How to Upload an Audio Recording to YouTube
By Ryan Menezes
Updated September 13, 2017
YouTube accepts only videos, not audio files, but you can still upload audio recordings. You just have to add your recording as a track in a video file. Ideally, this video would also contain dynamic visual content, such as a series of slides, but it can also just contain a single image, such as your company logo or any image you feel is relevant to the audio. If you Microsoft PowerPoint, you can use it to embed your audio into a slideshow and export it as an MP4 file. If an older computer, you may be able to use Windows Live Move Maker, a free program from Microsoft that may already be installed on your computer.
Using PowerPoint
Launch PowerPoint and create any slideshow you want. This could be a single image in one slide, or several slides with different images.
Insert your audio into the slideshow by clicking the "Insert" tab and selecting "Audio" from the Media section of the ribbon.
Export your finished slideshow as a video by clicking the "File" menu, selecting "Export and then clicking the "Create a Video" option. Click the "Create a Video" button and select "MPEG-4 Video (*.mp4)."
Using Windows Live Move Maker
Open Windows Live Movie Maker on your computer running Windows 7 or earlier. Click "Add Videos and Photos" to open a dialog box. Navigate to and select a still image for the video.
Click "Add Music" to open the Add Music dialog box. Navigate to and select your audio recording to add it to the video.
Click the "Project" tab and click "Fit to Music."
Click the "Home" tab and click "Save Movie" to open a drop-down menu.
Click "Create Custom Setting" to open the Crete Custom Setting dialog box. Type "Audio" into the Name box.
Type "1280" into the width box and type "720" into the height box. Type "100" into the kbps box and "1" into the fps box.
Click the "Audio Format" drop-down fox and select a format quality as high as the audio source file.
Click "Save" to open the Save Custom Setting dialog box. Click "Save" again and click "Close" to close the Create Custom Setting dialog box.
Click "Save Movie" and click "Audio" to open the Save Movie dialog box. Choose a name and location for your saved movie.
Uploading to YouTube
Log in to your YouTube account.
Click "Upload."
Click "Select Files from Your Computer" to open the File Upload dialog box. YouTube will inform you when the video has been uploaded successfully.
Tips
Microsoft retired Windows Live Move Maker in 2017. However, you can find free movie apps for Windows 10 in the Windows Store app.
References
Writer Bio
Ryan Menezes is a professional writer and blogger. He has a Bachelor of Science in journalism from Boston University and has written for the American Civil Liberties Union, the marketing firm InSegment and the project management service Assembla. He is also a member of Mensa and the American Parliamentary Debate Association.