Music has the power to uplift your mind, and it can even help in keeping your brain engaged and active. And, you know what the best part is: adding audio to your presentations can help take your project to the next level, as it sets a specific mood, so your messages get easily communicated.
And, lucky for you, Google Slides makes this whole process of inserting audio files into your presentations as convenient as ever.
So, in this tutorial on How to add music to Google Slides, we’ll be exploring the major benefits of doing so to make your content shine.
Let’s start!
How to Add Music to Google Slides?
Whether you’re preparing for a large conference or just simply want to enhance the overall engagement of your written article, here are three striking ways to add music to your Google Slides:
Insert Audio from the Google Drive
You can insert an audio to Google Slides by uploading it first to the Google Drive. This is perhaps the only method to autoplay the music, and it is also what Google recommends. So, here’s how to add sound to Google Slides from the Google Drive:
Step 1: Prepare your music file
The first step would be to prepare the audio you want to have for your presentation. So for this you can record your own audio or even pick a royalty-free audio tracks from the website like Pixabay, YouTube Audio Library, or the Free Music Archive.
If you face any technical issues while preparing the file, such as problems with the DNS server not responding, you can troubleshoot them easily to proceed without disruptions.
Step 2: Upload and Save the Audio File to Google Drive
Now sign in to your Google Drive account and then click on the (+) New Tab in the top left corner of your My Drive screen.
Choose the option file upload from the dropdown list.
And, find the audio file that you want in your document and select Open. This will automatically start uploading your audio file to the Google Drive.
Step 3: Add the Audio File to Google Drive
Open the Google Slide Presentation, bring your editing cursor to the place where you want to add your music.
Now click on the Insert button and select Audio from the dropdown list.
Search for the audio file in Google Drive that you want to add and then click Insert, add it to your slide.
Step 4: Configure Your Audio File
So, after inserting the audio, a speaker icon will appear on the slide you selected, along with a menu of formatting options on the right-hand sidebar. Now, here take a loom at some of the settings that you can configure:
- Autoplay: Here you can select whether you want your audio to play automatically when the presenter navigates to the slide or with the help of a click.
- Hide or Change the Icon: If you have selected your audio to be played automatically, you can hide the music icon or even change it with a better looking option.
- Adjust the Audio Volume: You can also increase or reduce the volume of the audio to better suit the presenter’s preference.
- Loop the Track: If you’re using a background music for your presentation, you can also loop the audio track to enhance the engagement of your project.
Insert Audio From a URL
If you want an audio track to be used in one of your presentations, the best way to do it is by using the link of the file’s location, which will open a new tab upon clicking the audio button.
Note: For this guide, we will insert a music using a URL from Spotify. But the underline process will be the same with every platform, be it SoundCloud, YouTube Music, or Apple Music. And, also make sure that you’re connected to the internet to play the audio during the presentation.
Step 1: Select Your Track
- Visit the Spotify website and select the audio track you want to use for your presentation.
- Now hover over the track and click on the 3 dot button on the right.
- Open the 3-dot menu and go to share and copy the song link.
Step 2: Create a Play Button
You can add the link to any element in the Google Slides, whether it’s a shape or an image. So, create a play button and style it according to the tone of your presentation.
Add the Audio’s Link in the Google Slide
- Select the Audio that you want to use as play button.
- Now, open the toolbar and select the Link Icon to insert the link. You can also right-click on the element and use the Ctrl or Cmd + K keyboard shortcut for the same.
- Here, paste the link you have copied from the Spotify and click Apply.
If you need more help on this, consider learning how to see deleted messages on Instagram to troubleshoot common issues related to file access and usage.
Embed YouTube Video with Music in Google Slides
Another great way to add audio to your Google Slides presentation is by adding a YouTube video with music. You can just add a video directly from the YouTube and hide it from the slide area. This is especially better when you have to add a background music to your presentation without having to download it.
Note: Most of the YouTube creators copyrights their content, and you can’t share it via Google Slides. You make sure you’re using a not copyrighted content or only using it under the “Fair Use” terms.
Step 1: Find the YouTube Video
Find the YouTube Track that you want to use and copy the URL of the content.
Step 2: Insert the YouTube Video on your Google Slides
- In your Google Slides presentation, go to the Insert button and select the Video option from the list.
- Now paste your YouTube URL and click insert.
Step 3: Configure the Audio and Hide it
So, once the video is added to the Google Slides, you can now use the format menu options menu to easily configure the video. You can even right-click on the video and choose to autoplay the video.
However, if you want to move the video from the visible area of the slide, this won’t autoplay the video. Instead of this, you can try hiding your video behind an image or object.
Step 4: Playing Audio When Presenting
When you’re presenting your project, the video will autoplay when you navigate to the slide. However, this will stop autoplay when you advance past them.
What are the Benefits of Adding Audio to Google Slides?
So, before we dive into the actual question of how to add audio to Google Slides, let’s first explore some of the striking benefits of doing so:
Greater Engagement
Remember the time when you were watching an Instagram reel and the background music just made it ten times better? So, it’s not just about the visuals, sounds can also evoke emotions, set the mood, and even contribute to a greater engagement.
For instance, let’s suppose you’re presenting a slide about the roaring era of Michael Jackson. Instead of showing some images with a lot of boring text, you could play some of his iconic songs in the background to transport the audience back in time. Or, if you’re discussing a famous speech by Martin Luther King, you can play a little part in it to make it more engaging.
Advanced Clarification
Listening requires a less constant effort than reading a text-heavy document. And, since it is a great mood lifter, you can use the audio to explain complex topics that might be hard to explain with just words.
In addition to this, music can also spark a little interest in the audience, so, they don’t get bored during your presentations.
Emotional Impact
Studies suggest that music has the power to affect how we perceive the world and form memories. For instance, if a piece of music or voice relates to significant life events of yours, it can trigger a deeply nostalgic emotional experience.
Moreover, upbeat music can shift the whole atmosphere to be more energetic and optimistic, while on the other hand, gentle and slower music can make your audience more contemplative. This is why, it is often suggested to add music, sounds, and audio to your presentation to make it more lively and appealing to your audience.
Conclusion
In closing, answering the query of how to add music to Google Slides is much easier now. And, it also a great way to immediately capture the audience attention and make them get involved with your presentation. So, by using the methods used in this guide, you can also easily insert the music in your projects and enhance their overall quality.
