Add video and audio

You can add video to a slide, and you can add a soundtrack that plays for the entire presentation.

Note:  Audio and video files must be in a format that QuickTime supports on your Mac or device. If you can’t add or play an audio file or a video file, try using iMovie, QuickTime Player, or Compressor to convert the file to a QuickTime file, in MPEG-4 audio or H.264 video format.

Add an existing video

When you add a video file to a slide, the video plays only when that slide is showing in your presentation.

  1. Do one of the following:

    • Tap where you want to insert the video, tap Add button, then tap Media button.

    • Tap Placeholder button in the bottom-right corner of an image placeholder.

  2. Tap an album, or tap “Insert from” below the albums.

  3. Tap the video you want to add, then tap Use.

    If you’re inserting from iCloud or another service, you’ll need to tap folders to find the video.

Take video in Keynote and add it to a presentation

If your device has a camera, you can take video and insert it directly into your presentation.

  1. Tap where you want to add the video.

  2. Tap Add button, then tap Media button.

  3. Tap “Take a Photo or Video” below the albums.

  4. Take the video, then tap Use Video.

    You can tap Retake if you want to try again.

    To cancel and return to the presentation, tap Retake, then tap Cancel.

  5. Drag the video to reposition it.

You can’t edit the video in Keynote. The video appears in the Photos app on your device.

Adjust video playback

You can specify whether your media loops in your presentation and set when it begins playing.

  1. Tap the media file on the slide.

  2. Tap Format button, tap Movie, then tap an option:

    • Loop: Media plays continuously on the slide until the slide advances.

    • Loop Back & Forth: Media plays forward, then backward. The media continues to play forward and backward until the slide advances.

    • Set when the media begins playing: Turn on “Start on Tap” to have the media play when you tap the media in the presentation. If you want the media to play automatically when the slide appears, turn off “Start on Tap.”

Add a soundtrack to a presentation

When you add a soundtrack to your presentation, the audio begins playing when the presentation starts. If there are slides that already have audio or video, the soundtrack also plays on those slides.

A file added as a soundtrack always plays from its beginning.

  1. Tap Tools button, then tap Presentation Tools.

  2. Tap Soundtrack, tap Choose Audio, then tap a song to add it.

    To add more music, tap Add More Tracks.

  3. Tap Loop to have the soundtrack repeat until the presentation ends; tap Off to turn off the soundtrack.

    You may need to swipe up to see these options.

Some media files are protected under copyright law. Some downloaded media may be played only on the device where the download occurred. DRM (digital rights management) protected music can’t be added to the presentation soundtrack.