how to record a voice over powerpoint presentation

How-To Geek

How to record voiceover narration in powerpoint.

If you're not able to physically present your slideshow, record a voiceover narration to make sure no points are missed.

Quick Links

Preparation, record a voiceover for your presentation.

If you’re sending out your presentation instead of giving it in front of an audience, but you feel adding a vocal explanation would better help to deliver the message, record a voiceover narration. Here’s how to do it.

Before you begin your PowerPoint narration, you’ll need to make sure you’ve made the proper preparations.

Set Up Your Mic

First, you’ll need a microphone. Most modern computers have a built-in microphone that gets the job done, but investing in a USB microphone will increase the audio quality of the narration by quite a bit.

The built-in microphone will be set as your input device by default, so if you plan on using it for the PowerPoint narration, you don’t need to take any additional steps in setting it up. However, if you plan to use a USB microphone for the narration, be sure to set it as the input device.

To do this on Windows, right-click the volume icon found on the right of the taskbar. In the menu that appears, select “Open Sound Settings.”

The “Sound Settings” window will appear. Here, scroll down to the “Input” section and click the box under “Choose your input device.”

If you’re using a USB microphone, it will appear here. Select it to set it as the input device.

The steps for Mac users are extremely similar. The only difference is you should go to "System Settings" and select "Sound" instead of right-clicking the volume icon like on Windows. From there, the steps are the same.

Take Notes and Rehearse

With your mic set up, you’re ready to start recording, right? Well, not quite. While you may not be physically standing in front of the audience delivering this presentation, you still need to treat it as though you are. This means going through the basics---taking notes and rehearsing your delivery.

One thing you can do to help you record a successful narration is to write out a script. As with a live presentation, though, you don’t want to sound like you’re reading straight from your notecards. Practice reading through the script a few times so that it sounds natural and fluid.

Once you’re confident in your delivery, it’s time to start recording.

Open the PowerPoint presentation in which you would like to record a voiceover narration. Head over to the “Slide Show” tab and, in the “Set Up” group, select “Record Slide Show.” Once selected, a drop-down menu will appear. Here, you can choose to start the narration from the beginning or from the current slide. If you choose to start recording from the current slide, make sure that you’re on the slide you’d like to start recording from.

Related: How to Record Your Screen with Microsoft PowerPoint

In this example, we’ll choose “Record from Beginning.”

Now, you’ll be in full-screen mode. You’ll notice a few extra tools appear, including a record button at the top-left corner of the screen. When you’re ready to start recording, click this button.

When you select the record button, a countdown timer will appear, giving you a three-second delay between clicking the button and starting your recording.

You can now start recording your voiceover narration! Continue through the presentation by clicking the right arrow to go to the next slide.

You can pause the recording at any time by pressing the pause button in the top-left corner of the window. The recording will automatically end when you make it to the last slide. Alternatively, you can press the stop button, also located at the top-left corner of the screen.

If you want to play your narration back, you can select the replay button.

A speaker icon will appear at the bottom-right corner of each slide that has a recorded narration. You can also play your narration back on each slide by hovering over the icon and pressing the play button.

If you’re not satisfied with the narration, simply repeat these steps to re-record.

Blog > Record voice narration for PowerPoint

Record voice narration for PowerPoint

01.11.21   •  #presentation #powerpoint #voiceover #narration.

In this blog post, you'll learn how you can add a narration for your PowerPoint presentation. Adding audio or video narration can be very helpful, especially in a time where many seminars and meetings have to be conducted online. If you would rather give your presentation using a live stream (which has many benefits), scroll down to the bottom and learn how you can do that!

Here's what you need for recording:

• a microphone (your computer's microphone should do)
• a finished set of PowerPoint slides
• a video camera (only if you want to record video as well)

• Open your PowerPoint presentation or create a new one.
• In the taskbar, select Slide Show . Then click Record Slide Show .
• Choose the option Record from Beginning .

• You'll now get to a different view, which we'll call "Recorder View". Here's an overview:

• In the bottom right corner, you'll see three icons. The one on the left is for switching the microphone on/off. Make sure this function is turned on. The icon in the middle is for turning on/off your camera. You can choose if you want to switch the video recording on or not. The last icon is only available if you've chosen the video recording function. If the function is enabled, you'll be able to see a video preview.
• In the top right corner under "Settings", you can choose what microphone (and camera) you'd like to use. This is only relevant if you have an external recording device that you would like to use. If you're recording with your computer, you don't have to set anything here.
• Now it's time to record. Click the big red Record button on the top left and start speaking.
• Tip: You can either record all the slides at once without pressing pause, or you record each slide individually, then click pause, then go on to the next slide and record again. However, it's important to note that PowerPoint creates an individual audio file for each slide, even if you record all at once.
• Important : PowerPoint does not record during transitions, so only speak when you're on a slide.

• You can also draw on your slides with the painting tools on the bottom. These drawings will be saved to your presentations.
• On the bottom left corner, you'll see what slide you're on. You can also see two time counts. The first one is for the recording on the current slide, the second one is for the recording of the presentation overall.
• If you want to delete the whole voiceover, click Clear and Clear Recordings on all Slides . If you only want to delete the recording on the specific slide you are on, click Clear Recording on current Slide.
• If you want to re-record the audio from one slide after deleting it, just go to that slide and click Record again. Record what you want to say, then click Stop when you're done.
• Once you're done, leave the Recorder View. Click the small x in the top right corner or hit Esc .
• You can now either save the presentation as a regular PowerPoint file (just click Save and you're done) or as a video. If you'd like a video, follow the instructions below:

Save Presentation as Video

• Go to File in the PowerPoint taskbar

• Choose Export on the left, then Create a Video .

• Select the quality you'd like. We recommend Full HD (1080p).
• In the following drop-down menu, make sure Use Recorded Timings and Narrations is selected.

• The setting Seconds spent on each slide is only for the slides where there is no recording (if you have recordings on all of your slides, you can just ignore this setting.)
• Click Create Video and choose where the video should be saved. The video creation might take a while, so don't close PowerPoint right away!

Live interaction with polls & quizzes

If you prefer to give a talk where you can also interact with your audience, then the free software SlideLizard is the ideal solution! Using live polls , Q&A and feedback , your presentations will become even more exciting and interactive. SlideLizard integrates directly with PowerPoint, making it a breeze to use.

Can I record a presentation in PowerPoint?

Yes, PowerPoint also allows you to record your presentation with voice and video narration. You can read about how this works in our blog .

How can I record a presentation in PowerPoint with audio and video?

At first create your presentation. For the recording you will need a microphone (the one on your computer should do), your finished presentation and a video camera (if you also want to record a video). We have created a tutorial on our blog where you can read the further steps.

Related articles

About the author.

Pia Lehner-Mittermaier

Pia works in Marketing as a graphic designer and writer at SlideLizard. She uses her vivid imagination and creativity to produce good content.

Get 1 Month for free!

Do you want to make your presentations more interactive.

With SlideLizard you can engage your audience with live polls, questions and feedback . Directly within your PowerPoint Presentation. Learn more

Top blog articles More posts

How to change languages in PowerPoint

Create and insert GIFs in PowerPoint

Get started with Live Polls, Q&A and slides

for your PowerPoint Presentations

The big SlideLizard presentation glossary

A podcast is an audio or video contribution that can be listened to or viewed via the Internet. Podcasts can be used for information on specific topics but also for entertainment.

Online Communication

Online communication is communication over the internet. Online communication is often anonymous and over social media platforms you can communicate with people around the world.

An e-lecture is a lecture that is held online. Many schools and universities offer e-lectures as technical opportunities improve.

