You've spent 30 minutes aligning objects on a single slide, haven't you? We all have that presentation where we've obsessed over font choices and image placement to the point of madness. But here's what most presenters miss while perfecting their visual elements.

Music. It's the secret weapon that transforms good presentations into memorable ones. Beyond making your slides more engaging, the right audio creates an emotional backdrop that helps your message stick. It's the difference between information that's processed and forgotten versus content that resonates days later.

The good news? Adding audio to Google Slides isn't the technical nightmare you might expect. It's actually surprisingly straightforward—even for those who consider themselves technologically challenged.

This guide walks you through exactly how to add music to Google Slides, with all the options, limitations, and workarounds you need to know. No fluff, just practical steps to make your presentations stand out for the right reasons.

3 Benefits of Adding Music to Google Slides

Audio can enhance a presentation significantly. Here’s a quick look at its key benefits.

Enhanced Engagement with Audio

The right audio clip can set the tone for your presentation, engaging your audience and hinting at key takeaways.

Take Apple, for example. The company is known for using high-quality music and engaging video presentations to captivate its audience. In one of its WWDC keynotes, Vera Carr, Apple's Special Projects Group director, played upbeat music to showcase the improved Workout app.

Clarification and Emphasis Through Sound

Your audience should focus on your words and slides. Complex topics may be challenging to explain without multimedia elements.

Audio captures attention and keeps your audience engaged, preventing them from losing interest in text-heavy slides. Additionally, listening requires less cognitive effort than reading, making your content more accessible.

Creating Emotional Impact with Music

Studies show that music influences perception and memory formation. Including music, sound effects, or voiceovers in your presentation can evoke emotions, making it more immersive and engaging.

For instance, upbeat music can create an exciting and optimistic atmosphere, while soft background music encourages contemplation.

Now, let’s explore different ways to add music to Google Slides.

How to Add Music to Google Slides: 4 Methods

Whether you're preparing for a conference or a one-on-one sales pitch, adding background music, voiceovers, or sound effects can enhance your presentation.

Here are four effective methods to add audio to Google Slides.

Method 1: Add Audio Files from Google Drive

To add music to Google Slides, first upload your audio file to Google Drive before inserting it into your presentation.

Step 1: Prepare Your Music File

You can use your own recordings or select royalty-free tracks from sources like Pixabay, YouTube Audio Library, or the Free Music Archive.

Step 2: Upload Audio to Google Drive

Next, sign in to your Google Drive account, then select New (+) at the top left of your My Drive screen.

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Choose File upload.

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Locate your audio file and select Open to begin uploading it to Google Drive.

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Step 3: Set Sharing Permissions

Once uploaded, right-click the audio file and select Share > Share.

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⚡TIP: If right-click is disabled, select the file, then click the Share icon or use the ellipsis (three dots) menu to access Share > Share.

Change the access settings from Restricted to Anyone with the link.

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Set the sharing permissions to Viewer.

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Click Done.

Step 4: Insert Audio into Your Slides

Open Google Slides and select an existing presentation or click New (+) to create one.

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Select the slide where you want to add audio, then choose Insert > Audio from the toolbar.

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Choose your audio file from your Google Drive, then select Insert.

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A speaker icon will appear on your slide, along with formatting options on the right-hand sidebar. Customize playback settings, volume, and appearance as needed.

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Click the speaker icon to play the audio or drag it to reposition it within the slide.

Method 2: Add Music Using a URL

You can also add music to Google Slides by linking to audio from streaming services like SoundCloud, YouTube Music, Apple Music, or Spotify. However, this method requires an internet connection and manual playback.

Note: For this guide, we'll insert music using a link or URL from a SoundCloud file. Make sure you're connected to the internet to play the audio during your presentation.

Here’s how to make a slideshow with music:

Step 1: Find Your Desired Soundtrack

Open SoundCloud in a browser and find the track you want to use. Ensure the file is either copyright-free, licensed under Creative Commons, or public domain.

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Step 2: Copy the Soundtrack URL

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Step 3: Add the URL to Your Presentation

Select the slide you want to add the URL or link to, then choose Insert in the menu bar.

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Select Link.

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Paste the link in the blank link text box then select Apply.

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Select Slideshow to test whether the audio file plays correctly during your presentation.

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Click on the area containing the link. It will open in a new browser tab or window with the page you picked the audio file from. Select the Play button then minimize the browser to return to your presentation.

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To stop the audio, return to the web page and click Pause or Stop.

Method 3: Add Your Own Voice Narration

Most slide presentations consist of chunks of disconnected text in bullet points. Without additional explanations, your audience might not make sense of the presentation.

Adding narration to the presentation strengthens your message. It also:

• Allows you to provide instructions or emphasize key points
• Makes it a standalone resource that people can view any time
• Makes it more accessible to different members of your audience
• Creates a different mood in your audience
• Changes the pace or tone of your presentation
• Boosts viewers' ability to absorb and retain the content better

Here's how to add narration to Google Slides.

