Add audio toWordPress posts.
The Audio block puts a player in any post in about a minute. Nothing recorded yet? Text to speech can read the post instead.
Updated 10 November 2026
Add the Audio block, step by step.
To add audio to WordPress posts you need no extra plugin. The block editor has an Audio block that shows a simple player wherever you place it.
Open the post
Edit the post and click where the player should sit.
Insert the block
Click the inserter (+) and choose Audio, or type /audio in a new paragraph and press Enter.
Pick the file
Choose Upload for a file on your computer, Media Library for one you uploaded before, or Insert from URL for a file hosted elsewhere.
Set playback
In the block settings, turn Autoplay and Loop on or off and choose a Preload option.
Caption and publish
Add a caption if it helps, such as the length or the speaker, then click Update or Publish.
Which audio files work.
WordPress accepts more audio types for upload than it lists for its built-in player. The WordPress developer reference shows both lists. For spoken word, MP3 keeps files small and sits on both.
| Format | Uploads by default | On the built-in player list |
|---|---|---|
| MP3 | Yes | Yes |
| M4A | Yes | Yes |
| OGG | Yes | Yes |
| WAV | Yes | Yes |
| FLAC | Yes | Yes |
| AAC | Yes | No |
| WMA | Yes | No |
Autoplay, loop and preload.
- Autoplay starts the audio as soon as someone opens the post. On an article that tends to startle readers, so leave it off.
- Loop repeats the file when it ends. Handy for ambient sound, rarely for a spoken article.
- Preload has four options: Browser default, Auto, Metadata and None.
- Metadata fetches only basic details such as the length. None downloads nothing until the reader presses play.
The WordPress documentation says Auto preload has the biggest impact on load speed, because it downloads the whole file. For a long recording, choose Metadata or None.
Record it, or let the post read itself.
Your own recording
Your voice and your pacing. It takes a quiet room, a decent microphone and a new take whenever the post changes.
Text to speech
No microphone. The audio is made from the text, so an edited post only needs a fresh run.
A podcast you already host
Type /audio and WordPress also suggests embed blocks for SoundCloud, Spotify, Mixcloud and Pocket Casts.
Text to speech with Sizzle Voice.
Sizzle Voice is a WordPress plugin. It adds a Voice tab next to Post and Block in the editor, creates the audio and places the player as a block above the post content. Each file is saved to your own media library.
The price is set per 10,000 characters: 5 credits on Fast, 30 on Studio. Bought in packs, that is roughly 4 to 5 cents or 25 to 27 cents. Switch on generate on publish and every new post gets audio without another click.
WordPress audio, answered.
How do I add an MP3 to a WordPress post?
Insert an Audio block, then upload the MP3 or pick it from the Media Library. The player appears where the block sits.
Why won’t my audio file play in WordPress?
Check the format first. WordPress lists MP3, M4A, OGG, WAV and FLAC for its built-in player, and some types it accepts for upload are not on that list.
Can I link to an audio file instead of uploading it?
Yes. In the Audio block choose Insert from URL and paste the address of the hosted file.
Does an audio player slow down my post?
It can when Preload is set to Auto, which fetches the entire file up front. Metadata or None keeps the page light.
How can WordPress read my posts aloud?
With a text-to-speech plugin. Sizzle Voice turns each post into audio and adds a player above it, from 5 credits per 10,000 characters.