How to Add Audio or Music to Google Slides?

Did you know that adding audio can instantly make your presentation feel more interactive, engaging, and professional? Whether you’re building a classroom lesson, a pitch deck, or a webinar presentation, audio helps you deliver information in a more memorable way.

Knowing how to add audio to Google Slides is especially useful if you want to include narration, voiceovers, sound effects, or even subtle background music. With just a few clicks, you can turn static slides into an experience your audience actually enjoys.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to add audio in Google Slides and the best ways to insert music whether through an audio file or YouTube.

Why Adding Audio Enhances Presentations

Audio isn’t just an extra feature it can significantly improve the flow and impact of your slides. When used correctly, sound helps reinforce key points, build emotion, and improve audience attention.

Here’s what you can add:

• Narration for explainer-style slides
• Voiceovers for self-paced presentations
• Sound effects for transitions, quizzes, or emphasis
• Background music to set mood and tone

Can You Add Audio to Google Slides?

Yes, you can. Google Slides allows you to insert audio files directly into your presentation using Google Drive. The most widely supported audio formats are MP3 and WAV, which work smoothly across most browsers and devices.

How to Add Audio to Google Slides?

If you’re wondering how do I add audio to Google Slides, the process is simple. You upload the audio file to Drive, insert it into a slide, and then control playback settings so it plays exactly how you want.

Here’s the quick process:

1. Upload audio to Google Drive: Upload your audio file (MP3/WAV) to Google Drive so Google Slides can access it.
2. Insert audio into a specific slide: Open your deck → select the slide → click Insert → Audio → choose the file from Drive.
3. Adjust playback settings: Click the speaker icon → open Format options → adjust: Play automatically / On click, Loop audio, Stop on slide change, Volume settings, Option to hide icon when presenting

These settings are available under Audio playback inside Format options.

That’s the easiest way to understand how do you add audio to Google Slides for voiceovers, narration, or sound effects.

How to Add Music to Google Slides?

Now let’s talk music. If you want background music or a soundtrack, there are two popular methods depending on where your music is stored: either upload an audio file or embed music through YouTube.

So if you’re asking how can you add music to Google Slides, start with one of the two methods below.

Method 1: Insert an Audio File as Background Music in Google Slides

This is the most reliable method if you want smooth playback and full control.

To learn how to add music to a Google Slide, follow these steps:

1. Upload your music file to Google Drive
2. Open Slides → select the slide → Insert → Audio
3. Choose the music file → click Insert
4. Click the speaker icon → open Format options
5. Adjust playback settings like autoplay, loop, and stop on slide change

This method works best when you want clean background audio without depending on video playback.

Method 2: Insert YouTube Music or Video in Google Slides

If you want to use trending soundtracks, ambient music, or YouTube audio, this method is quick and effective.

Steps for how to add music to Google Slides from YouTube:

1. Copy the YouTube link of the music or soundtrack you want.
2. In Google Slides, click: Insert → Video
3. Paste the YouTube link into the search bar.
4. Select the video → click Insert
5. Resize the video to make it very small (example: 1×1 pixel) and place it in a corner.

This lets the video function like a “music source” while staying visually hidden.

How to Hide the Video (make it function like audio)

Once inserted, you can make the YouTube video invisible by:

1. covering it with a shape,
2. moving it off the slide canvas, or
3. reducing opacity to 0%.

This helps keep your slide clean while still playing music in the background.

How to Enable Autoplay?

1. Select the YouTube video
2. open Format options
3. enable Autoplay when presenting.

Now your music will start automatically when the slide opens.

How to Play Audio on all Slides

If you want the same audio track to continue while switching slides:

1. Select the audio icon
2. open Format options
3. disable Stop on slide change.

This ensures the audio does not stop when you move from one slide to the next.

How to Add Background Music to Google Slides?

Want background music that plays throughout your presentation? This method is best when you use a long track (10–20 minutes) so it doesn’t end midway.