Step 1: Record Your Voice Narration

Record your narration before adding it to your presentation. A quick way to do this is using Descript's voice recorder, which lets you record your voice with studio-quality sound and save or export it as an MP3, AAC, or WAV file.

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Step 2: Upload to Google Drive and Share

Repeat the steps for uploading an audio file to Google Drive. Then share the file, setting the access permissions to “Anyone with the link can be a viewer.”

Step 3: Add Narration to Your Slides

Select the slide you want to add your narration to then select Insert > Audio. You'll see a speaker icon on the slide indicating the audio has been added to your presentation.

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Step 4: Test Your Audio in Presentation

Select Slideshow to preview your slide in presentation mode and test whether the narration plays as it should.

Method 4: Add YouTube Videos with Audio

Another way to add audio to your Google Slides presentation is to embed a YouTube video. Note that some video owners copyright their YouTube content, so you can't share it via Google Slides.

Step 1: Find a YouTube Video with Music

Open YouTube and play the video, noting the start and end time timestamps for the section you want to add to your presentation. You can also create a video and upload it to your YouTube channel, then add its URL to Google Slides.

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⚡TIP: Descript's YouTube video editor can help you set the portion of the video you want by adjusting the text in the generated transcript—just like editing a Word document.

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Step 2: Copy the YouTube Video URL

Select Share or copy the link to the YouTube video.

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Step 3: Insert the Video into Google Slides

Open your presentation in Google Slides, select the slide that will play the file, then select Insert > Video.

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Select YouTube then paste the YouTube video link you copied earlier.

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Next, select the video and click Insert.

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A thumbnail preview of the YouTube video will appear on the slide. You can hide the video behind a picture or resize it and move it to a new location in your presentation.

Note: Google Slides updated the playback options for videos. By default, the video will play on click as you go through your presentation. You can change the playback mode using the “Video playback” drop-down settings to autoplay when presenting.

Troubleshooting Common Audio Issues

Adding audio to Google Slides can occasionally present challenges, such as permission issues, unsupported file formats, or playback errors. To resolve permission problems, ensure your audio file is shared with 'Anyone with the link' and has Viewer permissions in Google Drive. For file format issues, convert your audio to MP3 or WAV using tools like Descript's audio editor. If audio doesn't play in presentation mode, verify that it's set to play automatically and check your internet connection for streaming services. These steps can help ensure smooth audio integration into your slides.

Customizing Audio Playback in Google Slides

To enhance your Google Slides presentations, consider customizing audio playback. You can set audio as background music by embedding a YouTube video, ensuring it plays continuously across slides. Hide the audio icon to maintain a clean design by selecting it and adjusting the 'Format options'. For a professional touch, use high-quality audio and subtle background music that complements your presentation's tone without overwhelming the audience.

Enhance Your Presentations with Descript

Descript is an all-in-one, AI-powered tool for creating and editing audio and video files.

You can create an audio recording and add transitions like fade in, fade out, or crossfade. Alternatively, you can extract audio from other audio files or record yourself while screen sharing your slides to create a slideshow video.

Descript also enhances voice recordings with AI, leaving you with ready-to-edit audio you can use in a presentation or podcast. The software automatically transcribes your audio, then identifies and removes annoying filler words so your recordings sound rehearsed.

You'll save tons of time and create quality presentations that leave a lasting impression.

Frequently Asked Questions About Google Slides Audio

How do you add Spotify songs to Google Slides?

You can add Spotify songs to Google Slides by copying and inserting the link to the song you want to add to your presentation. However, Spotify doesn't play songs in a presentation like your local audio file would. Instead, it will open the Spotify web or desktop app to play the song.

How do you add Apple Music to Google Slides?

To add an Apple Music track to Google Slides, copy the song link, then insert it into a slide in your presentation. The song will open in the Apple Music web-based player. In some cases, it will play a preview of the audio file, depending on your location, whether you're signed in to your account, or whether you're using the web player and desktop app concurrently.

What audio formats work with Google Slides?

Google Slides supports WAV and MP3 file formats. If you're struggling to add audio to Google Slides, check whether the audio file is in the correct, acceptable audio format and that you've set sharing permissions so anyone with the link can be a viewer, before trying again.

Can I add music to Google Slides on a mobile device?

While the Google Slides mobile app doesn't directly support adding audio, you can upload audio files to Google Drive using your mobile device. Once uploaded, access and insert them into your Google Slides presentation through a web browser. This workaround allows you to add music to your presentation even when working from a mobile device.

What should I do if my audio file exceeds Google Slides' size limit?

Google Slides has a file size limit of 50MB for audio files. If your file exceeds this limit, consider compressing it using tools like Descript. Reducing the file size can help ensure smooth upload and playback within your presentation, allowing you to include audio without technical issues.