Impromptu Speech

A speech that is given without any preparation, notes, or cards, is called an impromptu speech. It is often delivered at private events (e.g., weddings or birthdays) or for training presentation skills.

Be the first to know!

The latest SlideLizard news, articles, and resources, sent straight to your inbox.

- or follow us on -

We use cookies to personalize content and analyze traffic to our website. You can choose to accept only cookies that are necessary for the website to function or to also allow tracking cookies. For more information, please see our privacy policy .

Cookie Settings

Necessary cookies are required for the proper functioning of the website. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information about the number of visitors, etc.

How to do a voiceover on a PowerPoint presentation and add pre-recorded audio to your slides

• You can record a voiceover in PowerPoint and insert it into your next presentation using the software's Audio recording feature through the Insert menu.
• Recording and inserting a voiceover into PowerPoint is a relatively similar process on an Apple Macbook and Windows PC.  
• Once you've recorded your audio, you can click the microphone icon that appears on your slide and playback your recording. 
• Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories .

Public speaking is a valid and common fear. And although you might be trying to hone your public speaking with your free time at home , there's a way you can incorporate your voice into your next PowerPoint presentation without the pressure of speaking on the spot.

How? Microsoft PowerPoint has a feature that lets you create narration for all slides as you see fit. This way, you can record — and re-record — voiceovers for your presentations that won't make you cringe.

The process is virtually identical for both Mac and PC users and you can use your computer's built-in mic or a headset. Whatever your operating system of choice is, easily record narration over a PowerPoint slide in a few quick steps. 

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Microsoft office (from $149.99 at best buy), apple macbook pro (from $1,299.00 at apple), acer chromebook 15 (from $179.99 at walmart).

SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless Headset (From $92.49 at Amazon)

How to record a voiceover for PowerPoint on a PC

1. Open a new or existing or presentation in PowerPoint.

2. From the top toolbar, select "Insert."

3. Toward the far right side, click "Audio."

4. Choose "Record Audio…"

5. Name your audio file. 

6. Click the circle icon when you're ready to start recording.

7. Select "OK" when you're done recording.

8. A microphone icon will indicate the narration has been added to the slide. 

How to record a voiceover for PowerPoint on a Mac

1. Open a new or existing or presentation in PowerPoint for Mac.

2. Find and select "Insert" from the top toolbar. 

4. Select "Record Audio…"

5. Name the audio file, and click the circle icon when you're ready to start recording.

6. Click "Insert" when you're ready to finalize.

7. You can click the microphone icon on the slide to hear your recording.  

Related coverage from Tech Reference :

How to download and access microsoft powerpoint on your mac computer, how to add a border to slides in powerpoint, and give your slideshow a sleek design, how to change and format the background of your powerpoint slides to custom designs, how to change your language settings in microsoft powerpoint in 3 different ways, how to copy or duplicate a powerpoint slide and put it anywhere in your slideshow.

Insider Inc. receives a commission when you buy through our links.

Watch: Apple just launched a $6,000 Mac Pro, available this fall

• Main content

• Get One: Tornado Alert Apps
• The Best Tech Gifts Under $100

How to Do a Voiceover on PowerPoint

Narrate your presentations with ease

• Central Washington University

What to Know

• Single slide: Select a slide. Go to Insert > Audio > Record Audio . Type a name, select Record , then read your script. Select Stop .
• Entire slideshow: Select View > Normal and choose the first slide. Select Slide Show > Record Slide Show > Record from Current Slide .
• To review the recording, click the sound indicator (it looks like a speaker) and then select Play to hear your recording.

This article explains how to record a voiceover on PowerPoint for a single slide or for the entire slideshow. The instructions apply to PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 , PowerPoint 2019, PowerPoint 2016, and PowerPoint 2013.

How to Record a Voiceover for a Single Slide

Before narrating your PowerPoint presentation, be prepared:

• You’ll need a microphone attached to, or built into, your computer. Test the microphone to make sure it is working. Set the sound level so your audio is easy to hear.
• Prepare yourself for the narration. Write a script you can follow while recording the voiceover. Practice the presentation a couple of times so your voiceover will sound smooth.
• Decide whether to record the voiceover one slide at a time or record a voiceover for the entire presentation in one go.

The simplest way to record audio for a voiceover is to record one slide at a time. To get started, select the slide where you want to add the narration, then go to Insert > Audio > Record Audio .

Here’s how to record a voiceover on the slide:

Type a Name for the voiceover narration.

Select Record (the button with a red dot).

Read your script or ad-lib the narration.

Select Stop when you’re finished recording.

The Record Sound dialog box disappears, and a speaker indicating sound appears in the center of the slide.

To review the recording, click that sound indicator and then select Play to hear your recording.

When you're finished, click anywhere outside the playback controls to accept the recording.

You’ll see an audio icon in the middle of the slide. Move this icon anywhere on the slide to get it out of the way of other elements on the slide.

How to Record a Voiceover for an Entire Presentation

The voiceover for the entire presentation can be recorded at one time. In addition to recording a voiceover, you can record a video of yourself giving your presentation.

To set up your presentation when you want to narrate an entire slideshow:

Select View > Normal

Select the first slide in the presentation where you want to record audio.

Select Slide Show > Record Slide Show > Record from Current Slide .

In PowerPoint 2019, the Recording window opens.

In PowerPoint 2016 and earlier versions, a Record Slide Show dialog box prompts you for further options. In the Record Slide Show box, select options to set up the slideshow:

• Slide and animation timings: When recording, PowerPoint automatically tracks the timing of slide changes and any animations that occur.
• Narrations, ink, and laser pointer: When recording, PowerPoint automatically tracks when narrations, any inking, or laser pointing occurs.

Leave both checked to make automating your slideshow easier.

Select Record .

In PowerPoint 2016, select Start Recording .

Select Pause to temporarily stop the recording if you need a break.

If you made a mistake and want to start over, select Clear > Clear Recordings.

In PowerPoint 2016 select Clear > Clear Recordings on Current Slide .

When you’ve finished recording a slide, select the Advance button to advance to the next slide or press the spacebar on your keyboard.

When you’re done recording your narration on the slide, select Stop and close the recording window to return to the presentation.

You may have noticed some controls at the bottom left side of the screen. These are a few controls to aid you in your presentation.

These handy handy tools include the Laser Pointer , Highlighter , and Eraser . As you advance through your presentation, mark or highlight parts of your slides as you narrate. PowerPoint records the timing of these marks (if you left the boxes checked) to go along with your narration. Likewise, using the laser pointer shows a simulated red laser dot so that you can point out different things on your slides as you narrate your presentation.

How to Listen to the Recorded Voiceover

Once you’ve recorded your narration, you can go back to the slides and listen to your voiceover.

Here’s how to play a narration:

Select the slide containing the voiceover you want to hear.

Look for the recording icon on the slide. It should appear as either a small video screenshot or a speaker icon on the slide.

Hover over select this icon and then click Play to preview the recording.

How to Turn a Voiceover Off

If you don’t want to hear your narrations when playing a slideshow, but want to keep the narrations with the slide, turn voiceover off.

To turn voiceover off, select Slide Show and click to deselect the Play Narrations checkbox.

How to Delete a Voiceover

There are a couple of ways to delete voiceover audio in your presentation. To delete the audio on a single slide, find and select the recording on that slide, then press the Delete key.

To delete the voiceover from all the slides in a presentation: Select Slide Show and then select the down arrow to open the Record Slide Show menu. Then, select Clear Narration on All Slides .

Embedding Versus Linking Audio Files in PowerPoint

When you use the PowerPoint tools to record a voiceover narration, the audio file is embedded in PowerPoint. This means the audio is part of the PowerPoint file and not stored in a separate file, making it easy to play your presentation on any device.

