can hold the audio inside the slide itself.

I've followed Microsoft's own help page for the steps below, so you'll see the exact button names. The part that trips people up isn't inserting the clip, it's choosing when it plays, so I've spent most of the page on that.

Putting an audio file from your computer onto a PowerPoint slide

This is the quickest route if you already have a sound file saved. On Windows, Microsoft's steps are:

1. Open the slide where you want the sound to live.
2. Select Insert, then Audio.
3. Choose Audio on My PC.
4. In the Insert Audio dialog box, pick your file.
5. Select Insert.

A small speaker icon lands on the slide. Drag it wherever suits the layout. Microsoft suggests keeping the icon in the same place on every slide if you use more than one clip per slide, so you can find it fast while you're presenting.

Recording your own voice straight into a PowerPoint slide

If you'd rather speak than hunt for a file, PowerPoint can record for you. Microsoft says the device needs a microphone that is switched on.

1. Select Insert, then Audio, then Record Audio.
2. Type a name for the clip and select Record, then speak.
3. Select Stop, then Play, to listen back.
4. Select Record to have another go, or OK when you're happy with it.

For a small business owner this is handy for a short spoken welcome on the first slide of a proposal or a walk-through you send as a file. If you want narration across the whole deck with timings, that's a different job, and PowerPoint's own Record tab is the better route.

Choosing when the PowerPoint audio plays

Click the speaker icon, open the Playback tab and look at the Start drop-down. Microsoft lists three choices:

Start setting	What Microsoft says it does
In Click Sequence	Plays the clip as part of your normal clicks through the slide
Automatically	Plays as soon as you advance to the slide the clip sits on
When Clicked On	Plays only when you click the audio icon

Pick Automatically for a welcome clip you don't want to forget to trigger. Pick When Clicked On when you want full control, for example a sample you only play if a client asks.

Making PowerPoint audio play across slides or on a loop

Background music is the most common reason people search for this. On the Playback tab, Microsoft describes these options:

• Play Across Slides: plays one audio file across all the slides.
• Play in Background: plays the audio continuously across all slides in the background.
• Loop until Stopped: repeats the clip until you stop it with the Play/Pause button.
• Hide During Show: hides the icon, which Microsoft says you should use only if the clip plays automatically.

Microsoft's Mac page adds a useful detail: Loop Until Stopped used alone repeats only while its own slide is on screen, but used together with Play Across Slides the looping sound carries on through the presentation.

Trimming, fading and turning down PowerPoint audio

Raw clips often start with dead air or finish too abruptly. Still on the Playback tab, Microsoft says you can select Trim and drag the red and green sliders to cut the ends, change the numbers in the Fade Duration boxes to fade in or out, and use Volume to set the level. Trim first, then fade, then set the volume, and play the slide once all the way through before you rely on it.

Adding audio to PowerPoint on a Mac or in a web browser

On a Mac, Microsoft's help says to go to Insert, then Audio, and choose either the Audio Browser or Audio from File. After that, the Playback tab holds the Start options and the Play across Slides and Loop Until Stopped boxes. Menus vary by version, so if yours looks different, look for Audio under Insert.

PowerPoint for the web is more limited. Microsoft lists MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC and OGA as supported audio formats, with a maximum audio file size of 16 MB. You select Insert, then Audio, browse to your file and select Open. The playback options sit on the Audio tab, and there you'll find Start, Play Across Slides, Loop until Stopped, Hide During Show and Rewind after Playing.

Taking audio back out of a PowerPoint slide

To delete a clip, select the speaker icon on the slide and press Delete. That's all Microsoft's page says is needed. If you can still hear music after deleting, check whether you set a different clip to play across slides earlier in the deck.

Checking your PowerPoint audio before you present

Sound is the thing most likely to go wrong on the day, so run through this list:

• Play the slide show from the start on the same computer you'll present from.
• Check the speakers or the room system, not just your headphones.
• Use sound you have the right to use. Music from a streaming service or a video is not automatically yours to play at a public event.
• Keep a short note of which slide holds each clip.

If you build decks in Google Slides as well, I've covered the same job there in adding audio to Google Slides. And for the wider picture of a good deck, see my guide to creating a great PowerPoint presentation.

If your PowerPoint audio won't add or won't play

1. Check the file type. Web users are limited to the formats Microsoft lists above.
2. For recording, check that your microphone is enabled on the device, as Microsoft notes.
3. Open the Playback tab and look at the Start setting. A clip set to When Clicked On will stay silent until you click it.
4. Make sure your computer has working speakers, because Microsoft says you need a sound card, microphone and speakers to record and hear audio.
5. Update PowerPoint and try again on a fresh slide.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add audio to PowerPoint?

On Windows, select Insert, then Audio, then Audio on My PC, choose your file and select Insert. To record instead, choose Record Audio, name the clip, select Record and speak.

How do I make audio play automatically in PowerPoint?

Click the audio icon, open the Playback tab and set Start to Automatically. The clip then plays once you advance to its slide.

How do I play music across all slides in PowerPoint?

Select the clip, open the Playback tab and choose Play in Background, or Play Across Slides. Add Loop until Stopped if the music is shorter than your talk.

What audio formats does PowerPoint for the web support?

Microsoft lists MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC and OGA, with a maximum audio file size of 16 MB.

How do I remove audio from a PowerPoint slide?

Select the speaker icon on the slide and press Delete.