How to insert audio into an Adobe Captivate project

Last updated on 27 December 2021

Adobe Captivate lets you add narration, music, step-by-step instructions, or almost any sound to your projects.

You can use audio in Adobe Captivate projects in a variety of ways. For example, you can do the following, all in the same project:

Add a background track that plays for the duration of the project.
Add sound to an individual slide.
Add sound to a specific object, such as a caption, click box, highlight box, or button.

Adobe Captivate lets you record your own audio files (using some simple equipment) or import existing files. You can record audio files at the same time you record the project, or you can add an audio file later. Imported files can be in WAV or mp3 format. If you add a WAV file to a project, Adobe Captivate automatically converts the WAV file to mp3 format when you publish the project.

After you add audio to a project, you can adjust the timing of objects to fit the sound file precisely. Adobe Captivate also contains features for adding silence to audio files and for normalizing audio for all slides so the sound level is consistent.

Adobe Captivate contains a gallery that has buttons, sounds, and animations (in SWF format) for you to use in your projects. By default, the gallery is stored in the following location when you install Adobe Captivate:

C:\Program files\Adobe\Adobe Captivate <version_number>\Gallery (on Windows)

/Applications/Adobe Captivate <version_number>/Gallery/Captions (for Mac OS).

Note:

You can attach an audio file to a button or click box and have the audio play when the user clicks the button or click box instead of when the button or click box is displayed. To do this, create the button or click box and select the Success Caption option. Make the Success Caption transparent and do not add any text. Add an audio file to the Success Caption.

Import audio

You can import an audio file to use with slides, buttons, highlight boxes, click boxes, or text entry boxes. You can also use the Library to add an audio file that is already in your current project.

Select the slide or object to which you want to add audio.
In the Property Inspector (Window > Properties), click Add Audio in the Audio area.
In the Slide Audio dialog box, click Import.

Note:

Adobe Captivate contains a gallery that has buttons, sounds, and animations (in SWF format) for you to use in your projects. By default, the gallery is stored in the following location when you install Adobe Captivate: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Captivate <version_number>\Gallery (on Windows) or /Applications/Adobe Captivate <version_number>/Gallery/Captions (on Mac OS).
Browse to the audio file you want to add, select the file, and click Open.
(Optional) To listen to and test the audio file, click Play Audio.
Set other options as necessary.
- To edit the audio file (for example, change volume, add silence, change length, and so on), click Edit Audio in Audio area.
- If you want the audio to fade in or fade out, set the number of seconds using the options Fade In and Fade Out in the audio area.
When you finish, click Save.

Add audio from library

You can reuse existing audio files for any slide or object in a project.

In an open audio project, click the Library panel and then select the file from the Audio folder.
Drag and drop the audio object to the object or slide.

Create background audio

You can create background audio for your projects. The audio plays while the slides of your project are shown. Background audio can be music, sound effects, or almost any kind of sound you can import or record.

You can use background audio together with individual slide audio for a truly professional effect. Adobe Captivate provides an option to lower the volume of background audio when a slide with audio assigned plays. For example, you can import a music file and set it to loop continuously as background audio. In that same project, you can record voice-over narration for individual slides, and when the voice-over audio plays, the music volume is lowered.

In an open project, do one of the following:
- Select Audio > Import to > Background to import an existing audio file by navigating to the file, selecting the file, and clicking Open.
  If you want to use an audio file that is already in your project, click Select Audio From Library.
- Click Record to > Background and follow the instructions to record the background audio.
(Optional) Click Play Audio to listen to the audio file.
Select from the following options:

Fade In and Fade Out

Lets you set a time, in seconds, for the audio file to fade in and fade out at the beginning and end of the project.

Loop Audio

The background audio file replays continuously.

Stop audio at end of project

Stops the background audio when the project ends.

Adjust background audio volume on slides with audio

Use the slider to adjust the background audio volume on slides that have individual audio files assigned, such as voice-over narration.

Use a custom keyboard tap sound

Adobe Captivate includes a feature that records a keyboard tap sound whenever you press keys on the keyboard while recording a project. You can include or exclude the tap sounds. You can also create a custom keyboard tap sound to use.

Create a new sound for keystrokes, or use an existing mp3 file (for example, one of the Windows sound files.)
Name the new sound file KeyClick.mp3.
Save the file and note the location to which the file is saved.
Using Windows Explorer, browse to the Adobe Captivate sound effects folder. (The default location is \\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Captivate <version_number>\Gallery\SoundEffects (on Windows) or /Applications/Adobe Captivate <version_number>/Gallery/SoundEffects (on Mac OS).
Locate the file named KeyClick.mp3. This is the Adobe Captivate default keystroke sound file.

Note:

Before overwriting the file, you may want to copy and place the original KeyClick.mp3 file in a backup folder so it can be used again if necessary.
Copy the new keyboard tap sound from the location in step 3 above, and paste it into the Adobe Captivate sound effects folder.
Select the option Hear Keyboard tap sounds (Preferences > Recording > Settings).

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