Powerpoint: no sound

[Henri Arsenault]

I get Powerpoint presentations with music in emails. They play fine on
the PC, but on all 3 of my Macs, there are no sounds. The sound file
seems to be in there, but I can't get it to play.

I have Quicktime pro, Windows media player and various other programs on
the Mac.

Henri

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi Hebri,

Check this link and let us know if it explains the problem and its solution:
http://pptfaq.com/FAQ00155.htm

Thanks.

-Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

I get Powerpoint presentations with music in emails. They play fine on
the PC, but on all 3 of my Macs, there are no sounds. The sound file
seems to be in there, but I can't get it to play.

I have Quicktime pro, Windows media player and various other programs on
the Mac.

Henri

--
Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

MVPs are not Microsoft Employees
MVP info

 

[aRKay]

Hi Hebri,

Check this link and let us know if it explains the problem and its solution:
http://pptfaq.com/FAQ00155.htm

Thanks.

-Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

I have the same problem (Mac PowerPoint 11.3.2) is deaf to sounds that
work under Windows. I tried the link mention and did not see a
solution. Please clarify.

 

[Henri Arsenault]

I have the same problem (Mac PowerPoint 11.3.2) is deaf to sounds that
work under Windows. I tried the link mention and did not see a
solution. Please clarify.

The link on that site to Mac-specific problems on a Microsoft site does
not work (any more).

The site you give gives solutions to putting sounds in files, but my
problem is listening on a mac to pps presentations made by someone else
on a PC, and that function well on a PC, but on a Mac there is no sound
(Office 2004).

Henri

 

[little_creature]

I'm not sure whether I will solve you problem but lem try:
What format are the sound track?
Are the track emebed into presentation? If you go to PP preferences to
general tab you have ability to set limit after which the file will be
linked. Linked means you have to get the sound track on the top to your
presentation copied to you HDD or another media. It's not stored in the PPT
presentation.
So to count this out as a reason my question is does this PPT presentaion
has its sound on any other PC than it was created?
If no then this is your problem and you need to increase on that maschine
where the presentation was created or works the value in Preference>general>
limit after which the file will be linked to some really big number and
then re-inster the sounds.

If I get any other idea I will post it meanwhile you can try these.

 

[aRKay]

Hi Hebri,

Check this link and let us know if it explains the problem and its solution:
http://pptfaq.com/FAQ00155.htm

Thanks.

-Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

I have the same problem (Mac PowerPoint 11.3.2) is deaf to sounds that
work under Windows. I tried the link mention and did not see a
solution. Please clarify.

Is there a solution to the Mac version of PowerPoint being deaf to sounds
that were created on the PC version? They seem to work great on the PC
and do nothing on the Mac version.

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi again,

Sounds. Yes, they can be a problem for PC users.

Really, if you want to make a cross-platform presentation do it on a Mac,
not a PC. Then you can use File > Save As > PowerPoint Package. Distribute
the package and it's generally trouble-free with regard to sounds.

First off, the fact the sounds don't play is probably not your fault or your
Mac's fault. I suppose you could blame the PC version of PowerPoint for not
having Save As PowerPoint package as the root of this problem.

PC users have to take lots of extra steps with sounds because they don't
have the Mac Save As PowerPoint package feature.

First, they have to make a folder. Then they have to put all of the sound
files into the folder. Then they have to save a copy of the presentation
into the same folder that has the sounds at the same directory level. After
all this, THEN they can put the sounds into their presentation. They have to
distribute the entire folder as is if the presentation is to play properly.

If the sound files are WAV format and they are less than the file size
setting in the PC PowerPoint preferences then they can skip the above
paragraph because in that case the sounds become part of the presentation
file itself. Otherwise PC users have to follow the instructions or they
break everything.

It seems to me the most likely problem is the PC user didn't know enough to
raise the file size in PC PowerPoint's Tools > Preferences before putting
the sound into the presentation. In other words, the sound was linked so it
was not made part of the presentation. Instead it is outside the
presentation someplace and is linked to that location.

If the sound file was linked and/or the sound file does not have the same
file path name as it did when it was created then it won't play. Also, it's
possible there could be some sound formats that might not work on a Mac
(although I don't know of any off-hand).

If you can get the creator of the presentation to send the sound file to
you, then you can put it in yourself, use File > Save As > PowerPoint
package and send the package to the PC user and everyone else and it should
work fine.

-Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

I have the same problem (Mac PowerPoint 11.3.2) is deaf to sounds that
work under Windows. I tried the link mention and did not see a
solution. Please clarify.

Is there a solution to the Mac version of PowerPoint being deaf to sounds
that were created on the PC version? They seem to work great on the PC
and do nothing on the Mac version.

--
Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

MVPs are not Microsoft Employees
MVP info

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi again,

While searching for something else I came across this information in
PowerPoint's help:

Compatibility Report: Types of sound files that PowerPoint can use
You can insert sounds in the following formats:
€ Audio Interchange File Format (AIF, AIFF, AIFC)
€ Apple QuickTime Movie Sound (MOV, MOOV)
€ Apple System Sound (SFIL)
€ Apple System Resource Sound (RSRC, rsrc)
€ CCITT A-Law (European Telephony) Audio Format (ALAW)
€ CCITT U-Law (US Telephony) Audio Format (AU, SND, ULAW)
€ Microsoft Windows Waveform (WAVE, WAV)
€ MPEG Layer 3 Audio (MP3)
€ Advanced Audio Coding (AAC): MPEG-4 Audio
€ Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI, MID, KAR)
Tips
€ Some sound formats, such as MP3 and MIDI files, and files with a file
size larger than the size set in Preferences, are not embedded in the
presentation when you insert them. Instead, they are linked from a location
on your hard disk or the Internet. If you move the presentation, make sure
to move these sound files with it. To make sure all linked files are
included with your presentation, save the presentation as a PowerPoint
Package.
€ If the sound format you want to use is not listed here, you can still
play the sound from a presentation by creating a hyperlink to it. Make sure
that you have a sound player installed that is compatible with the sound
format you want to play.

-Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

Hi again,

Sounds. Yes, they can be a problem for PC users.

Really, if you want to make a cross-platform presentation do it on a Mac,
not a PC. Then you can use File > Save As > PowerPoint Package. Distribute
the package and it's generally trouble-free with regard to sounds.

First off, the fact the sounds don't play is probably not your fault or your
Mac's fault. I suppose you could blame the PC version of PowerPoint for not
having Save As PowerPoint package as the root of this problem.

PC users have to take lots of extra steps with sounds because they don't
have the Mac Save As PowerPoint package feature.

First, they have to make a folder. Then they have to put all of the sound
files into the folder. Then they have to save a copy of the presentation
into the same folder that has the sounds at the same directory level. After
all this, THEN they can put the sounds into their presentation. They have to
distribute the entire folder as is if the presentation is to play properly.

If the sound files are WAV format and they are less than the file size
setting in the PC PowerPoint preferences then they can skip the above
paragraph because in that case the sounds become part of the presentation
file itself. Otherwise PC users have to follow the instructions or they
break everything.

It seems to me the most likely problem is the PC user didn't know enough to
raise the file size in PC PowerPoint's Tools > Preferences before putting
the sound into the presentation. In other words, the sound was linked so it
was not made part of the presentation. Instead it is outside the
presentation someplace and is linked to that location.

If the sound file was linked and/or the sound file does not have the same
file path name as it did when it was created then it won't play. Also, it's
possible there could be some sound formats that might not work on a Mac
(although I don't know of any off-hand).

If you can get the creator of the presentation to send the sound file to
you, then you can put it in yourself, use File > Save As > PowerPoint
package and send the package to the PC user and everyone else and it should
work fine.

-Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

--
Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

MVPs are not Microsoft Employees
MVP info

 

[aRKay]

Thanks for the response. Looks like the short answer is there is no fix
to the Mac version of PowerPoint that will let it play sounds that work
on a PC. I will continue to watch the muted PC PowerPoint presentations.

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

Thanks for the response. Looks like the short answer is there is no fix
to the Mac version of PowerPoint that will let it play sounds that work
on a PC. I will continue to watch the muted PC PowerPoint presentations.

I guess that is true. But, it sounds to me like the problem is with PC Power
Point not knowing how (or able) to handle sounds properly. The bottom line
is the same, but us Maccies would feel better if the blame were placed where
it belonged.

 

[Henri Arsenault]

I'm not sure whether I will solve you problem but lem try:
What format are the sound track?

My problem is that it is my wife who is getting "cute" powerpoint
presentations from people that I do not know, so I have no conrol over
how the presentation is made.

However I CAN play them on a PC, but there is no sound when I play them
on any of the Macs (G5 Duo, Macpro portable or Imac with Intel Duo).

Although the name of the music soundtrack appears in the "action->
movie" menu or other menus, I am unable to extract or to play that file.

One may blame the PC Powerpoint for not doing things right, but the
bottom line is that the files play on a PC and don't play on a Mac, so
it is the Mac that is at fault for not being able to read the PC file
correctly.

I am a Mac advocate, but I don't buy the argument that it is up to the
PC programmers to make their programs compatible for the Mac. Mac
versions of PC programs like Powerpoint should be able to translate and
play any file that the PC versions can play.

Henri

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

..... Mac versions of PC programs like Powerpoint should be able to translate
and play any file that the PC versions can play.

Henri

I agree completely. And, vice versa! However it's is extremely difficult to
determine where the problem is, and who (which program) is at fault. Most
of us who have no knowledge of the architecture or structure of the
programs, or comprehension of the development tasks (and potential economic
return) to achieve this goal, usually get it wrong.

It clearly is not up to one side to go out of their way to be compatible
with the other. It must be a mutually planned and conceived development
evolution. Unfortunately the products did not evolve in this environment, so
we're stuck trying to convince the powers that be to get there. Meanwhile we
have no choice but to live with the results.

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi,

It's possible that the sound format might not be one that QuickTime
understands until you install Flip4Mac.

If you have not already done so, install Flip4Mac WMV and see if that fixes
the problem.
http://versiontracker.com/php/qs.php?mode=basic&action=search&str=flip4mac&s
rchArea=macosx%7Cmacosx-all&submit=Go

-Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

My problem is that it is my wife who is getting "cute" powerpoint
presentations from people that I do not know, so I have no conrol over
how the presentation is made.

However I CAN play them on a PC, but there is no sound when I play them
on any of the Macs (G5 Duo, Macpro portable or Imac with Intel Duo).

Although the name of the music soundtrack appears in the "action->
movie" menu or other menus, I am unable to extract or to play that file.

One may blame the PC Powerpoint for not doing things right, but the
bottom line is that the files play on a PC and don't play on a Mac, so
it is the Mac that is at fault for not being able to read the PC file
correctly.

I am a Mac advocate, but I don't buy the argument that it is up to the
PC programmers to make their programs compatible for the Mac. Mac
versions of PC programs like Powerpoint should be able to translate and
play any file that the PC versions can play.

Henri

--
Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

MVPs are not Microsoft Employees
MVP info

 

[Henri Arsenault]

Hi,

It's possible that the sound format might not be one that QuickTime
understands until you install Flip4Mac.

Flip4 mac is installed and it does not solve the problem.

Henri