I’m using Windows Anki for the first time in several years. I’m using it for foreign language learning and I want to add audio files. I added a field to the basic card type and labelled it audio. I dragged and dropped the file into that field but when I practice the cards there’s no audio. When I go to edit the card I can see the field with the audio file. I’ve gone through the FAQs and other relevant info but I can’t work out what I need to do to resolve the issue. I’d really appreciate any tips. Thanks in advance!
1 Like
You added the field to your note type, and you attached a file in that field to that note – but did you add a {{field replacement}} to your card template so that Anki would know to show you that field on a card? Field Replacements - Anki Manual
Thanks for the tip. I’ll give that a go.
Sorry to be a pain but I still have no idea what I’m doing, even after reading that “Field Replacements - Anki Manual”. I tried adding the field with the curly brackets but it wouldn’t allow me to create the new field.
You need to add the field replacement for the same field you already created. So if your field is called “audio”, as you said, and you wanted to add it to the end of your back template – it might look like this when you click “Cards …” to open the editor:
{{FrontSide}}
<hr id=answer>
{{Translation}}
You would edit it to look like this instead:
{{FrontSide}}
<hr id=answer>
{{Translation}}<br>
{{audio}}
And then your card might turn out looking like this:
1 Like
I googled how to add audio file to anki and came up with the following:
Adding Audio to Anki Deck
To add a field for audio files to an Anki basic deck:
- Open Anki: Launch Anki and log in to your profile.
- Create a new deck: If you haven’t already, create a new deck or open an existing one.
- Manage Note Types: Go to “Tools” > “Manage Note Types” (or press
Ctrl + Shift + Ton Windows/Linux orCmd + Shift + Ton Mac). - Edit the Note Type: Select the note type you’re using for your basic cards (e.g., “Basic”).
- Add a new field: Click “Add” to create a new field. Name it “Audio” (or any other descriptive name you prefer).
- Configure the field: Set the field type to “Text” (even though you’ll be storing audio files).
- Save changes: Close the Note Type editor.
- Update your card template: Open your card template and add the new “Audio” field to the back side of the card. You can do this by dragging and dropping the field or by clicking the “Insert” button and selecting “Field” > “Audio”.
- Add audio files: When creating new cards or editing existing ones, attach your audio files to the “Audio” field by clicking the paperclip icon and selecting the audio file.
- Format the audio reference: In the “Audio” field, use the format
[sound:filename.mp3]to reference the audio file. For example,[sound:pronunciation_example.mp3].
The trouble is I got stuck at step 6 as there was no option to configure the field and set the field type to text.
Any help would be greatly appreciated! I’m impatient to start making flashcards!
Oh my stars! Where did these directions come from? They aren’t correct at all! 
1 - there’s no log-in step
2 - not necessary
3 - wrong shortcut
4 - overly specific
5 - can’t do that without doing something else first
6 - just plain wrong, there is no such thing
7 - sure, I suppose you could, but you haven’t done anything to save yet!
Need I continue? 
[Really though, tell me who posted this – because it’s bad.]
8-10 are pretty close, but there’s no explanation for how to get to 8, then 8 makes up two methods that don’t exist, 9 uses the wrong terminology, and 10 is something Anki already does for you.
If there’s something you don’t understand from my directions above, that might be an easier place to start.
I am totally confused. Anki used to be much simpler. I never needed to add the field for audio. Is there another approach?
I really appreciate your time by the way!
I don’t think it used to be simpler! There isn’t another approach, but you just need to find the right place to put this, and it’s about 3 minutes of work.
Let’s try this – watch this short video about adding note types and card types. It’s focused on something slightly bigger than what you want to do, but it’s only a few minutes long, and it shows the screens you need to be looking at. See if that helps.
I don’t understand any of the directions to be honest. Is there something like the instructions above but ones that are accurate? By that I mean step by step instructions.
Why is it so convoluted now? Anki used to be much more user friendly.
I’m sorry for my tone. I’m just very frustrated. When I used it in 2015 and 2016 there were decks with fields for audio by default. I didn’t have to go through multiple steps to add an audio field.
I’ll have a look at the video.
Thanks again for your time btw!
I watched the video but it didn’t really help me. It only served to confuse me more.
I tried pasting in that HTML from above:
{{FrontSide}}
{{Back}}
{{FrontSide}}
{{Translation}}
{{audio}}
but I got a pop up notification saying: Card template 1 in notetype ‘Audio’ has a problem.
Field ‘Translation’ not found.
Again, I really appreciate your help! I hope this can be resolved!
Those were 2 separate examples of what the back template could look like. As I said, if it looked like the first, you would edit it to look like the second. You can’t use them both.
But since yours doesn’t look like the first, to start with, it’s just an example. You need to use the names of the fields in your actual note.
You’re getting to the right place, and you’ve already created the field (right?), so the only thing you need to do is add a line-break and a field replacement to your back template –
<br>{{thenameofyourfield}}
If that isn’t clear, you need to click “Fields” and post a screenshot of that, and click “Cards…” and post the text of your front template, back template, and styling.
Okay, this is a start. [This is the card template editor, and you’re showing me the back template.]
I need to know what you’re done so far and what you are trying to do.
- Did you create a new note type called “Audio” or rename another note type to “Audio”?
- Is this based on (cloned from or renamed from) the “Basic” note type?
- What fields it start with? Front, Back?
- What field did you add to the note type? Was it “audio” or “Audio”? [It matters.]
- How many cards do you want this note type to make? Just 1 – with the “Front” field on the front, and the sound on the back?
- Did you create a new note type called “Audio” or rename another note type to “Audio”?
I don’t really know what a “note” is to be honest. I added a field and I labelled it “audio”. The cards are for vocabulary learning and I want to have an audio file on the back of the card. - Is this based on (cloned from or renamed from) the “Basic” note type?
- It’s a basic card.
- What fields it start with? Front, Back?
- Yes
- What field did you add to the note type? Was it “audio” or “Audio”? [It matters.]
- As I said, I don’t know what a “note” is. I’m fumbling through the dark here!
- How many cards do you want this note type to make? Just 1 – with the “Front” field on the front, and the sound on the back?
- I want to have an image on the front and the foreign word I’m learning written on the back with an audio file of that word.
It might be easiest if I start from scratch and if you’d be kind enough you could give me step by step instructions. Or perhaps you know where I’m up to and the solution is close by.
Thanks again for your help.
I used a capital “A” for Audio when I labelled the new field.
I wish I’d known that sooner! Please read Notes & Fields, Card Types, and Note Types. I think all of this will make more sense if you know what those things are.
This is a custom note type of your own, and it’s called “Audio” – the name you can see in these places –
I am writing this based on fields called Front, Back, and Audio (and this will only work if that’s exactly what your fields are called). This is what your templates need to be. Edit them in that same screen in your last screenshot. Click the radio buttons to switch between them.
Front Template:
{{Front}}
Back Template:
{{FrontSide}}
<hr id=answer>
{{Back}}<br>
{{Audio}}
Then choose this “Audio” note type in the “Add” window when you start adding notes.
I had read that chapter on Notes but it probably hadn’t sunk in. I just read it again and I think I’ve grasped what “notes” means now.
Just before I received your latest message I tried editing it again but this time I typed Audio with a capital A. I thought it had worked as I saw the fields “Front” “Back” and “Audio”. I made a card by pasting an image into the “Front” field and the foreign word the image represented in the “Back” field and then the audio file of the word in the “Audio” field. Unfortunately the image was not to be seen and Audio file is in the front.
Is there any way I can delete all the modifications I’ve made and start from scratch?