If you think that Excel spreadsheets only consist of numbers and text, guess again. Microsoft has made it easy to even add multimedia to spreadsheets. You might never use Excel as a jukebox, but it’s easier than you think to add audio in Excel. This tutorial will teach you to not only add audio in Excel, but also help you think about how to use it to your advantage.
How to Add Audio in Excel
Before we learn how to add audio in Excel, you might be asking yourself: “why should I add audio in Excel?”
Excel spreadsheets are more flexible than you. might realize. Here are a few ideas for how you can use audio to your advantage in an Excel spreadsheet:
- Include spoken-word instructions to give the spreadsheet user help on how to navigate even the most complicated file.
- Add a bit of extra explanation for details that don’t lend themself to written boxes, like an assumption on inputs for growth rates in a financial model.
- Excel does so much more than simple spreadsheets, so why not create a fully-featured presentation inside a workbook, complete with background music?
No matter why you’re adding audio, let’s learn how. Let’s add audio in Excel using the Insert > Text > Object menu.
On the new pop-up window, switch to the Create from File menu. Browse to where you’ve stored your audio file, and tick the Display as icon option. Then, press OK.
Now, you’ll see a new icon in your spreadhseet. This is the embedded audio file. You can drag and position it to anywhere in the workbook. It’s a good idea to position it near the relevant content.
That’s it! Now, your spreadsheet user can open the audio and play it easily. It’s embedded in the workbook so that you never have to worry about sending files separately.
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