powerpoint audio and slide formatting

lynn poshepny 0 Reputation points
2026-09-22T13:40:15.66+00:00

I've added audio to a slide show and during playback the audio plays but the slides don't advance and in rehearse timings the slides will only advance to slide 5 of 8

Microsoft 365 and Office | PowerPoint | For home | Windows
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  1. Hendrix-V 19,485 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-23T06:02:15.1966667+00:00

    Hi lynn poshepny,

    Since the presentation stops advancing at the same point during rehearsal, it may be worth checking whether there is something specific on slide 5 or the slides immediately after it that is interrupting the slideshow process.

    Please try these quick checks:

    1. Create a copy of the presentation.
    2. Remove slide 5 and test Rehearse Timings again.
    3. If the presentation advances normally, recreate slide 5 in a new blank slide and reinsert its content.
    4. If slide 5 contains embedded media, animations, or objects copied from another presentation, temporarily remove them and test again.

    You can also try starting a slideshow from slide 6. If the remaining slides advance normally, that helps narrow the issue to content on slide 5 rather than the audio settings.

    If the behavior continues, please let us know:

    • Your PowerPoint version (File > Account > About PowerPoint).
    • Whether the issue occurs in a new test presentation with the same audio file.
    • Whether slide 5 contains any videos, embedded objects, or complex animations.

    This information can help determine whether the issue is related to a specific slide element or the presentation file itself.

    Feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-22T13:40:33.6633333+00:00

    Audio does not make slides advance by itself. Slide advancement is controlled by slide timings and slide show settings.

    Try this end-to-end:

    1. Check whether timings are enabled for playback.
      • Go to Slide Show > Set Up Slide Show.
      • Under Advance slides, select Use Timings, if present.
      • If it is set to Manually, slides will not auto-advance even if timings exist.
    2. Set or reset the slide timings.
      • In Normal view, select a slide.
      • Go to Transitions > Advance Slide.
      • Select After and enter the number of seconds for that slide.
      • Repeat for each slide, or use Apply To All if the same timing should apply everywhere.
      • If On Mouse Click is also selected, the slide can advance either on click or after the time expires.
    3. If the audio should continue through the whole presentation, make sure it is configured correctly.
      • Select the audio icon.
      • On the Playback tab, select Play Across Slides.
      • If needed, select Start > Automatically.
      • Play in Background can also be used to make the audio play continuously across slides.
    4. Rehearse timings again.
      • Go to Slide Show > Rehearse Timings.
      • Use Next, click the mouse, or press the Right Arrow to move through each slide.
      • At the end, save the timings.
      • Then use View > Slide Sorter to confirm each slide shows a timing value.
    5. If rehearsal or recording is stopping at slide 5, clear and rebuild timings or narration on the affected slides.
      • Open slide 5 or any slide where the problem starts.
      • Go to the Recording tab > Record Slide Show dropdown > Clear.
      • Clear timings or narration for the current slide, or for all slides if needed.
      • Then re-record or reapply timings.
    6. Match the timing length to the media length.
      • Slide transition timing is based on how long the slide is displayed, not when audio or video ends.
      • If a slide contains media, set the After time long enough for that slide before it advances.

    If the goal is background music for all 8 slides, the usual setup is:

    • Put the audio on slide 1
    • Set Playback > Play Across Slides
    • Set Start > Automatically or use Play in Background
    • Set slide timings for all 8 slides
    • In Slide Show > Set Up Slide Show, make sure Use Timings, if present is enabled
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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