You can choose from many types of audio and video files to embed or link to in your PowerPoint 2010 presentation.
In this article
Overview of audio and video files
The following tables show the audio and video file formats that you can use in PowerPoint 2010. If you do not see a file format listed below, you can convert that file type to a supported file format by using programs, utilities, or add-ins other than PowerPoint 2010 such as those listed below.
- Microsoft Windows Media Encoder Windows Media Encoder is a free program that makes some files compatible with PowerPoint. For more information, see Microsoft Windows Media Encoder.
- Windows Media Player Windows Media Player is a digital media player and media library application used for playing audio, video, and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices.
Important Although your audio or video file may have the same file extension as one listed below, it may not play correctly if the correct version of the codec (codec: An abbreviation for compressor/decompressor. Software or hardware used to compress and decompress digital media.) is not installed, or if the file is not encoded in a format that is recognized by your version of Microsoft Windows. For more information about the most common codecs, including where to get them, see Using codecs or Encoding Audio and Video with Windows Media Codecs.
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Compatible audio file formats
Note Both iPod and Zune support the Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) file format. PowerPoint 2010 will support this file format provided that the correct codec (codec: An abbreviation for compressor/decompressor. Software or hardware used to compress and decompress digital media.) is installed. Examples of codecs for the AAC file format include the Apple QuickTime player and ffDShow.
| File format |
Extension |
More information |
| AIFF Audio file |
.aiff |
Audio Interchange File Format This sound format originally was used on Apple and Silicon Graphics (SGI) computers. These waveform files are stored in an 8-bit monaural (mono or one channel) format, which is not compressed and can result in large files. |
| AU Audio file |
.au |
UNIX Audio This file format typically is used to create sound files for UNIX computers or the Web. |
| MIDI file |
.mid or .midi |
Musical Instrument Digital Interface This is a standard format for the interchange of musical information between musical instruments, synthesizers, and computers. |
| MP3 Audio file |
.mp3 |
MPEG Audio Layer 3 This is a sound file that has been compressed by using the MPEG Audio Layer 3 codec (codec: An abbreviation for compressor/decompressor. Software or hardware used to compress and decompress digital media.). |
| Windows Audio file |
.wav |
Wave Form This audio file format stores sounds as waveforms, which means that one minute of sound can occupy as little as 644 kilobytes or as much as 27 megabytes of storage. |
| Windows Media Audio file |
.wma |
Windows Media Audio This is a sound file that has been compressed by using the Microsoft Windows Media Audio codec (codec: An abbreviation for compressor/decompressor. Software or hardware used to compress and decompress digital media.), a digital audio coding scheme developed by Microsoft that is used to distribute recorded music, usually over the Internet. |
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Compatible video file formats
Note Videos in the .mp4, .mov, and .qt formats can be played in PowerPoint if the Apple QuickTime player is installed.
| File format |
Extension |
More information |
| Adobe Flash Media |
.swf |
Flash Video This file format is generally used to deliver video over the Internet using the Adobe Flash Player. |
| Windows Media file |
.asf |
Advanced Streaming Format This file format stores synchronized multimedia data and can be used to stream audio and video content, images, and script commands over a network. |
| Windows Video file |
.avi |
Audio Video Interleave This is a multimedia file format for storing sound and moving pictures in Microsoft Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF) format. It is one of the most common formats because audio or video content that is compressed with a wide variety of codecs (codec: An abbreviation for compressor/decompressor. Software or hardware used to compress and decompress digital media.) can be stored in an .avi file. |
| Movie file |
.mpg or .mpeg |
Moving Picture Experts Group This is an evolving set of standards for video and audio compression developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group. This file format was designed specifically for use with Video-CD and CD-i media. |
| Windows Media Video file |
.wmv |
Windows Media Video This file format compresses audio and video by using the Windows Media Video codec (codec: An abbreviation for compressor/decompressor. Software or hardware used to compress and decompress digital media.), a tightly compressed format that requires a minimal amount of storage space on your computer's hard disk. |
Note The third-party products discussed in this article are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.
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