Troubleshooting audio during a live Google Slides presentation
This is a genuinely different problem from embedded audio files not playing within Slides itself — this covers when audio (yours, or embedded content) isn’t reaching people watching your live screen share on Zoom, Meet, Teams, or similar.
The core issue: “share system audio” is a separate setting from screen sharing itself
Most video conferencing platforms treat sharing your screen and sharing your system’s audio as two distinct settings — sharing your screen alone typically does NOT include audio by default, which is the source of most “no sound during my presentation” reports.
Platform-specific fixes
Zoom: When selecting what to share, check “Share sound” (or “Share computer sound”) in the sharing dialog — easy to miss since it’s a small checkbox, not part of the main share button.
Google Meet: When sharing a Chrome tab specifically, there’s a “Share audio” toggle in the share dialog — sharing your entire screen (not just a tab) has more inconsistent audio-sharing behavior depending on your OS.
Microsoft Teams: Similar to Zoom — the share dialog includes an “Include computer sound” option separate from the screen selection itself.
⚠️ The catch:
Even with these settings enabled correctly, audio quality during live screen-shared presentations is often noticeably worse than a locally recorded version — network conditions affect shared audio in ways they don’t affect your own microphone narration. If audio quality specifically matters (not just presence), consider recording a version locally in advance rather than relying entirely on live-shared system audio.
If you’re specifically sharing a Chrome tab, not your full screen
Chrome tab sharing tends to have more reliable audio-sharing support than full-screen or application-window sharing, since it’s a narrower, more controlled sharing scope. If you’re specifically presenting a Google Slides show playing in a browser tab, Chrome tab sharing (rather than full-screen sharing) is often the more reliable audio path.
Testing before it matters
Do a test screen share with a colleague or a second device/account before a real presentation specifically to confirm audio is coming through — this is a genuinely different failure mode than local playback working fine, since the issue only appears once you’re actually sharing to someone else.
Frequently asked questions
Why can others not hear my Google Slides audio during a Zoom presentation?
Screen sharing and audio sharing are separate settings in most platforms — check for a “Share sound” or “Include computer audio” checkbox specifically in your sharing dialog, not just the main share button.
Is Chrome tab sharing more reliable for audio than full-screen sharing?
Generally yes — tab-specific sharing tends to have more consistent audio-sharing support than full-screen or application-window sharing across most platforms.
Related reading: Fixing embedded audio that won’t play in Google Slides · Recording a Zoom call: what’s legal, what’s built in · Recording your screen with audio — every question answered