Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Inserting a Sound File in Your Document.

Inserting a Sound File in Your Document

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 28, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021

If you are the type that likes to give your documents a slant toward multimedia, Word allows you to insert sound files in your document. This is done in this manner:

Position the insertion point where you want the sound inserted.
Display the Insert tab of the ribbon.
Click Object in the Text group. Word displays the Object dialog box.
Click on the Create from File tab. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Create from File tab of the Object dialog box.

Use the controls on the dialog box to locate a sound file that you want included with your document.
Click on OK. An icon for the object appears in your document where the sound file is inserted.

You can later listen to your sound file by simply double-clicking on the speaker icon.

Finally, realize that when you insert an object in this way, how the object is inserted depends on the version of Word you are using. In some versions, the sound file is actually placed within the Word document; it is embedded. In other versions of Word, the object may be inserted as a link. Either way, the sound file should work just fine if you double-click it. However, if you move the document to a different location (including to a different system), then your sound file may not play properly because the document containing the link (the document in which you inserted the sound file) is no longer in the same place.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (5911) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Inserting a Sound File in Your Document.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Changing Existing Highlighting

Need to change the color you previously used to highlight text in your document? You can use Word's Find and Replace tool ...

Discover More

Controlling Sorting Order

When you sort information in a worksheet, you have control over the order in which that information is sorted. Here's a ...

Discover More

Calling a Macro from the Workbook_Open Event

You can run a Personal.xlsb macro from within your Workbook_Open code, but you may get an error if you don't make sure ...

Discover More

The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is 8 + 7?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.