Here’s exactly how to add background music to Google Slides:

1. Upload a long background music track (10–20 minutes) to Google Drive.
2. Open your Google Slides presentation.
3. Go to the first slide of your deck.
4. Click Insert → Audio.
5. Select your uploaded audio file.
6. Click the audio icon → open Format options.
7. Under Audio playback, adjust:
   • Start playing: Automatically
   • Loop audio: ON
   • Stop on slide change: OFF
8. Shrink or hide the audio icon if needed.
9. Start the presentation from Slide 1.

This is the simplest way to understand how do you add background music to Google Slides without disrupting your slides.

Why Adding Audio to Google Slides Enhances Your Presentation?

The saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” holds even when hosting presentations. Integrating relevant sound elements into your Google Slides opens up a world of possibilities. Here are several reasons why incorporating audio can be beneficial:

• Grabs Attention: Audio engages from the start.
• Elicits Emotion: Sets mood and tone.
• Clarifies Complexities: Aids understanding.
• Suits Different Learners: Appeals to various senses.
• Highlights Key Points: Emphasizes important content.
• Smooth Transitions: Enhances flow between slides.
• Crosses Language Barriers: Benefits global audiences.
• Boosts Interactivity: Supports quizzes and interviews.
• Compelling Storytelling: Narration + visuals leave an impact.
• Adds Personal Touch: Builds presenter-audience connection.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to add an audio to Google Slides and also how to add music on Google Slides, you can easily upgrade your presentation experience. Whether you insert an audio file from Drive or embed YouTube music, the key is using playback settings like autoplay, looping, and “stop on slide change” to keep everything smooth.

If you want to go one step further and create stunning presentations without design effort, SlidesAI makes it easy to generate impressive slides in seconds, so you can focus more on the story and less on formatting.

Frequently Asked Questions About Adding Audio or Music to Google Slides

1. How do you delete audio from Google Slides?

To remove audio from your Google Slides presentation, go to the slide with the audio, click on the speaker icon, right-click on the icon, and select “Delete” from the drop-down menu.

2. What audio formats do Googlea Slides support?

Google Slides supports MP3, WAV, OGG, and AAC audio formats.

3. Can I add narration to my slides?

Yes! You can use the “Record Audio” option under Insert > Audio to narrate directly within your presentation. Or, you can pre-record your narration, upload it on Google Drive, and insert that audio in your file.

4. Can I add multiple audio files to one presentation?

Absolutely! You can add as many audio files as you need to different slides or even have them overlap. You can follow the steps given in the above article to upload multiple audios for each slide of your presentation.

5. How do I control when the audio starts playing?

You can choose options like “Start playing automatically” or “Only when I click” under Playback options in the Audio sidebar, to control the speed and start and stop point of your audio.

6. Can I adjust the audio volume during the presentation?

Yes, you can! Try using the volume slider in the Audio sidebar or set a specific volume level in the Playback options.

7. Can I hide the audio icon during the presentation?

Yes, you can do so by enabling the “Hide icon when presenting” in the Playback options for a cleaner look.

8. Can I add audio from the web directly to Google Slides?

Unfortunately, this feature is not available yet. You need to upload the audio file or link to Google Drive first. But you can add audio directly from famous streaming platforms like YouTube or Spotify to your Google Slides presentation, provided that the audio is made shareable by the authors of the video or audio files.

9. How do I edit the audio file after adding it to my presentation?

You cannot directly edit the audio within Google Slides. Try to use an audio editing tool before uploading the files to Google Drive, and then to your presentation.

10. Can I add sound effects or transitions between audio clips?

This functionality is not currently built-in, but you can achieve similar effects using third-party add-ons.

11. How do I fade in/out audio in Google Slides?

This is not directly possible, but workarounds using multiple audio clips with adjusted volume levels can be used.

12. Can I add audio to a specific part of a slide?

No, the audio plays for the entire slide duration. You can adjust the playback, volume, and loop settings in the playback format menu.

13. Can I loop the audio or stop it on specific slides?

Yes! You can click on “Loop audio” or set “Stop audio on slide change” in the Playback options, to loop your audio for certain slides, and control the playback speed.