Embedding an informational podcast in your PowerPoint can be an invaluable way to enhance a presentation. Here’s how to add podcasts to your slideshow from your computer or from the web.
Embedding Downloaded Podcasts from Your Computer
When you think podcast, you might think of an audio presentation that’s stored on the internet. However, podcasts are simply audio files, so if the show is downloaded onto your computer, the process is as simple as uploading music to PowerPoint.
Note: If you don’t have the podcast’s audio file, you can skip to the next section where we show you how to embed a podcast you find on the web.
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Open PowerPoint and navigate to the slide in which you would like to embed the podcast. Next, select the “Insert” tab and, in the “Media” group, click “Audio.” A drop-down menu will appear. Here, choose “Audio on My PC.”
The “Insert Audio” window will appear. Navigate to the location of the podcast, pick the audio file, then choose “Insert.”
You’ll now see a bullhorn icon appear on the slide, signifying that the podcast has been successfully embedded in your PowerPoint presentation.
Keep in mind that, due to the nature of podcasts, they can tend to be quite lengthy. Be sure to take advantage of some of the useful PowerPoint tools, such as the “Trim Audio” tool, which allows you to choose the start and end time of an audio file.
Embedding Podcasts from the Web Using an Add-In
Another method of embedding a podcast if you don’t have the podcast’s audio file is by using the LiveSlides add-in. LiveSlides allows you to embed any content from the web directly into your presentation.
To download the LiveSlides add-in, you’ll need to head over to its official website. Once there, select the “Download Free LiveSlides Add-In” button at the very top of the page.
The add-in will begin downloading. When the download is complete, open the application. The LiveSlides Setup window will appear. Read the welcome information and click “Install.”
Once finished, a new “LiveSlides” tab will appear in PowerPoint.
Before we continue, we’ll need to navigate to the webpage containing the podcast. In this example, we’ll use Tech ONTAP’s podcast on SoundCloud.
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If your podcast is not on SoundCloud, you’ll copy the URL of the page containing the podcast and paste it in the box mentioned in the later steps. If you’re using a podcast on SoundCloud, select the “Share” button that appears under the podcast name.
A pop-up window will appear. At the bottom of this window, copy the URL (1) and, if you want to start the podcast at a specific time, check the box (2) next to “At,” and then enter the start time.
Back in PowerPoint, click the “LiveSlides” tab and then select the “Live Slide” button inside the “Insert” group.
The “Insert Webpage” dialog box will appear. Paste the URL in the box and select “Insert.”
A boilerplate LiveSlides slide will appear at the end of your presentation.
In “Normal” view, you’ll see only this boilerplate slide. In “Slide Show” view, however, the podcast landing page appears directly in your presentation. The podcast will automatically start playing when the slide is viewed.