4. Sound

Sounds in a presentation can be used to:

• make an impact
• grab the audiences' attention
• add more detail about a point being made
• create the right ambience or atmosphere

The sound may be in the form of music or it may be 'action' sounds such as a button press or slide transition noise.

Some common uses of sound within presentations are :

• Playing the company theme tune to reflect corporate image
• Playing a brief music clip to indicate the start and end of a presentation
• To emphasise a point
• Special effects such as clapping to indicate an award being made etc

Presentation software usually has an in-built library of sounds which can be used in the presentation. These include a variety of music (usually classical) and a number of motion sounds such as clapping, drum rolls, cheers, bells etc.

If you cannot find the exact sound that you need in the library, it is easy to import your own sound clips. There are a large variety on the internet or you could use sound editing software to create your own.

It is also possible to record directly using the presentation software. This can enable a voice over to be added to the slides.

The key thing about using sounds is to use them sparingly and only to make a specific point. Most of us have probably sat through presentations where a different sound is used for every bullet point!