How to add audio to a Google Slides presentation from Google Drive or Spotify

• To add audio to Google Slides, insert an MP3 or WAV file directly from Google Drive.
• You can also insert a link to play music from Spotify, though this method is more cumbersome.
• If you want to add video to Google Slides, you can also embed a YouTube video.

Slideshows can either be exciting and engaging, or the most boring part of the workday. One way to avoid the latter experience is to add audio or music into your $4 presentation.

You can add audio into Google Slides directly from your $4, or you can add a link to a $4 track - here's how to do both.

Quick tip: If you want to add a video to your presentation, check out our guide for $4.

How to add audio to Google Slides

1. Upload the audio file in either MP3 or WAV format to your Google Drive.

2. Open your $4 presentation and go to the slide you want to add audio to. Click "Insert" in the toolbar at the top of the Slides screen.

3. In the "Insert" drop-down, select "Audio."

4. In the "Insert audio" pop-up, you can search for your audio file in "My Drive," "Shared drives," "Shared with me," or "Recent." You can also type the name of your audio file in the search bar.

5. Click the file you want to add, and hit "Select."

6. Your audio file will now appear in your slide as a small sound icon. To resize the icon, click on it and drag one of its corners outward or inward.

When you click the icon or hover your mouse over it, a playback bar will appear where you can pause, play, or fast-forward the audio.

When you click on the icon, a sidebar menu will appear on the right side of the slide - here, you can customize a number of sound and design elements like audio playback, reflection, shadow, color, and more.

How to add music to Google Slides with Spotify

1. Open the $4 or desktop app, and find the right track.

2. Click the ellipsis icon next to the song, album, or playlist you want, and in the pop-up, go to "Share" and click "Copy Song Link."

3. Open your Google Slides presentation and go to the first slide you want the music to play under.

4. Select a bit of text (or an image) on the slide, click "Insert link" and paste in your Spotify link.

5. On the day of your presentation, make sure that you log into the browser version of Spotify. While you're giving the presentation, you'll need to click the link, which will open Spotify in a new browser window. You'll still need to click play on the song in the Spotify window before returning to your Google Slides presentation.