Learn PowerPoint 2013 for Windows: Audio (Sound)
Add Bookmarks for Audio Clips
One of the very important abilities in PowerPoint 2013 relates to you being able to play your audio files from a certain point within
the clip. To do so, you need to use the Bookmarks feature. Bookmarks in PowerPoint are similar to the conventional bookmarks you place
within the pages of a book you read. In the same way that you can easily access a particular page with the help of a bookmark, the
Bookmark option within an audio clip becomes an indicator of the position you want to play the clip from.
Remove Bookmarks from Audio Clips
Once you add Bookmark(s) to an audio clip, you may want to edit or remove the Bookmark altogether. In PowerPoint you can't edit a
Bookmark -- for example, you cannot change the time position of your Bookmark from 30 seconds to 28 seconds. To achieve this change, you
have to delete the earlier Bookmark, and then add a new Bookmark on the time position that you want.
Fade Effect for Audio Clips
Insert an audio file within your PowerPoint slide, and choose to play it either with a click, or set it to play automatically.
Whichever option you choose, some files can sound loud and unexpected! Have you not experienced the sudden scare or shock when a shrill
voice interrupts an almost silent environment? Rather than shake the soul of your audiences, you can use PowerPoint's fade options to
add a gradual increase to the volume of your audio files. PowerPoint provides both Fade In and Fade Out effects that you can add to the
beginning and end of your audio clips. These fade options make your audio clips sound smoother and more subtle.
Trim Audio Clips
Once you insert an audio clip into your presentation, you may find that it is too long, or there may be parts in the clip that you
don't want the audiences to hear. Or maybe you just need a small bit to play -- like the sound of that trumpet blowing! Fortunately,
PowerPoint's Trim Audio option can make this easy for you.
Advanced Audio Options
When you insert an audio clip into a PowerPoint slide, you can control its volume, set it to play looped, or even hide the audio icon.
These are some of the advanced options available for any inserted audio clip in PowerPoint. Remember that these advanced options only
exist so that you can use them when they are required, rather than using them just because they exist! Let us explore all these
advanced audio options in PowerPoint 2013.
Tuesday's
eynote at the Presentation Summit was delivered by Mike Parkinson of Billion Dollar Graphics. Mike's keynote topic was
"Listen, Learn, Share, Succeed". He started with a video directed by Brock Mitchell of Shot at the Dark about a young man who had to
decide to let his mother go, and live every moment of the remaining time he had with her. This awesome video was the beginning of a
learning session. Mike explained that real stories are felt, not heard. He also emphasized that emotions bring change.
This year's
Presentation Summit at San Diego began with a keynote from Nolan Haims. After careers in theatre and the circus, Nolan
Haims moved into the world of presentation, designing presentations for Fortune 500 CEOs, leading financial institutions and all the
major television networks. Nolan started his keynote by comparing two famous movies: Star Wars and The Phantom Menace. The audience
agreed that the former was a better movie, and Nolan emphasized that this was because Star Wars had so much simplicity, and
comparatively, The Phantom Menace had complexity.