If you have audio you recorded using other software and it's stored on your computer, you can link to the audio file. Linked files keep your presentation size smaller, but links can be broken if the audio file isn't available to the PowerPoint presentation. To prevent broken links, store the presentation file and the audio files in the same folder on your computer.

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day

• How to Add Audio to PowerPoint
• How to Make a Slideshow on PowerPoint
• Adding Sounds, Music or Narration to PowerPoint Slide Shows
• How to Get PowerPoint on a Mac
• Edit Music, Sound, or Other Audio Settings in PowerPoint
• How to Make and Add Your Own Sound on TikTok
• Loop a PowerPoint Slide Show
• How to Convert PowerPoint to Video
• How to Use Speaker Notes in PowerPoint
• Change Order of Animations for PowerPoint Slides
• How to Add Music to PowerPoint
• How to Change a Black-and-White Picture to Color in PowerPoint
• How to Add Page Numbers in PowerPoint
• Add, Delete or Change the Order of PowerPoint Slides
• Using Design Themes in PowerPoint
• Create Family Trees Using PowerPoint Organization Chart

How to Record Audio in PowerPoint for Narration or Voice-Over | Step-by-Step

I’ve scrolled through a lot of slideshows and, let’s face it, they’re not always the easiest to follow or understand what’s going on. I’m sure you have felt this too.

Have you ever thought, it would be great if the slides came with audio so that the presenter could explain and talk through each slide?

In this article, we’re going to show you how to record audio in PowerPoint as a narration or voice-over so your audience can feel as if you are presenting live and in person.

All you have to do is record yourself talking through each slide and PowerPoint will take care of the rest!

Related topic : If you are only looking to insert or add an audio that does not advance or move a slideshow in time and in synch your voice, this article: Adding Music to PowerPoint Slideshow explains how.

How to record audio as a voice-over or narration in PowerPoint – Quick Guide

• In PowerPoint, choose a slide.
• From Slide Show menu > click lower part Record Slide Show button
• Select a slide to Record from Current Slide, or Record from Beginning from the sub-menu
• NOTE: PowerPoint versions 2013-2016 only: A “Slide Show Settings” dialog box will appear for animation timings etc. You can leave both checked.
• PowerPoint will then open into full-screen Recording Mode
• NOTE: Microsoft Office PowerPoint versions 2013-2016 and Microsoft for Mac 365 will start recording immediately.
• In Recording Mode > click the Record button in the top left to start recording countdown.
• You are now ready to talk through your presentation and record your voice.
• To Stop or Pause recording > click Pause button or Stop / End Show (x) button.
• Jump to the full step-by-step tutorial below

Why use narrations or voice-overs in PowerPoint Presentation?

Adding a narration or voice-over into a presentation will enable your slideshow to be played and move forward in time or sync with your voice.

Recording audio for your slideshow is a widely used feature and has many benefits. For example:

• It’s useful in situations when a speaker is not available and when people want to view presentations on their own and at their leisure.
• It is also an effective way for speakers to rehearse and time specific slides or the entire presentations before they happen.
• And you may have watched many instructional videos or online courses with a recorded voice over, just because it makes the content easier to understand, is more engaging and lively than just written words alone.

After you finish the audio recording you can share or export your presentation by converting or exporting your PowerPoint (.ppt) file into a video (.mp4 or .mov file) which will have both your audio and visuals contained in one file.

Before recording your narration or voice-over – tips.

Make sure your microphone works..

An important step to take before recording your audio is to ensure your microphone is set up correctly and your voice can be played back clearly. The video below runs through how to set up an external mic for your Windows or Mac .

First, plug in your headset or microphone to your computer if you are not using the inbuilt mic. Or if you are using a Bluetooth headset, make sure it’s paired/connected properly.

To make sure everything is working OK, access the audio device settings on your computer as shown in the video above. While you are in the device settings menu, select your microphone and set it as default.

You can test the playback quality by using the free software tools on your machine:

• Windows 10 – Use Voice Recorder (previously called Sound Recorder)
• Mac – Use Voice Memos
• Chromebook – New in 2021 from OS 88. Use Screen Capture to test your audio recording by pressing the Ctrl, Shift, and Overview keys to bring up the capture bar. ( You may need to enable by entering chrome://flags  in the URL address bar and search for “capture” in the search bar or by entering chrome://flags/#screen-capture in the URL address bar.)

Note – In PowerPoint 2016, you cannot change which microphone device you want to record in screen recording mode (so do it first!), however in 2019/Office 365 it is possible to do so, by using the settings link in the full-screen recording mode.

How to Record Audio in PowerPoint Step-by-Step Instructions.

Versions Covered: PowerPoint 2013, 2016, 2019, 2020, Office 365, PowerPoint for PC / Windows, PowerPoint for macOS and Chromebook.

• Start by opening the PowerPoint presentation in which you want to record your audio.

• Stop Recording. To end the slideshow recording, click the Stop (square button) at the top left. Or keyboard shortcut – Press Alt+S. You’re done recording your captivating and engaging PowerPoint slideshow with a voice-over / narration!
• Exit full screen recording window. Click the (x) button int the corner. To save your slide timings, click “yes” if prompted. When you return to your slide view, a small icon of a microphone appears on the bottom right corner of each slide. Click this icon to hear your voice over for any particular slide.

Advanced PowerPoint Audio Recording Options.

Add annotations to your recorded powerpoint slide show..

Adding annotations to your PowerPoint presentation is an optional step and can help your presentation stand out. But, what are annotations, and how should you use them when recording your voice-over?

If you want to draw a user’s attention to a specific area or to add some interactivity; using annotations is the way to do it. It is basically a virtual marker you can use to highlight elements in your presentation slides e.g by circling a word or picture, underlining a phrase, writing additional notes on-screen, or pointing to specific items. 

To use the Annotation Tool in PowerPoint: Scroll to the bottom of the full screen recording view (as shown in the image below). Then, select any of the tools available (the laser pointer, highlighter or pen) and annotate your slide, by drawing with them using any mouse or other pointing device.

Note, this will not make a permanent change to your slides, it’s only visible in the recorded playback!

Using the Timings Function to Adjust Recording Speed.

As you record your narration, you will be able to see a clock in the bottom left corner showing how much time you spend on each slide, against the total amount of time recorded so far.

While this is very helpful for rehearsing your presentation, it’s quite common to have issues with timings with your recorded slideshow. For example when you have switched to the next slide too quickly.

To Change the Timings of Your Recording: Navigate to the Slide Show tab in the top ribbon > (Next to the Record Slide Show icon, we used before) > click the Rehearse Timings icon. The presentation will now once again go to full-screen mode, and you can use your arrow keys to change the slides and set new timings.

Clearing or Deleting your narration and / or timings

If you are not happy with your voice-over on a slide or wish to start the recording from the beginning, PowerPoint gives you some easy options to do so.

To Delete a Narration or Timings: Navigate to the Slide Show tab in the top ribbon OR the Recording Tab. Select the down arrow on the “ Record Slide Show ” button > from the menu choose “ Clear ” > Select the appropriate timings and/or narration option.

Save and Distribute the Presentation with Audio as a Movie / Video file.

Now that you are finished recording your PowerPoint presentation, your voice audio will be attached to the same file and it’s time to distribute it by exporting your PowerPoint (PPT file) into a video (.mp4 or .wmv) .

To Export your Presentation as a video: In PowerPoint navigate to File Menu > Export > Select your preferred options. (E.g.) File Format: MP4 . Quality Width 1,920 Height 1,080

Recording Audio Tips and Tricks

Macos 2019 – powerpoint audio recording tip.

