This short video explains how to take an MP3 file, insert it into a PowerPoint show, and make it play automatically when the presentation begins.

How To Add Music To A PowerPoint Presentation

This demonstration uses an MP3 file. MP3s provide good compression (i.e smaller file sizes) and are the most popular format for digital music. The technique also works with other formats, like WMA (Windows Media Audio) and WAV (Windows Audio).

Using an MP3 file is much better than trying to run the music off an audio CD. The presentation is easier to set up, loads faster, doesn’t depend of having a CD present, and works well on any machine — as long as the MP3 file always in the same folder as the PowerPoint presentation.

The video show how to use the  settings to Play across slides and Loop until stopped …so the music continues to play until the presentation is finished.

Keep in mind that some music tracks sound better when looped than others — in fact some tracks are designed to be looped seamlessly.

For music and loop tracks (plus audio snippets, samples, recordings, bleeps, etc.) released under a Creative Commons License, check out The Freesound Project or ccMixter.

Microsoft has re-introduced special student pricing for Office 2007 through a promotion called “The Ultimate Steal.”

Qualified students can purchase the “Ultimate Edition” of Office 2007 for only $59.95. This Ultimate Edition includes all the Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, Publisher, OneNote, Groove and InfoPath. Complete details are available at theultimatesteal.com.

To be eligible for the special price, students must…

• Have an email account ending in .EDU
  (or have an email account at another qualifying institutions)
• Be currently enrolled in a US school
• Carry at least a 0.5 course credit

The Ultimate Steal Promotion had originally been introduced when in 2007, but it ended on April 30, 2008.

According to Naman Khan (Worldwide public sector strategy manager for Microsoft Office)…

“Students responded overwhelmingly to The Ultimate Steal last year, telling us that they need Microsoft Office and want more flexible ways to get the latest version… This offer provides students with an accessible and convenient means to acquire [Office] at a great price to help them reach their academic goals.”

With the program’s renewal, the promotion has been extended to include an offer for a  Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade* for $64.95, and Visio Professional 2007 for $55.95. Microsoft has  stated that the offer is currently scheduled to last until December 31, 2010.

Students can obtain the software by downloading from The Ultimate Steal Web site during the purchase process, or they can choose to order disk(s) for and additional $13.00.

Sources:

The Ultimate Steal Web site
Ultimate Steal Terms and Conditions
The Ultimate Steal: A Deal on the 2007 Microsoft Office for Students
Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007 product overview
The Ultimate Steal Offers Students Easy Access to Microsoft Office 2007

* Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade available to licensed users of Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows NT Workstation 4.0, Windows 98, Apple Macintosh.

If you need Microsoft® Office 2007 but don’t have the time or money to order it right now, you can download a free 60-day trial version directly from Microsoft.

To get your download, visit the following link…

http://www.trymicrosoftoffice.com

Here’s some info you should keep in mind…

• You can run Office 2003 and 2007 on the same machine, except for Outlook: if you use Outlook, you may install only one version, Outlook 2003 or Outlook 2007.
• If you uninstall any software (like the 2003 version of Office), you will need the original media and product key to re-install that software, if you decide to uninstall Office 2007 at the end of the trial period.
• Office Professional 2007 includes Access 2007 — other versions may not include Access.
• When you download the software, you must provide your email address.
• You will receive a 25 character Product Key at the email address you provide.
• To use the Free 60-day trial version of Office 2007, you must activate the trial software over the Internet.
• The trial period begins with activation.
• The trial software may only be used for a SINGLE 60-day trial. If you have previously used a trail version of Office on your computer, your trial period began when you first installed and used that software.
• Some new computers have the 60-day trial version of Office pre-installed.
• If you have used any BETA versions of Microsoft Office, you must uninstall them before installing the trial version of Office.

When the 60-day trial period is over, the software remains on your computer but operates in a “Reduced Functionality Mode.” This means you will be able to open and view existing documents, but you cannot save any changes.
 
You may uninstall the 60-day trial software when it has expired …but once expired, any re-installed trial version will only operate in Reduced Functionality Mode.

Read all the information on Microsoft’s download site carefully before you install the software; follow the instructions. Currently Microsoft is offering a 60-day free trial; obviously, they may change this offer in the future.

Downloading the software will require a fast Internet connection (like DSL or Cable).

Answers to frequently asked questions are available here: http://us1.trymicrosoftoffice.com/faq.aspx

Sources and other resources…

How to Set Up & Install Your Trial