About
You can enhance your storyboard scenes in Kaltura Rooms by adding audio layers. This feature is perfect for adding background music, narration, or other audio content to enrich the experience.
You can add audio to storyboard items that are either images or single slides.
- Only moderators or users with the relevant permissions can add or control audio.
- Only MP3 files are supported at this time.
Add audio
- Locate the file on the storyboard that you want to add audio to. If you haven’t added the file yet, see our article Storyboard for instructions.
- Hover over its thumbnail, and click the three dots.
- Click the Create a scene option that appears.
- Under Audio file, click the 'add' (+) button,
- Locate the desired MP3 file and click Select.
- Click Update scene at the top right.
The scene manager opens. If the content supports it, you’ll see the Audio file option in the left-hand panel to add audio.
The media manager opens (only audio files will display).
The audio layer is added to the scene and appears in the preview.
At this point, you can also choose whether the player will be visible to participants. Learn more about setting player visibility below.
The audio layer now appears in the storyboard and is indicated by an audio icon.
Preview and interact with audio
Moderators
When a scene with audio is previewed or presented, moderators have full access to the audio controls.
Moderators can:
- Click play / pause
- Drag the audio player around the stage
- Skip forward or backward 10 seconds
- Move the seek bar to a different point in the audio timeline
- Adjust their own playback volume
- Use the Talk over media / Stop talking buttons to speak while audio is playing (the buttons appear when you hover over the content area).
- Talk over media unmutes your mic and lowers audio volume to 20% for all participants
- Stop talking mutes your mic and restores volume to 100%
Moderator microphones are not automatically muted when audio begins playing.
Participants
When a slide with audio is presented, the participant’s microphone is automatically muted when audio begins playing.
Participants can:
- Hear the audio when it's played
- Adjust the volume:
- If the player is visible, they can use the audio player’s volume control
- If the player is hidden, they can use the volume icon in the top right
- In both cases, participants can only control the sound level - they cannot pause, skip, or seek
- Click to mute/unmute their own audio
- Speak while audio is playing by hovering over the slide and clicking Talk over media, if available. This lowers the audio volume for everyone and activates their mic. Clicking Stop talking restores full volume and mutes the mic again.
Breakout rooms: If users have the right permissions, they can add files with audio, assign audio files, and control playback within the breakout room. Without permissions, they can still hear the audio but won’t be able to control it.
Manage audio
Access the settings
Hover over the slide's thumbnail, click the three dots and select Edit scene.
The scene manager opens, and the audio settings display in the left-hand panel.
Replace an audio file
- In the Audio file section, click the pencil icon.
- Click Select to choose a new file or click Upload to upload a new file.
- Click Update scene at the top right to save changes.
The media manager opens.
The audio file is replaced.
Remove an audio file
- In the audio file section, click the remove audio (x) icon.
- Click Update scene at the top right to save changes.
Set audio player visibility
In the Audio file section, you’ll see a checkbox labeled Show audio player to participants.
- If the box is checked - Participants will see the audio player with volume control only. They cannot pause, skip, or seek. Moderators retain full control. This mode is ideal for interactive tutorials, learning modules, or audio-rich educational content where users may benefit from seeing playback progress and adjusting volume.
- If the box is unchecked - The audio plays in the background with no player visible. Participants will still hear the audio but won’t see any controls.This mode is perfect for background music or voice-over narration that supports the scene without user interaction.
- Session recordings: Audio is included in recordings, but the player is not shown. Instead, an 'Audio' label appears during playback.
- Broadcasts: Audio plays during live broadcasts, but the player interface is not shown to viewers.
Mobile experience
Moderators
- Can preview and present scenes with audio
- Have full control of the audio player (play, skip, assign files, set visibility)
- Can use Talk over media while audio is playing
- Microphones are not auto-muted
Participants
- Hear audio when it’s played
- If the player is visible, they can:
- Microphones are automatically muted when audio starts
- Can use Talk over media by tapping on the slide (if supported on their device)
- After stopping, audio returns to full volume and their mic is muted again
- adjust the volume using the on-screen icon
- see that audio is playing, but cannot pause, skip, or control playback
The layout adjusts between portrait and landscape view. In portrait mode, some elements may be minimized or hidden for a cleaner view.
