We have all experienced the awkwardness unique to Zoom meetings when everyone  stares blankly ahead waiting for the meeting to begin. Perhaps you have entered Zoom meetings with music welcoming you and wondered how to do the same.

If so, this tip is for you! Music is one of the best ways to make a Zoom meeting feel more relaxed and inclusive. Rather than having the agenda on screen from the beginning and the last person who arrives wondering if the chat happening means the meeting already began, you can use a Welcome PowerPoint slide and music to signal to participants that the meeting will begin in a few minutes.

Use a rotating welcome slide

1. Create a Welcome slide using PowerPoint —or download this one we created.
2. Consider creating multiple slides with the same message but in different colors so that it can rotate and let your audience know you are there and waiting to begin.
3. Click Transitions on the top menu. Select the After button and set all slides to automatically transition after a few seconds.
   
4. Next, click Slide Show on the top menu and select Set Up Slide Show.
5. In the pop-up menu, select Loop continuously until ‘Esc’ and Using timings, if present. Click OK.
   
6. Now, your PowerPoint slide should play and repeat automatically. Your guests will notice the color change of the “Welcome” screen as it transitions from slide to slide and know the meeting is active and to wait patiently 

Share music from your device in Zoom

Zoom hosts are often surprised that participants cannot hear the music or video they are sharing, even though they can hear the host’s voice fine. Follow these steps a few minutes before your meeting to easily share music over Zoom.

1. Open a music streaming service (Spotify, YouTube, etc.) Note: If you choose to use YouTube, search for royalty free music so that you can use it without a copywrite issue.
2. Once your chosen music is playing, return to your PowerPoint and make sure it is running by clicking the play symbol at the bottom of the screen or From Current Image under Slide Show.
3. Go to your active Zoom call and click Share Screen at the bottom bar. From there, select the Microsoft PowerPoint screen and click Share. 
   
4. On the Zoom top menus, click More. In the dropdown menu, click Share Sound. 
   

These introductory features are great ways to create a welcoming environment for a fun and effective Zoom meeting.