To give PowerPoint access to record your screen in macOS you need to set up the right security and privacy permissions:

• Open System Preferences
• Select Security & Privacy
• Select Privacy tab.
• In the left panel scroll to Screen Recording > click “ +” icon .
• In the “Applications” window select PowerPoint

Microsoft 365, 2016, 2019 for Windows PC – Recording tab in PowerPoint

Microsoft 365 subscribers with the Click-to-Run version of Microsoft 365 for Windows PC can use the Recording tab .

The Recording tab shows the recorded video , screenshots, and screen recording options in a single menu for easy access. To turn on the Recording tab of the ribbon in PowerPoint 365 Windows PC

• Select the  File  menu > click  Options .
• In the PowerPoint Options  dialog box > click   Customize Ribbon
• In the right-panel > select the  Recording  check box.
• Click  OK .

If you click the button on the bottom of the “Record Slide Show” button, you can start from the beginning of the slideshow or from where you are.

Knowing the basics of recording audio in PowerPoint is a powerful tool for anyone who wants to make a downloadable slideshow, create an internet streamed webinar, upload a video for YouTube, Vimeo, or any other digital platform such as your website or other digital platforms.

You may also like: How to Turn a PowerPoint Into a Video

Related Posts

How to add music to powerpoint slideshow and find free music, [solved] how to upload powerpoint to google drive, 10s method: how to add bullet points in powerpoint.

Win $1000

Free Video Course

Mini AI Tools

Tella Screen Recorder

Try Tella for free

October 16, 2023

How to Record a PowerPoint Presentation (with Audio)

Elevate your PowerPoint presentations with this comprehensive guide on creating captivating, self-paced narrations, enhanced with transformative tools and the power of software like Tella.

Table of contents

Record with powerpoint's built-in features, record with obs, record with tella.

Other solutions

Things to do before you start recording

Tips for creating engaging powerpoint recordings.

Engaging virtual presentations are essential in today's world. This guide will walk you through recording a PowerPoint presentation with voiceover. Doing this makes your presentation more professional and polished for your audience. Let's begin.

Step 1: Open your PowerPoint presentation

First, open the presentation you'd like to record with voice-over. This guide will be for he 365 version of PowerPoint, but bear in mind you can still do this in PowerPoint versions all the way back to 2013. The settings are pretty much the same, just maybe in a slightly different place.

This doesn't work, however, on the Web version of PowerPoint.

Whatever version you're using, ensure all your slides and content are ready for narration. This will save time and provide a smoother recording experience. Far better than simply making it up as you go along.

Step 2: Prepare for recording

Navigate to the slide where you want to start your recording. If you're planning to record the entire presentation, start with the first slide.

Step 3: Start the recording

In the PowerPoint menu, select the Slide Show tab. From here, click on Record Slide Show. This will open the recording window with two options to choose from:

Record from Current Slide : This option allows you to start recording from your selected slide.

Record from Beginning : This option enables you to record the entire presentation starting from the first slide.

Click on your preferred option to proceed with the recording.

Step 4: Recording the narration and timings

When you're ready to start recording, click on the red Record button (round circle with a dot in the center). A three-second countdown will begin, and once it reaches zero, start speaking to record your voiceover.

Remember that the transition between slides isn't recorded, so pause your narration during slide transitions and resume speaking once the next slide appears.

Step 5: Manage your recording

During the recording, you have several tools at your disposal:

Pause: Use this button to pause your recording if needed.

Stop: Click this button to end your recording.

Replay: This allows you to review your recording.

Pen, Highlighter, or Eraser: Use these tools to mark up your slides during the recording, if desired.

Step 6: Edit or remove narration and timings

If you're not satisfied with your narration or timings, you can remove or edit them:

If you're still in recording mode, click on Clear.

Choose one of the following options:

Clear Recording on Current Slide: To delete the narration and timings on the current slide.

Clear Recording on All Slides: To delete the narration and timings from all slides at once.

Consider re-recording the sections that need improvement.

Step 7: Save and share your presentation

Once you're satisfied with your recording, save and share your presentation as either a PowerPoint file or a video:

Click on File and select an option like Save or Export.

Follow the on-screen instructions to save or export your presentation.

Now your voice-over presentation is ready for your audience. They'll be able to view and listen to your narration as they go through the slides.

We hope this step-by-step guide helps you create a polished PowerPoint presentation with a voice-over. Good luck, and happy presenting!

For added flexibility and features, you may want to swing by other recording software.

For instance, OBS Studio offers a good deal of control, allowing you to tweak all sorts of audio and visual settings. However, it may be a little complicated if you're new to the game. Here are the steps to do this.

Step 1: Install OBS Studio

If you haven't already, first download and install OBS Studio from the official website . The software is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Step 2: Open OBS Studio

Open OBS Studio. You'll see a black screen; this is your canvas where you'll be recording your content.

Step 3: Setting Up Your Scene

Click the '+' button under 'Scenes', name your new scene. This allows you to create different recording settings for different types of needs.

Step 4: Setting Up Sources

Underneath 'Sources', click the '+' button. This allows you to add different sources to your scene. You'll want to add two sources:

Display Capture: This captures your entire screen. Name the source, click OK, then OK again.

Audio Input Capture: This captures your microphone. Again, name the source, select your microphone from the dropdown, and hit OK.

Step 5: Positioning Your Sources

You may see the 'Display Capture' source covering up everything. Click on 'Display Capture' source and drag it down the list until it's under your 'Audio Input Capture'. This ensures your voice is picked up over your presentation.

Step 6: Open PowerPoint Presentation

Open your PowerPoint presentation but don't start the slide show yet.

Step 7: Adjust OBS Studio Settings

Go back to OBS. Make sure your Display source is selected, then hover over the canvas. A red border will appear around your display source. You can resize and reposition this to only capture the portion of your screen that your PowerPoint presentation will take up.

Step 8: Start Your Presentation

In PowerPoint, start your slide show. OBS should now be capturing your presentation. Any slides you progress through in PowerPoint will be captured by OBS.

Step 9: Start Recording

When you're ready to start your presentation, go back to OBS Studio and click on the 'Start Recording' button located in the lower right. Once you hit this button, everything captured in OBS is recorded until you hit 'Stop Recording.'

Step 10: Save Your Recording

Once you've finished your presentation, click 'Stop Recording'. Your video is automatically saved in a specific location. To find where your recordings are saved, go to the 'File' > 'Show Recordings' in OBS.

And that's it! Now you know how to use OBS Studio to record a PowerPoint Presentation and voiceover using a microphone.

If you're looking for something simpler, ScreenPal (formerly Screencast-O-Matic) is a great choice. It's ideal for getting the job done without any distractions. However, you get less control over your content and the final product. OBS has a few other contenders, including Streamlabs . Check it out if OBS doesn't do it for you.

Comparatively, this software fares well with a broader set of controls than PowerPoint. However, they might demand a steeper learning curve, so brace yourself for a bit of a climb.

Now you're all prepped and cozy with your goals, spruced-up presentation, and audio equipment, it's time to step into the recording booth.

And folks, today, we'll spotlight this cool little tool called Tella. It's like your Swiss army knife for screen recording, fully equipped to integrate smoothly with PowerPoint, too.

Talk about a dream team!

Step #1 - Getting started with Tella

Alright, first things first. We've got to get Tella onto your computer.

There are several ways you can do this, including;

Running the Web App

Running the Chrome extension

Running the Mac App

Simply download or log into the one you want to use. It's as easy as pie.

Once you've installed Tella through the app, run it, and you'll see a slick little control bar that'll be your best friend throughout this process. If you're working through the web app, just click "New Video" to get started in your browser. Don't worry, you can still screen record through the web app.

Have your presentation ready already?

