Video and audio file formats supported in PowerPoint (Windows)

Video recommendations

PowerPoint 2010: .wmv

PowerPoint for Mac 2011: .mpg

Newer versions of PowerPoint: .mp4 files encoded with H.264 video and AAC audio

Audio recommendations

PowerPoint 2010: .wav, .wma

PowerPoint for Mac 2011: .wav

Newer versions of PowerPoint: .m4a files encoded with AAC audio

These names and formats sound complicated, but you can easily convert to and use these formats without having to know anything more than the names.

Tip: Check out these YouTube videos from PowerPoint community experts for more help with video and audio!

Supported video file formats

*Only PowerPoint 2013 and newer versions. The 32-bit version of PowerPoint 2010 can play an .mp4 or .mov file only if the computer has a QuickTime Player installed. (Read Download QuickTime for Windows, on the Apple site, for more information.) PowerPoint 2013 and newer versions DO require the QuickTime Player to be installed for playing MP4 video files in one particular situation: when you are using Windows 7 running on a virtual machine (VM). 

**Adobe Flash isn’t available in Office on a Windows RT PC. Want to see what version of Office you're using?

Supported audio file formats

*Only PowerPoint 2013 and newer versions. The 32-bit version of PowerPoint 2010 can only play an .mp4 or .mov file if the computer has a QuickTime Player installed. (Read Download QuickTime for Windows, on the Apple site, for more information.)

Additional information

• If you experience slow playback, a lag between audio and video, audio stuttering, or frames being lost, see Tips for improving audio and video playback and compatibility.

• PowerPoint may also support additional file types if you install additional codecs on your PC. If you want to learn about finding codecs for your PC, read Are you having playback issues (in PowerPoint)?

• Certain older video file formats may not compress or export properly in Office on a Windows RT PC. Instead, use modern media formats such as H.264 and Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), which PowerPoint 2013 RT supports. PowerPoint 2010 supports the AAC format if the correct codec (such as ffDShow) is installed. Want to see what version of Office you're using?

Wrong format? Convert and re-insert your file

If PowerPoint doesn’t let you insert a video or audio file, convert it to the recommended format:

1. Go online to CloudConvert.com.

2. Click Select Files. The Open dialog box appears. Navigate to the folder that contains the video or audio file you want to convert.

Alternatively, to select a file stored in the cloud, select the arrow next to Select Files, and choose the cloud system (Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive) where your media file is stored.

3. Select the media file and then click Open.

4. The name of your selected media file and its format are shown on the page.

5. Click the Format button ( ), and choose the appropriate format for the media file.

6. Click the Conversion Options button:

7. Select a Video Codec, and/or Audio Codec.

(There are other options available in the dialog box to choose from for people who have more expertise with media files.)

8. Click Okay.

The web page now summarizes the conversion: The format you're starting with is named on the left side, and the format that it'll be converted to is named on the right.

9. Click the red Start Conversion button at the bottom of the page.

When the conversion is complete, a green Download button appears on the page.

10. Click Download.

The file is copied to your Windows Downloads folder. You can then move it to any folder you like. It's ready to be inserted in your PowerPoint presentation.

(CloudConvert.com is independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranties, implied or otherwise, about the performance or reliability of that service.)

Go back to the PowerPoint slide where you want to insert your video or audio file. On the toolbar ribbon, on the Insert tab of the Media group, choose the arrow under Audio or Video and then choose the appropriate command for inserting your file.