Can I use a .wma format music file in Powerpoint?

[Guest]

I downloaded some music using Windows Media Player version 9. I want to use
the music that is in .wma format, but Powerpoint will only recognize .wav
files. Are there any codecs for Powerpoint that will allow me to use .wma
files?

 

[Austin Myers]

Have you tried inserting the file? It *should* work as is.


Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

Solutions to Multimedia in PowerPoint www.pfcmedia.com

 

[Guest]

It doesn't work.

When I try to insert the wma file I get an error message: "Powerpoint can't
play the sound file <killer joe.wma>. Make sure that this is a .wav audio
file and that the audio settings are properly configured for you system."

 

[Austin Myers]

I recently released a new add in to PowerPoint that fully automates
insertion of multimedia files into PowerPoint and processes them so they
will play in any version of PowerPoint or the PowerPoint viewers when you
send it to others. You are more than welcome to use it during the two week
free trial to see if it meets your needs. You may download it from
www.pfcmedia.com


Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

Solutions to Multimedia in PowerPoint www.pfcmedia.com

 

[Austin Myers]

Oops, one more thought. You said you downloaded this from the internet. It
may contain DRM (Digital Rights Management) that prevents it's use in
PowerPoint.


Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

Solutions to Multimedia in PowerPoint www.pfcmedia.com

 

[John O]

<killer joe.wma>

Could the space in the file name be an issue?

-John O

 

[TAJ Simmons]

Could the space in the file name be an issue?

You never now..... spaces are best avoided.

Why don't you rename the file and re-insert it into powerpoint

Cheers
TAJ Simmons
microsoft powerpoint mvp

awesome - powerpoint backgrounds,
http://www.powerpointbackgrounds.com
free powerpoint templates, tutorials, hints and tips etc

 

[Guest]

You're right, I did download the music from the Internet using Windows Media
Player 9, and it does contain DRM. I installed the PFCMedia software and
when I tested it, the test did work. I could hear the music. But when I
tried to Process/Insert the music file onto the slide I got the 501 error.

I made sure that I had full rights, and that I had enough disk space. The
slide presentation is made up of pictures. The file size is 188MB. I tried
it with a file that was only 2MB in size and got the same 501 error message.

My conclusion is that you cannot convert a .wma file that has the DRM
techonology into a .wav file, even if you only want to use it in Powerpoint.

One more thing: if I just want to play a sound file I can do that because
Powerpoint does not have the .wav file restriction. But when I try to add
sound to a slide using Slide Transition, that's when I encounter the
restriction. Microsoft could do us all a favor by expanding the codecs so
that more than one file format could be used in the Slide Transition.

 

[Austin Myers]

See comments in line.

You're right, I did download the music from the Internet using Windows Media
Player 9, and it does contain DRM.

If the media has DRM, it can not be used in PowerPoint. In a nutshell, the
copyright holder has not given you rights to use his/her work in such a way.

I installed the PFCMedia software and
when I tested it, the test did work. I could hear the music. But when I
tried to Process/Insert the music file onto the slide I got the 501 error.

That is as it should be. PFCMedia respects the copyright holders
requirements to limit how and where it may be used and it generated an error
just as it should. Simply put, if we removed the DRM we would be sued silly
by the copyright holder. But putting the legal ramifications aside, I
wouldn't do it. Hey, I wouldn't want people making copies of my work
without permission either. <g>