You can actually upload the presentation to Tella and run the PowerPoint through the app. Just click the "New Video" option, More, and then import your slides. All major presentation formats are compatible!

Now, we've got a couple of settings to tweak.

Click on the mic icon to configure your audio input settings. Make sure it's capturing the right microphone (yes, the one we picked out earlier). Next up, choose your recording area.

You'll want to adjust the recording frame to fit your PowerPoint presentation just right—think of it like framing the perfect picture!

Step #2 - Roll cameras, action!

Start recording your PowerPoint by hitting the red button. As you present, Tella will record your voice and slides.

You can pause, restart, or stop anytime using the controls. If you go off-topic, pause and restart.

When moving between slides, adjust your voice volume to match the mood. Keep a smooth rhythm, and your audience will follow along.

Step #3 - Wrapping it up

Breathe out; you made it!

But before we call it a day, let's give our recording a quick polish. Click on 'stop' when you're done, and Tella will save your recording.

Now, fire up Tella's editing tools and trim any unnecessary bits—like when you knocked over your coffee mid-slide (we've all been there!). You can also add captions, effects, and basically anything you need to bring your presentation to life.

Aaand cut! With your shiny new feed of your PowerPoint presentation, you're all set to captivate your audience, one slide at a time. Isn't Tella just swell?

Other solutions to record a PowerPoint

There's a whole parade of cloud-based tools like CloudApp ( now Zight ) or Loom that lets you record right from your browser! They store your recordings in the cloud, allowing you to access or share your work from anywhere.

If you're using Zight, a basic step-by-step guide would look like this:

Open Zight: Start up the Zight application on your device. Zight is available for Mac, Windows, and Chrome.

Prepare Your Presentation: Open your PowerPoint presentation that you wish to record. Make sure it's in view on your screen.

Capture & Record: In Zight, choose the ' Screen Recorder ' feature to capture and record your screen. Make sure your entire PowerPoint window is in the capture area.

Voice-Over: As Zight records the screen, start your PowerPoint presentation and provide your voice-over. Ensure your device's microphone is on and working. Zight will record the PowerPoint and your voice simultaneously.

Edit & Annotate (Optional): If needed, make use of Zight's editing capabilities. You can trim segments of your recording, add text or highlight areas for emphasis.

Save & Share: Once you're satisfied with the recording, save the file. You can also share your recorded presentation directly from Zight through a generated link.

While easy, remember, even clouds have their gray days. With these tools, you rely on internet speeds to keep things running smoothly. Plus, you might stumble upon some limitations in editing features compared to our pals like Tella.

Before recording, you need to plan and set up. Envision your end product so you can make the right choices. This lays the groundwork for great content. This plan includes;

Setting your goals

Know the purpose of your presentation. This gives it clear direction, like finding your true north.

The purpose could be educating, convincing, or rapport building. Align it with your company or personal goals.

Once you know the purpose, you're halfway there.

Creating content to fit your audience

Tailor your content to your audience. Understand their backgrounds, needs, and preferences.

Align your content accordingly. Use familiar examples and anecdotes to create a personal, engaging experience.

Let your audience know you speak their language.

Polishing your presentation

Use good design - neat layouts, color schemes, legible fonts. Make it visually appealing.

Add informative visuals like diagrams, charts, and images to convey information effectively.

Sprinkle in interactivity - polls, links, videos. This engages your audience.

Review every slide carefully to fix any errors. Consistency is key.

Polish your presentation to make it the best it can be. This will engage your audience and get your message across clearly.

Prepare your audio equipment

Pick a good microphone for clear audio . A USB mic is simple. A condenser mic offers high quality. A lapel mic leaves your hands free.

Tune your audio settings for the best sound quality. Monitor your audio live to avoid background noise.

With your microphone and settings ready, you're set to start recording high-quality audio.

Creating an engaging PowerPoint presentation takes skill. Follow these tips to boost engagement:

Speak clearly and expressively. Your voice guides the audience, so use a friendly, steady tone.

Use visuals. Graphics, charts, and animations complement narration. Strike a balance between visuals and audio.

Provide resources. Include downloads, links, or CTAs to encourage interaction after the presentation.

Edit thoroughly. Refine audio levels and flow. Even basic video editing goes a long way in delivering a seamless presentation.

With these techniques, you can create compelling presentations that captivate your audience.

Wrapping up

We've covered every tool to record PowerPoint presentations with audio. Tella stands out for its easy interface, audio settings, and editing tools. It works seamlessly with PowerPoint, too. But the tool is only part of the equation.

You must also speak clearly, use visuals, provide resources, and edit your recording.

Whether making webinars, tutorials, or virtual classes, you've got this.

Are you ready to record your next award-winning PowerPoint?

Try Tella for your recording needs. Let your ideas take flight. Use Tella to captivate your audience, one slide at a time. Create presentations that engage, excite, and inspire.

Happy recording! Go make memorable presentations that resonate with audiences.

Jul 24, 2023

The Ultimate Chrome Screen Recorder Extension (with Audio)

May 19, 2022

How to Record Your Screen on a Mac

Aug 18, 2022

How To Record Your Screen And Webcam Simultaneously

Tella — Screen recording for creators

Learn more ->

Learn more about Tella ->

Create Your Course

How to do a voiceover on google slides or powerpoint, share this article.

Voice-over presentations offer a better learning experience because they are a more engaging way to learn. 

Some students learn better through visual cues, while others learn by listening. However, adding voice-over narration to your presentations enables students to benefit from the best of both worlds. It allows adding important information and context to explain what’s on the slides – as if your students were attending a live lecture!

Now, you may assume adding voice-over to your presentations is complicated. However, it isn’t as tricky as you probably think! Once you have your slides ready, there are just a few extra steps you’ll need to take to add narration. 

In this blog, we share four ways to do a voiceover presentation – voice-over Google Slides, PowerPoint, screen recording, and the Presentation lesson feature on Thinkific.

Before we get into the options, let’s quickly cover the only ground rule regarding recording voice-overs: Don’t sacrifice sound quality. Viewers are willing to put up with rough visuals but don’t forgive poor sound. Most computers have built-in microphones that sort of get the job done, but we recommend headphones or a USB Microphone to improve the quality of your voiceover.

Related: How To Set Up A DIY Home Video Recording Studio For Cheap

Now, let’s get into your voice-over options. Toward the end of the article, you will also find five tips for adding a good voice-over. If you’d like to sit back and learn, check out this video we created on how to easily add voiceover to your slides:

4 ways to do voice-over presentations

There are two main routes you can take to record a voiceover for your presentations :

You may want to use PowerPoint or Google Slides to add voiceover to each slide that plays as students make their way through the presentation. PowerPoint has recording functionality built-in, but with Google Slides, some extra steps are involved with recording your audio, then uploading it to Google Drive before you can embed it on each slide.

Alternatively, you may want to ditch the slides and create a screen recording of the presentation. To do this, you can use any screen recording software as you talk through the slides and turn your presentation into a video lesson. And if you’re a Thinkific user, you can create voiceover slides with the Presentation lesson feature.

Use this list to skip to your preferred voice-over narration method:

• How to do a voice-over on Google Slides
• How to do a voice-over on PowerPoint (Microsoft Office)
• How to do a voice-over screen recording
• How to do voice-over slides with Thinkific

Option 1: How to do a voice-over on Google Slides

Google Slides doesn’t have built-in functionality to record your slides, but you can still accomplish the same with it with an extra step. You can add voiceover to Google Slides by uploading an audio file saved in Google Drive to each slide.

For this option, all you need is Google Slides and a computer with a microphone. 

Let’s go through the steps-

Step 1: Create your audio files for each slide and upload them to Google Drive.

