Forum Discussion
Audio in layers
Hi,
I have a problem I could not find a solution to in the blog.
I have a slide with 4 additional layers. Each additional layer contains an audio file (in the newest version it is possible to add different audio files to different layers) and an animated text box.
Now I try to synchronize the spoken audio to the animated text (paragraphs should appear when the audio reaches the respective phrase). But when starting the timeline on the layer, the animation starts, but the audio does not play. So it is not possible to synchronize animated text to audio.
Is there a way to get the audio playing in the Slide View?
Thanks for your help,
Tanja
6 Replies
Hi,
Nedim, thanks for your file - this plays without problems. I have reproduced the behaviour in another file (the original content is confidential).
I had to restart my computer for updates, maybe this solved something where Storyline got stuck. Because funnily enough, when I remove the trigger, like Phil suggested, it works now. With the trigger in place, it still doesn't.
In preview, the audio files were always playing correctly.
Ok, I see now. There’s definitely something off with the audio file itself. Just judging by how it appears in the timeline raises a red flag.
How did you import it into Storyline, and from where? It looks like it may have been copied from a published output folder and renamed before being imported into Storyline.
I wouldn’t say it’s corrupted, but it should play automatically when the timeline starts whether or not a trigger is used.
How to fix it: Try duplicating the audio file, then open the copy in the Storyline audio editor. Play it for a few seconds, then close the editor. This usually updates the file's metadata. The audio should display with the standard waveform appearance on the timeline. Example:
Alternatively, exporting the audio and re-importing it back into the slide can also resolve the issue.
That’s odd. This should be a straightforward operation and should work regardless of whether you trigger audio on each layer when it starts. Would you mind recreating a simple file and sharing it with us? Or have a look at the simple file attached to compare it with yours? What is different? Modify per your requirements.
I would suggest that you also confirm that the audio files are clean and play correctly outside of SL. Then verify that there is nothing on your base layer that is preventing the higher layers from playing the audio. I would also be checking the behavior by either publishing to HTML or previewing the scene, because I have observed that sometimes it’s difficult to get a clear indication of how the slide plays by using the “play” button in the timeline or simply previewing the slide.
You can sync audio and and text on all layers using the timeline. Do you have a trigger to play your audio? IT is best to drop the audio on the timeline and odnt triugger it.
Hi Phil,
thanks for your suggestion - but exactly this does not work. When I start the timeline on the layer, the animation starts, text paragraphs are flying in, but the audio does not play. There was a trigger, that the audio should start when the timeline on this layer starts (the idea was, that the audio starts automatically without the user having to click again). I removed that trigger from the layer, but still the audio does not play when I start the timeline. In preview mode, everything works - but the animation is not synchronized to the audio....
