How to Add Background Music to PowerPoint Presentations

Last week a reader emailed me to ask for help adding background music to a PowerPoint presentation. He mentioned that he was using the web browser-based version of PowerPoint and was having trouble getting audio to play in the background throughout the presentation. Fortunately, there was a fairly easy fix that I was able to share with him. As is the case with many questions like that one, the best way to explain it was to show it with a short screencast video. 

In this short video I demonstrate how to add background music to your PowerPoint presentations and play it on a continuous loop. In the video I also mention a great place to find free music to use in your presentations. 

Applications for Education

Adding background music on a continuous loop can be a good way to enhance a little introductory presentation for the start of a class meeting. I'd put together a few slides that have things like the day's agenda and a "do now" activity for students then play it for students as they come into class.

Record a Tour in Google Earth

The Amazing Race is the only reality game show that I've watched with interest for as long as it has been on television. Years ago I created a classroom game based on the same premise of the show. This spring I updated that game with some new graphics and new challenges and then published it as a PDF on PracticalEdTech.com. 

Recording a Google Earth tour is the capstone activity in Around the World With Google Earth. There are a couple of ways that students can do that. Students who are using the desktop version of Google Earth can use the built-in recorder. Students who are using the web version of Google Earth can use a screencasting tool like Screencastify to record a tour. 

In this short video I demonstrate how to record a Google Earth tour in your web browser by using Screencastify.