How to Use Video and Audio files in PowerPoint?
This is quite a leveling remark that might come up often when you create PowerPoint presentations. Actually, it looks quite boring and surreal if there is no audio and video inserted in your presentation.
Audio and video formats easily catch a viewer’s attention while viewing your presentation and PowerPoint invariably gives you that privilege to insert media files.
Surprised?? Yes, it does, and it is very easy to accommodate them or create a wholesome media based PowerPoint presentation.
But before we walk you through that discussion, we need to first introduce you to the types of Audio and Video file formats supported by PowerPoint.
This will give you a clear insight into what type of formats you can incorporate or not.
The topics we will cover here are:
- Supported Video File Formats
- Supported Audio File Formats
- Method to Add Video Files into PowerPoint
- Method to Add Audio Files Into PowerPoint
#1: Supported Video File Formats
In PowerPoint, the following video files are supported, .avi; .mpg; .mpeg.
A slight introduction to all of them will help you know the formats better so they are discussed below as follows:
- AVI: Abbreviated for (Audio, Video Interleave), AVI video files can contain both audio and video contents. Its created by Microsoft in general.
The file is easily compatible with media players like VLC, Windows media player, Apple quick time player, Microsoft movies and TV, etc. - MPG and MPEG: Commonly termed as MPG or MPEG for (Moving picture experts group) are actually the compressed files utilized for internet distributions.
MPEG files are available in MPEG-1,2,3,4 for better quality.
#2: Supported Audio File Formats
The audio file formats that PowerPoint supports are .mp3; .au; .wav; .wma; .midi; .aiff.
Below we have given you brief details of each format for better understanding.
- AU: This audio format was initially created by Sun MicroSystems, and some older systems used to support this format, such as Sun, Adobe Audition, several Unix-based machines, Quick Time, etc. Luckily PowerPoint also supports it.
- WAV: These audio files are very heavy in size because of being uncompressed. But owing to being large-sized, they give you best sound quality.
- WMA: Also known as (Windows Media Files) in short, these files are very famous for they are easily found to be streamed anywhere on the internet. As a result, it gives a tough competition to MP3.
- MP3: shortly termed for (Most Popular), the files are compressed, which reduces the size of the real audio recording. But still, the quality is okay to be distributed for CDs and DVDs usage, and also for PowerPoint ppt. files.
- MIDI: These files shortly known for (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) were created for editing, recording, and listening to the composed tunes on digital synthesizers.
- AIFF: abbreviated for (Audio Interchange File Format) is usually larger in size than MP3 files. But it is still preferred for recording especially when the original soundtrack is needed in uncompressed format. It was created by Apple.
#3: Method to Add Video Files into PowerPoint
The section is divided into two parts, one for watching online videos, and another for watching videos stored in your PC.
- Watch Online Videos:
Step 1. Head to “Insert” tab, and click on “Media”, then “Video” and next “Online Video” option.
Step 2. Enter the URL within the text field box of online video. You can also copy the URL to this text field.
Step 3. Now click on the “Insert” button, and it will be added to the middle of your lately working slide.
Step 4. Now click on the “Play” button and you can watch it.
- Watch Videos stored in your PC:
Step 1. Go to the “Insert” tab, select “Media”, then “Video”. Choose “Video on My PC” option.
Step 2. Now navigate the needed video, select it and then click the “Insert” button.
Step 3. The video will be added to your currently working slide somewhere in the middle.
Step 4. Just click the play button and you can watch it.
You can insert the videos within the slide in intervals you require. And that’s completely your choice when and where you would like to adjust it.
#4: Method to Add Audio File Formats
Here also, we have divided the discussion section into two parts- one for adding the already stored audio from your PC, and the other for adding instant recording voice in the slide.
- Add Stored Audio from PC:
Step 1. Move to “Insert” tab, and select “Media”, then “Audio” option, next “Audio on My PC”.
Step 2. Browse through your computer to select the required audio file and finally click the “Insert” button.
Step 3. The file will be instantly added to your slide with a speaker icon and a play/pause slider for operating the audio in your slide.
Step 4. Now click the Speaker and drag the slider to the desired location, and then hit the play button. The audio will start playing at the selected location of your slide.
- Add Instant Recording Sound:
Step 1. Navigate the following pathway Insert> Media> Audio> Record Audio.
Step 2. As soon as the “Record” dialog box appears, type a filename in the Name text field.
Step 3. Now when you are ready to record your voice or any other soundtrack, click the red circle/ recording button and the recording will begin.
Step 4. Speak aloud into your microphone and count the time ticking. After you are finished with your recording, hit the square red icon for pause.
Step 5. Click “OK” to save the file and PowerPoint will automatically add the recorded file to your slide.
Step 6. Like described above, click the speaker icon, and drag the slider to your desired location. Hit the “play” button and the recording will start playing from the chosen location in the slide.
Conclusion:
Hopefully, the above discussions were enough to help you understand how to add audio and video files into PowerPoint. Likewise, if you wish to add any animation follow the pathway Insert> Online Pictures> Animations. Choose one file from the library, and then click the “Insert” button to add the file.
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