The two ways to add audio to Google Slides

Google Slides lets you add sound in two ways: upload an audio file directly to a slide, or embed a YouTube video that has audio. The direct upload method works best if you have an MP3 or WAV file on your computer. The YouTube method works if the music or sound you want already exists as a video on YouTube — which includes a lot of royalty-free music channels and licensed tracks.

Both methods play the audio when you present, and both let you control whether the sound starts automatically or only when you click. Neither method lets you add background music that plays across multiple slides without you clicking each time — that's a real limitation if you want ambient sound throughout your presentation.

Key Takeaways

  • Upload audio files directly by clicking Insert > Audio, then selecting an MP3 or WAV file from your computer.
  • Embed YouTube videos by clicking Insert > Video, searching for or pasting a YouTube link, and selecting the video.
  • You can set audio to play automatically when the slide appears, or only when you click the speaker icon during your presentation.
  • Audio files larger than 100 MB may not upload, and some file formats like FLAC or OGG are not supported.
  • If you need music across multiple slides, you will need to add the same file to each slide separately.

Uploading an audio file directly to a slide

Open your presentation in Google Slides and go to the slide where you want the audio. Click Insert in the top menu, then scroll down and click Audio. A window will open asking you to choose a file from your computer. Select the MP3 or WAV file you want and click Open. Google Slides will place a speaker icon on your slide.

The speaker icon is small and gray. You can drag it anywhere on the slide — many people move it to a corner so it does not cover important content. During your presentation, clicking the speaker icon will play the audio. If you want the audio to start automatically when the slide appears, right-click the speaker icon, click Audio options, and check the box next to Autoplay.

File size matters here. Google Slides will reject files larger than 100 MB. Common formats like MP3 and WAV work fine. Less common formats like FLAC, OGG, or AIFF may not upload — if you hit an error, try converting your file to MP3 using a free tool like Audacity or an online converter.

Embedding a YouTube video for its audio

If the music or sound you want is already on YouTube, you can embed the video instead of uploading a file. This is useful for royalty-free music channels, licensed tracks, or sound effects that creators have already uploaded. Click Insert in the top menu, then click Video. A window will open with a search box.

Type the name of the song, artist, or sound you are looking for, or paste a YouTube link directly if you already have one. Google Slides will show you search results. Click the video you want, and it will appear on your slide as a small thumbnail. During your presentation, clicking the thumbnail will play the video — and its audio — in a larger window.

The downside is that your audience sees the video player and any video content, not just hears the audio. If you only want sound, this method is less clean. But if you are using a music video or a video with sound effects that matches your content, embedding works well and does not require you to read anything to your computer first.

Setting audio to play automatically or on click

By default, audio plays only when you click the speaker icon during your presentation. If you want it to start automatically when the slide appears, right-click the speaker icon (for uploaded audio) or the video thumbnail (for YouTube audio), then click Audio options or Video options.

Check the box next to Autoplay. Now when you advance to that slide during your presentation, the audio will start playing without you having to click anything. You can still click to pause or stop it. This is useful for opening music, transition sounds, or audio that should play while you are talking about something on screen.

Adding the same audio to multiple slides

Google Slides does not have a way to add background music that plays across multiple slides continuously. If you want the same audio on several slides, you have to add it to each slide separately. This is tedious but necessary if you want, for example, the same background music on slides 3, 4, and 5.

The fastest way is to add the audio to the first slide, then right-click the speaker icon and click Copy. Go to the next slide and click Paste. Repeat for each slide that needs the audio. The audio will not continue playing from one slide to the next — each slide starts its own copy of the file — but at least you do not have to upload the file multiple times.

Troubleshooting audio that will not upload or play

If your audio file will not upload, check the file size first. Files larger than 100 MB will be rejected. If your file is smaller but still will not upload, try converting it to MP3 format using Audacity (free, works on Windows, Mac, and Linux) or an online converter like CloudConvert. Some older or unusual audio formats are not supported by Google Slides.

If the audio uploads but does not play during your presentation, make sure you are in Presentation mode, not Edit mode. Click the Present button in the top right corner to start your presentation. Audio does not play in Edit mode — you have to be actually presenting. Also check that your computer's volume is turned up and not muted.

If you embedded a YouTube video and it will not play, the video may have been removed or made private by the creator. Try searching for a different version of the same song or sound effect. YouTube videos can also be blocked in some countries or by some networks, so if you are presenting in a location with restricted internet access, have a backup audio file downloaded to your computer.

When audio in Google Slides does not fit your workflow

Google Slides audio works well for single sounds on individual slides — an opening jingle, a transition beep, a sound effect timed to a specific moment. It does not work well if you need background music that plays continuously while you talk, or if you need precise timing between audio and animation, or if you need to edit the audio itself (trim it, fade it, layer multiple sounds).

If you need any of those things, consider recording your entire presentation as a video instead. Tools like Camtasia, OBS Studio (free), or even your phone's screen recording can capture your slides plus audio, and you can edit the audio in post-production. You lose the interactivity of a live presentation, but you gain full control over sound.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add music that plays automatically across all my slides?

No. Google Slides requires you to add audio to individual slides, and each copy plays independently. If you need continuous background music, you would need to add the file to every slide and set each one to autoplay, but the audio will restart on each new slide rather than continuing seamlessly.

What audio file formats does Google Slides support?

MP3 and WAV are the most reliable. Google Slides also supports some other formats, but less common ones like FLAC, OGG, AIFF, or M4A may fail. If your file will not upload, convert it to MP3 using a free tool like Audacity or an online converter.

Will the audio play if I share my presentation with someone else?

Yes, if you shared the presentation with edit or view access, they can hear the audio when they open it or present it. If you downloaded the presentation as a PowerPoint file, the audio may not transfer — Google Slides audio is designed to stay in Google Slides.

Can I trim or edit audio after I upload it to Google Slides?

No. Google Slides does not have audio editing tools. If you need to trim, fade, or layer audio, edit the file before uploading using Audacity (free) or another audio editor, then upload the finished version.

What if my audio file is too large to upload?

Google Slides rejects files larger than 100 MB. If your file is too large, compress it using Audacity or an online tool, or use a lower quality version. You can also embed a YouTube video instead if the audio you want is already there.