Tip: Organize your files with a naming convention. You’ll need to locate these files in the next step. To keep them organized , following a naming convention for your audio files, including Course, Lesson, and Slide numbers, helps.

Step 2: Insert audio to your slide, and configure play settings

Next, you can insert audio from your drive into each slide individually.

The files you uploaded should be in the Recent tab, but you can also search for the file manually.

Step 3: Configure your audio settings 

Google Slides gives you the option to specify how the voiceover should act. To open the Format options menu, you can click on the speaker icon, then go to Format options under the Format menu.

Voice-over formatting options for Google Slides:

• Autoplay- You can choose if you want the audio to play automatically or manually when a student clicks the slide.
• Loop- You can define if you want the recording to stop or repeat once it gets to the end.

• Button size and colour – You can resize the button by dragging the corner and changing the colour using the “Recolor” option.

An online course or membership site can be a wildly successful way to monetize content.

Need help figuring out where to start? Get free training and start building for free !

Option 2: how to do a voice-over on PowerPoint

Microsoft Powerpoint has a feature that many average users don’t know about, which allows you to add voice-over narration to your PowerPoint. For this option, all you’ll need is Microsoft PowerPoint and a computer with a microphone.

On Windows computers:

Step 1 – in the top menu, go to slideshow >> record slideshow..

You have the option to record from the beginning of the presentation or from the current slide you’re on.

Step 2- Start recording

Once you select which recording you’d like to go ahead with, you’ll be in full-screen mode with options to record, stop, and replay. Once you click record, there will be a countdown timer from 3.

Anything you type in the notes section of the PowerPoint can be viewed by clicking on the notes button at the top.

The recording will stop automatically once you make it to the final slide. You can also pause, stop, or replay a recording at any time by pressing the pause button in the top left of your screen.

You can also record a video of yourself in the corner by selecting the video option in the bottom right corner.

Step 3 – Testing your narration

Once you’re finished, a speaker icon will appear at the bottom right corner of all the slides with recorded narration.

Just hover over the speaker icon to play, skip to time, or adjust the volume to play the narration.

On Mac Computers

Step 1 – click on slide show..

In the top menu, click Slide Show and choose the slide you want to start working on. Unlike on Windows, you will have to select the slide you want to work on manually. If it is the first slide you wish to choose, do so. 

Step 2 – Click on Record Slide Show

Step 3 – Choose the input method

On the top of the screen, you can turn off the camera, if you wish to, or turn it on. 

The next button helps you choose the voice input, whether your Mac’s in-built mic or an external device. 

Step 4 – Add a voice-over to slides

As with the Windows version, add voice-over to the slides one by one, and add notes if you wish. 

Step 5 – Complete recording

Once done, click on the large red button to start recording. Once your voice-over is complete, click the same button to stop recording. Again, add notes if you wish to. Then, move to the next slide. 

Step 6 – Click on tips for more controls

Click on Tips for several functions and shortcuts you can use on your Macbook to control your voice-over recordings. The Mac version of the PowerPoint tool is much easier to use. 

Step 7 – Verify your voice-over for accuracy

After your voice-over is complete, return to your presentation, and make sure that your voice-over is accurate by clicking on the white “Play” icon at the bottom of each slide.

Option 3: how to do a voice-over with screen recording

The last option involves recording your screen and audio as you discuss the presentation.

Check out our guide: How To Record Your Screen On Any Device .

We’ll show you free options and two paid options with advanced editing features:

Hit the record button on the video conferencing software

The easiest and cheapest option for screen recording without additional software is to join a Google Meet or a Zoom call by yourself, share your screen, and press the recording button.

This may be easy for a simple presentation but may prove frustrating for a longer presentation –  the inability to edit means you’ve got one shot to make it through your presentation without any mistakes.

Use your computer’s built-in screen recorder

On Windows 10 , just click Windows + G at the same time to open the Game Bar, and press “Start Recording”.

If you’re on a Mac , you can make a video recording of the entire screen or just a portion of it. Shift-Command(⌘)-5 will display on-screen controls for recording the entire screen.

Two paid screen recording options

If you want the ability to edit and customize your video and access more editing options, you’ll need to invest in some software like Screenflow or Camtasia .

Here are our two favorite options , depending on whether you’re on a Mac or Windows System:

Screenflow is a software program for video editing and screencasting for Apple users and is one of the best options for screen capture. This software functions well as a video editor for novice editors, but it lacks the deep customization and functions of a more advanced editor like Adobe Premiere Pro.

Download free trial of Screenflow

Camtasia is an all-in-one screen recorder and video editor that works on both Windows and Mac. It is one of the most widely used systems for screen recording and video editing. It is popular for its user-friendly interface and simple video editing.

Try Camtasia for free

Option 4: how to do voice-over presentations with Thinkific

If you have created a presentation on an external platform like Keynote , PowerPoint or Google Slides, you can use a Presentation lesson to display it within your Thinkific course! 

This function enables you to record audio while speaking to specific slides. You also have the option to upload a recording for each slide. 

This is a great way to create a customized experience for your students right within Thinkific .

To create a Presentation lesson, you will need to upload a PDF file. Each page in your PDF will be converted to images that will be displayed as slides within your Presentation lesson for students to navigate through.

If you have created a presentation in an external platform like PowerPoint you can simply export it from that platform as a PDF to later upload to Thinkific!

Here are the steps to create a Presentation lesson with voice-over on Thinkific .

With that, let’s explore what it takes to ensure a good voiceover.

Follow these five tips for adding a good voiceover

• Invest in a good microphone – Most cell phones and computers come with built-in microphones. These may not provide the professional-grade audio quality necessary to create compelling online lessons. Therefore, you must invest in a professional microphone that eliminates noise and disturbances. As we mentioned earlier, the most important rule is to ensure that your audio quality is high.
• Use a teleprompter – Although you may speak out your presentation and elaborate on the impromptu bullet points, you could make mistakes. These mistakes may make you seem like a novice.  A teleprompter can help you read out your sentences in front of the webcam or the mic without making any errors. The result is – top-notch quality presentations with voiceovers.
• Clear your throat – Most people do not realize the importance of a good quality voice. In fact, voice-over artists are hired simply because of their excellent voices! While you do not need to hire professional voice-over artists, you can ensure that you sound your best by gargling your throat and clearing it before you begin to record. In other words, avoid recording your voiceover if you have a sore throat or when your voice sounds hoarse. Keep a jug of water ready next to you to keep sounding fresh.
• Sound confident – Confidence doesn’t come with good quality microphones and teleprompters alone. Practice talking in front of a mirror, which will help ensure that you sound and look great. In fact, dressing professionally just before you record your voice-over may also have psychological benefits – you could feel more professional and thus sound more professional and confident.
• Edit audio if necessary – Despite all the care taken, you may make mistakes during voice-over recording. Listen to your slides repeatedly and make changes until you are completely satisfied with how you sound. Although there are audio editing tools out there, they may not be necessary for simple presentations such as the ones required for online lessons.

Whichever method you choose, turning a regular presentation into an engaging voice-over is sure to improve the quality of your presentation.

But here’s a thought: Why not monetize your presentations with an online course?

Sign up with us for free and try it out (we dare you) . 

Not ready to take the leap, but still interested in improving the quality of your production? Check out one of these related guides:

• How to Create Video For Your Online Coaching Course
• How to Improve the Video Production Quality for Your Online Course
• Best Equipment & Software For Creating Online Courses
• 4 Elements of Effective Video Content for Online Courses

This guide on voiceovers was published in August 2020 and was updated in October 2022.

Colin is a Content Marketer at Thinkific, writing about everything from online entrepreneurship & course creation to digital marketing strategy.

