PowerPoint 2013 Bible, 4th Edition

Chapter 14

Adding Sound Effects, Music, and Soundtracks

In This Chapter

How PowerPoint uses audio

When to use sounds and when not to

Inserting an audio clip as an icon

Assigning a sound to an object

Adding a digital music soundtrack

Adding a CD audio soundtrack

Configuring sound playback

Using the advanced timeline to fine-tune sound events

Whether it's a simple sound effect or a complete musical soundtrack, sounds in a PowerPoint presentation can make a big difference in the audience's perception of your message. In this chapter, you will learn when and how to use sounds, how to place them in the presentation, and how to manage their playback.

How PowerPoint Uses Audio

There are several ways that you can include audio in a presentation:

• Insert an audio file as an icon. The audio plays during the presentation whenever anyone points to or clicks its icon, or it plays automatically, depending on the settings that you specify. This is useful in an interactive presentation because it gives the audience a choice of whether to play the sound.
• Associate a sound with an object (such as a graphic) so that the sound plays when anyone points to or clicks that object. This is another good technique for interactive presentations.
• Associate a sound with an animation effect (such as a series appearing in a graph) so that the sound plays when the animation effect occurs. For example, you might have some text “drive in” onto a slide and associate the sound of an engine revving with that action. ...