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How to add background music and video to a flipbook

Set audio for a full publication, embed playlists, or insert clips on single pages

Overview

To add sound or video to a flipbook, open the Interactions tab in the Design Studio and place an Audio button, a Video button or a Video embed on the page. For one track that plays across the whole flipbook, turn on Background audio in Customize.

The Interactions tab in the Design Studio with the Multimedia section open and the Audio button highlighted

💡 Benefits of adding music and video to a flipbook
  • Readers stay longer: sound and moving images hold attention more than a static layout.
  • Stories come alive: add narration, interviews or a promotional video.
  • Everything plays in the flipbook: readers do not leave for an external link.
  • Clicks go up: interactive content invites more reader interaction.

The audio button, video button and video embed each sit on one page and play when a reader clicks them. Background audio belongs to the whole flipbook and plays behind every page, so choose it for a single soundtrack and the page elements for narration, clips or product videos.

Requirements

How to add music and audio files

  • Click the Interactions tab and select Audio button under Multimedia.
  • Drag the button onto the page.
  • Click Upload MP3, then pick your audio file.
  • Tick Trim audio to set where the track starts and stops.
  • Write a hint in the Tooltip field, such as Click to play.

The Audio panel in the Design Studio with the Upload MP3 button highlighted

The Audio panel with the Trim audio checkbox highlighted

Readers click the audio button to play, pause or stop the track. The maximum file size for an audio file is 20MB.

How to set background audio for the whole flipbook

One audio track can play behind the entire flipbook instead of sitting on a single page.

  • Open the flipbook and go to Customize.
  • Open Controls and turn on Background audio.
  • Click Add next to Audio file and upload your MP3.
  • Click Share, then Update, so readers get the change.

The Controls panel in Customize with Background audio turned on and the Audio file Add button shown

How to embed external playlists

To play a SoundCloud or Spotify playlist, copy the embed code from that service and paste it into the Embed code element on a page. The Embed code element needs the Enterprise plan.

How to insert videos in the flipbook

Flipsnack has two video elements, and a third way to create motion from an image.

Option 1: Video button

The video opens in an overlay when a reader clicks the button.

  • Click the Interactions tab and select Video button under Multimedia.
  • Drag the button onto the page.

The Multimedia section of the Interactions tab with the Video button highlighted

Paste a URL link

  • Under Source, keep URL selected.
  • Paste a link from YouTube, YouTube Shorts, Vimeo or a self-hosted video into Video URL.
  • Write a hint in the Tooltip field.

The Video panel with the Source switch showing URL and Upload

The Video panel with a YouTube link pasted into the Video URL field

Use a video uploaded to Flipsnack

  • Under Source, click Upload.
  • Click Choose a video file to open the Media library.
  • Pick one of your previously uploaded videos and click Insert. It plays in preview mode.

The Video panel with Upload selected and the Choose a video file button

Option 2: Video embed

The video plays on the page itself, with no overlay. In the Design Studio the panel is named Video Widget.

  • Click the Interactions tab and select Video embed under Multimedia.
  • Drag the player onto the page and resize it by its handles.
  • Paste a link from YouTube, YouTube Shorts, Vimeo or a self-hosted video, or click Upload to use a video from your media library.
  • Write a hint in the Tooltip field.

The Multimedia section of the Interactions tab with the Video embed highlighted

The Video Widget panel with the Source switch, Video URL and Tooltip fields highlighted

Option 3: Create motion with Living Visuals (AI Animate)

With no video file, you can create motion from an image.

  • Upload an image to your flipbook page in the Design Studio.
  • Select the image on the page.
  • Click AI Animate in the top toolbar.
  • Flipsnack generates subtle motion from the image with AI.

The result behaves like a video widget, so you can change its playback settings the same way.

Troubleshooting

  • Audio upload fails: confirm the file is an MP3 and does not exceed 20MB. Clear your browser cache or try another browser, and check your internet connection. If it still fails, note any on-screen error and share it with us via live chat.
  • The Embed code element is locked: it needs the Enterprise plan. Contact sales to unlock it.
  • An unlisted Vimeo video cannot be added: unlisted videos from Vimeo do not work in flipbooks. Use a public link instead.
  • Autoplay video stays silent: browsers only autoplay muted videos, so readers hear it after they unmute.
  • Vimeo autoplay does not start: some browsers do not support Vimeo autoplay.

Additional tips / FAQs

  • Which audio format can I upload? MP3 only, up to 20MB.
  • Can I play one track across every page? Yes. Turn on Background audio in Customize > Controls.
  • Which video links work? YouTube, YouTube Shorts, Vimeo and self-hosted video links.

Next steps

Need expert support?

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