• How To Craft Magnetic & Compelling Learning Outcomes
• Essential Questions To Ask In Your Training Evaluation Survey
• Best Equipment & Software For Creating Online Courses
• How to Create a Compelling Sales Page for Your Online Course
• What Is Universal Design For Learning? (Examples & Best Practices)

Related Articles

How to find your niche in 4 simple steps (expert tips).

A step-by-step guide to find your niche. Learn everything from brainstorming profitable niche options to honing in on the best niche for you.

14 Icebreaker Games to Start Your Virtual Meetings off Right

Online meetings don’t have to be awkward. These 14 ideas for icebreaker games will help you keep your team engaged and entertained.

8 Steps to Create Your First Online Course

Struggling to create your first online course? Follow this proven 8-step process for creating an online course and launching it successfully.

Try Thinkific for yourself!

Accomplish your course creation and student success goals faster with thinkific..

Download this guide and start building your online program!

It is on its way to your inbox

• Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning

Using VoiceThread to Record Narration Over Slides

This guide summarizes a solution for instructors who need a tool to allow them to record narration over a PowerPoint presentation. This approach is ideal if you were planning to present slides in your face-to-face course. 

To use VoiceThread, you need access to Blackboard, and a microphone of some kind (e.g. integrated into your computer or a headset) or a telephone. If you want to capture webcam video as part of your recording, you will of course need a webcam.

Here are the steps to create a recording with VoiceThread

These instructions are slightly different for Blackboard Original courses and Blackboard Ultra courses.

Blackboard Original Courses

• Login to Blackboard and access a specific course
• Click on a content area in your course menu, such as Content
• From the Build Menu , choose Build Content , then VoiceThread
• Provide a Title and Description (as needed) and click Submit
• You should now see the VoiceThread link
• Click the link you just created
• Choose Individual VT  from the configuration menu
• Click the grey Create new VoiceThread  on the top left of the screen
• From your computer, drag your PowerPoint presentation to the Add Media  area (or click the plus sign, then My Computer to browse for your presentation)
• Enter a Title and Description for your VoiceThread video
• Wait while the presentation processes, this could take between 1 and 5 minutes depending on the size of the presentation
• Once the presentation is processed you will see that each slide is displayed separately.  Click the Comment  button at the top of the window to open the presentation.
• For any slide that you want to add audio, click the comment bubble at the center of the timeline and choose the microphone icon to begin recording (or use the telephone icon to record via your telephone if you do not have a microphone)  
• When you finish your audio for that slide, you can either click the next slide arrow and keep recording or click the Stop Recording  link 
• Once you are finished recording audio, click Stop Recording , then Save
• Click the grey X at the top right to return to the share window 
• Click the blue Share with class  button then the next Share with class  button.

The video will begin processing, and captions will be added automatically when they are ready.

You can click the Return to Course link and close the tab to return to your course Depending on the length of the video, you can return to the course and click the link to preview the video. This is the same view students will experience.

Blackboard Ultra Courses

• Click the plus icon to add content and choose  Content Market
• Click the plus icon in the lower right corner of the VoiceThread tile

You can click the Return to Course link and close the tab to return to your course

Depending on the length of the video, you can return to the course and click the link to preview the video. This is the same view students will experience.

Phone: 815-753-0595 Email: [email protected]

Contribute to the Microsoft 365 and Office forum! Click  here  to learn more  💡

April 9, 2024

Contribute to the Microsoft 365 and Office forum!

Click  here  to learn more  💡

PowerPoint Top Forum Contributors: Steve Rindsberg  -  John Korchok   👍✅

April 17, 2024

PowerPoint Top Forum Contributors:

Steve Rindsberg  -  John Korchok   👍✅

• Search the community and support articles
• Microsoft 365 and Office
• Search Community member

Ask a new question

It’s not allowing me to record a voiceover my PowerPoint presentation

It’s not allowing me to record a voiceover my PowerPoint presentation

• Subscribe to RSS feed

Report abuse

Replies (2) .

• Microsoft Agent |

Dear Gabriella,

We are glad to help you and we may need more information for troubleshooting.

Regarding "It’s not allowing me to record a voiceover my PowerPoint presentation", do you mean that the recorded video has no voice? Could you provide the reproducing steps of the issue and some related screenshots if some error pops up when you record a video?

Note: Remove any private information before uploading the screenshots.

If yes, does the issue occur suddenly? If yes, what did you do before the issue occurred?

If it is convenient, please provide the version number of the PowerPoint for Mac application and the Mac operating system you are using for our reference.

Welcome to share your updates at your convenience.

Thank you for your effort and time.

Cliff | Microsoft Community Moderator

Was this reply helpful? Yes No

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

Thanks for your feedback.

• Volunteer Moderator

As Cliff pointed out, you didn't give us much to go on. Can you record anything at all in any application? Did you check the sound settings in Mac OS System Preferences?

Question Info

• For business
• Norsk Bokmål
• Ελληνικά
• Русский
• עברית
• العربية
• ไทย
• 한국어
• 中文(简体)
• 中文(繁體)
• 日本語

How to Record a Presentation on Google Slides

Do you want an easy way to record a Google Slides Presentation as a video to share later with your teammates? Once you have the Zight screen recorder, the process is easy and fast.

Article Last Updated: April 23, 2024

What Is a Google Slides Presentation?

What do you need to record google slides presentations, how to record a presentation on google slides with zight: step-by-step guide, faqs on how to record a presentation on google slides.

Here’s an interesting statistic: 91% of people believe a well-designed slide deck can increase your confidence as a presenter. The first step to creating a good presentation is to choose the best software, and then record the presentation in HD.

Tell you what? You can create slides with Google Slides, then use the Zight screen recording software to present and narrate your slides to your audience. This has many benefits, including saving your presentation for future collaboration or asynchronous communication , which, in many ways, has more benefits than synchronous communication in a digital and remote workspace.

Read on as we tell you how to create this presentation from scratch, in just a few steps!

Google Slides is a free web-based presentation software provided by Google as part of the Google Drive suite. You can use it on any device with an internet connection, offering various features like an easy-to-use presenter view, speaker notes, live captions, and the ability to present to Google Meet video calls. Plus, your slides can contain text, images, videos, animations, and more to create dynamic content.

While you can present live in a meeting, today’s work landscape teams need to improve communication and productivity with asynchronous video communication . So, when you can’t gather everyone in a Google meeting, you need a way to create and share a presentation with your teams. Your options include recording a Google Slides presentation with narration, just like you create a PowerPoint presentation with Zight .

Here’s what you need:

To record a presentation on Google Slides, you will need a few things:

• A device with an internet connection: It’s best to have a computer to make it easy to create and present Google Slides
• A screen recording software like Zight: While Google Slides allows you to present live in a meeting, it won’t record audio or video files to send later. That’s where Zight comes in, allowing you to record and narrate your slides as you present so you can share with attendees at a later time
• An external microphone (optional) to record audio for your presentation. However, you can still use your native microphone on your computer
• A webcam (optional): If you want to show yourself presenting alongside the slides, a webcam will be necessary for recording. To make things easy, you can just use the Zight webcam recorder which will use your native webcam app
• A Google account: You can only access Google Slides with a Google account, so make sure to sign in to be able to create slides
• Google Slides: Before using the screen recording tool , you want to create and add content to the Google slides you will be narrating. More on this below!

Before you start recording, search for Google Slides on your browser, log in to your account and open an untitled presentation.

Alternatively, click File on a current Google Slides presentation page, then New, and Presentation (or from the template gallery to pick a presentation template).

Add content to your slides, using the (+) sign on the upper left-hand side of your Google Slides presentation page (or Ctrl+M) to add new slides. You can also click the dropdown menu next to the (+) sign and choose slides with your ideal layout. Add content to the slides by typing in text, inserting images, videos, shapes, or charts, and customize them with a unique theme and background color.

Once your Google slides are ready, here’s how to start recording:

1. Download Zight

If you don’t have Zight, click the red button below to download.

• Record your screen with audio and webcam
• Annotate with arrows, lines, and blur
• Instantly share with a link or upload to YouTube or Vimeo

Alternatively, search for “Zight” on your web browser and create an account. Then, download the app that’s compatible with your computer. Zight is available for Mac , Windows , and even as a Google Chrome extension .

2. Choose your Screen Recording Preferences

Open your presentation on Google Slides and ensure you can easily navigate to the slides once you’re ready to record.

On the Zight App

Launch the Zight app and click Record.

You’ll find recording options like Full Screen and Select Region, plus the Screen Only or Screen & Cam options. Screen Only is good when you don’t want to use your webcam, while the latter allows you to incorporate your webcam for a personal touch.

Then, select your audio/mic and webcam options, move your webcam overlay to a good space on your screen, and click Start Recording. Wait for the 3-second timer to count down before you go to the Google Slides presentation.

On the Google Chrome Extension

Click on the Zight icon on the upper left of your Google Chrome browser, click Record, and select either Screen Only or Screen & Cam. Then, turn on your microphone and webcam camera.

Next, click Start Recording and choose Entire Screen. After that, select the screen you want to record, and click Share. Click your mouse on any part of the screen to start recording and wait out the 3-second countdown.

The Zight screen recorder software will now be recording your entire screen.

3. Start Narrating Your Google Slides Presentation

On the Google Slides presentation page, click on the dropdown menu next to Slideshow.

Click Presenter View if you are viewing the first Google slide. Alternatively, click Start from the beginning if you are not on the first slide. This will turn your presentation into a full-screen view and you will see that Zight is sharing your screen.

Then, start narrating your Google slides in high video and audio quality.

You can pause and resume your screen recording and restart it to capture moments you may have missed in the beginning. You can also cancel the recording and delete the file to avoid uploading it to the cloud.

4. Annotate Your Presentation

One of the best things about presenting your Google Slides with Zight is that you can annotate the video just as easily as you narrate it.

If you are recording from the Zight app, you can pause the recording and then click the annotations button on the recording menu (the icon looks like a pen).

Once you do, you will see the different annotations you can add to the slides, including a pen, highlighter, arrow, line, ellipse, and rectangle. You can choose a different color for your annotations, even how long the annotation lasts on the final recorded video.

After annotating, resume the recording, rinse and repeat!

5. Finish Recording and Edit Your Video

Once you narrate all your Google slides, click the Finish recording button and wait for the file to upload to the cloud. Zight will also open the file on your default browser where you can edit the video file further.

When the video link opens, click the Edit button, and continue to split and merge sections, trim, crop, filter, and finetune different sections until the presentation is faultless. Click Done to save those settings.

On top of the recording, annotating, and editing of your Google Slides presentation, Zight will also transcribe your video and send the text to your email so you can go through the notes in case you missed something.

You can also add custom branding, and use AI features to generate a video summary and video titles. If you want to share the presentation with global teams, you will also love that you can translate the video file into 50 different languages for seamless communication.

6. Share the Presentation for Asynchronous Communication

To share the presentation, you can send the shareable link to your teams via Slack , Asana , Trello , and other chat boards and productivity software you use at work.

Alternatively, you can embed the video file in an email, or even download it on your computer then upload it on a platform like YouTube to reach a global audience.

7. Collaborate and Track Analytics

The best part about recording your presentation in superior video footage with Zight is how you can save it for collaboration later.

Firstly, you can save the video to a Collection on your Zight dashboard or add it to a Favorites list. This way, the video will be readily available and you can track how many people interact with it, either through comments or reactions to finetune your collaboration and communication strategy.

In addition, this video presentation will always be available on your Zight cloud account, and, as long as you keep it, even your colleagues or recipients can always retrieve it for future reference.

There you have it, an easy way to record your Google Slides presentation using Zight! With this method, you can easily create and share professional-looking recordings of your presentations to a global audience.

If you want to feel more confident before your audience with a well-designed and narrated deck, ensure you have a reliable internet connection before starting the recording. In addition, close any unnecessary tabs or programs on your computer to avoid interruptions. Finally, while Zight may use the native mic on your computer, you can prefer to use a high-quality microphone for better audio clarity.

Most importantly, don’t forget to rehearse and practice your presentation beforehand to ensure a smooth delivery and minimize any mistakes during the recording. With these tips in mind, you can confidently create engaging presentations that will impress your audience.

So why wait? Get Zight today and take your presentations to the next level!

I) Can I Record My Screen in Google Slides?

No. Google Slides does not have a built-in screen recording feature. However, you can use third-party apps like Zight to record your presentation.

II) How do you turn a Google slide into a video?

Since Google Slides does not record the screen and audio (apart from when you’re presenting in a Google meeting), you will need a third-party app to record your screen and turn your slides into a video. Follow the steps mentioned above to record and then export your presentation as a video.

When you record your Google Slides presentation with Zight, you’ll also be able to explain the contents of your slides in high-quality audio for an even better personal touch to what would be a boring presentation without narration.

III) How Do You Create a Presentation on Google Slides?

To create Google slides, follow these steps:

• Go to Google Drive and sign in.
• Click on the “New” button, then select “Google Slides.”
• Choose a template or start with a blank slide.
• Add your content by typing in text, and inserting images, videos, shapes, or charts.
• Customize your slides by changing the theme, background-color

Create & share screenshots, screen recordings, and GIFs with Zight

Get Zight for iOS.

• Add animation Video
• Add transitions between slides Video
• Add, format, and record video Video
• Add and record audio Video

Add and record audio

Add and record audio, such as music, narration, or sound bites, to your PowerPoint presentation and select the playback options.

Add audio from your PC

Select Insert > Media >  Audio .

Select Audio on My PC .

In the Insert Audio dialog box, select the audio file you want to add.

Select Insert .

Record audio

Select Insert > Media > Audio .

Select Record Audio .

Type in a name for your audio file, select Record , and then speak.

Important:  Your device must have a microphone enabled in order to record audio.

To review your recording, select Stop and then select Play .

Select Record to re-record your clip, or select OK if you’re satisfied.

To move your clip, select and drag the audio icon to where you want it on the slide.

Note:  If you’re using more than one audio file per slide, it’s advisable to put the audio icon in the same spot on a slide to find it easily.

Select Play .

Change playback options

Select the audio icon and then select the Playback tab. Then select which options you'd like to use:

To trim the audio, select Trim and then use the red and green sliders to trim the audio file accordingly.

To fade in or fade out audio, change the number in the Fade Duration boxes.

To adjust volume, select Volume and select the setting you prefer.

To choose how the audio file starts, select the dropdown arrow and select an option:

In Click Sequence – Plays the audio file automatically with a click.

Automatically – Plays automatically once you advance to the slide that the audio file is on.

When Clicked On – Plays audio only when the icon is clicked on.

To choose how the audio plays in your presentation, select an option:

Play Across Slides – Plays one audio file across all slides.

Loop until Stopped – Plays an audio file on loop until it’s stopped manually by clicking the Play/Pause button.

To have the audio play continuously across all slides in the background, select Play in Background .

Delete audio

To delete audio, select the audio icon on the slide and press Delete.

Add audio to your PowerPoint presentation

Play music for the duration of your slide show

Need more help?

Want more options.

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

Microsoft 365 training

Microsoft security

Accessibility center

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

Ask the Microsoft Community

Microsoft Tech Community

Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

Was this information helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.