how do i record a presentation in powerpoint

• Start the presentation and see your notes in Presenter view Article
• Add speaker notes to your slides Article
• Rehearse and time the delivery of a presentation Article
• Record a slide show with narration and slide timings Article
• Print your PowerPoint slides, handouts, or notes Article
• Create a self-running presentation Article

Record a slide show with narration and slide timings

You can record your PowerPoint presentation—or a single slide—and capture voice, ink gestures, and your video presence. When completed, it’s like any other presentation. You can play it for your audience in a Slide Show or you can save the presentation as a video file. So, instead of just “handing the deck” to someone, people can see your presentation with the passion and personality intact. 

A new feature for Microsoft 365 was rolled out in early 2022. Exactly when your business has this feature is also based on when your admin distributes new features in Microsoft 365.

This article contains procedures for both the new experience and the classic experience:

New experience

Classic experience

All recording tools are in the  Record  tab in the ribbon, but you can start by selecting the  Record  button. 

You can also record by selecting one of the options in the Record section of the Record tab.

If you have notes in your presentation, they’re turned into text at the top of the screen so you can use them like a teleprompter as you record.  

Tip:  Use the auto-scroll feature in teleprompter and set it to scroll at your preferred speed.

There are several options you can use when you record a presentation. You can turn your camera and microphone on or off by selecting the icons at the top. There are several options you can use when you record a presentation. You can turn your camera and microphone on or off by selecting the icons at the top. To change your camera or microphone, choose the  Select more options  <···> icon. You can even add a customizable camera that can be resized, repositioned, and formatted to go with your slide content. Select Edit , then select Cameo . Adjust the formatting for the camera, then select Record again to return  to the recording environment. 

In the  Select the camera mode  menu, you can select Show Background  or  Blur Background .

You can also change the layout in the  Views menu to switch between  Teleprompter ,  Presenter View , or  Slide View .

When you’re ready, select  Start recording  and a countdown will begin.

Use the onscreen laser, colored pens, or highlighters in the tray below markup slides and it’ll record as well.

To record narration for a specific slide, use the previous or next arrows.

Note:  Narration won’t record during slide transitions so let those play first before you start speaking. 

Pause  the recording as needed or select  Stop  if you’re done.

To review the video, select the  Play  button. 

To quickly delete and re-record your video on current slide or on all slides, select Delete . While Clear  will delete the recorded narration, Reset to Cameo  additionally replaces the recorded narration with the camera feed for an easy retake.  

When you’re done, select  Export  >  Export Video .

After you successfully export the video, you can view the video by selecting View and share video .

At any time, you can return to your document by selecting the  Edit  button.  

Want more? 

About Record in PowerPoint

Create a self-running presentation   

Export or turn your presentation into a video

Classic experience

Turn on the Recording tab of the ribbon: On the File tab of the ribbon, click  Options . In the Options  dialog box, click the Customize Ribbon  tab on the left. Then, in the right-hand box that lists the available ribbon tabs, select the Recording  check box. Click OK .

To get ready to record, select Record on either the Recording  tab or the Slide Show  tab of the ribbon.

Clicking the upper half of the button starts you on the current slide.

Clicking the lower half of the button gives you the option to start from the beginning or from the current slide.

(The Clear  command deletes narrations or timings, so be careful when you use it. Clear  is grayed out unless you have previously recorded some slides.)

The slide show opens in the Recording window (which looks similar to Presenter view), with buttons at the top left for starting, pausing, and stopping the recording. Click the round, red button (or press R on your keyboard) when you are ready to start the recording. A three-second countdown ensues, then the recording begins.

The current slide is shown in the main pane of the Recording window.

You can stop the recording any time by pressing Alt + S on your keyboard.

Navigation arrows on either side of the current slide allow you to move to the previous and next slides.

PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 automatically records the time you spend on each slide, including any Animate text or objects  steps that occur, and the use of any triggers on each slide.

You can record audio or video narration as you run through your presentation. The buttons at the lower-right corner of the window allow you to toggle on or off the microphone, camera, and camera preview:

If you use the pen, highlighter, or eraser, PowerPoint records those actions for playback also.

If you re-record your narration (including audio and ink), PowerPoint erases your previously recorded narration (including audio and ink) before you start recording again on the same slide.

You can also re-record by going to Slide Show  >  Record .

You can pick a pointer tool (pen, eraser, or highlighter) from the array of tools just below the current slide. There are also color selection boxes for changing the color of the ink. ( Eraser  is grayed out unless you have previously added ink to some slides.)

To end your recording, select the square Stop button (or press S on your keyboard).

When you finish recording your narration, a small picture appears in the lower-right corner of the recorded slides. The picture is an audio icon, or, if the web camera was on during the recording, a still image from the webcam.

The recorded slide show timing is automatically saved. (In Slide Sorter view, the timings are listed beneath each slide.)

In this process, what you record is embedded in each slide, and the recording can be played back in Slide Show. A video file is not created by this recording process. However, if you need one, you can save your presentation as a video with a few extra steps.

Preview the recorded slide show

On the Slide Show  tab, click From Beginning  or From Current Slide .

During playback, your animations, inking actions, audio and video will play in sync.

Preview the recorded sound

In the Recording window, the triangular Play  button near the top left corner lets you preview the recording of the slide that currently has the focus in that window.

In Normal view, click the sound icon or picture in the lower-right corner of the slide, and then click Play . (When you preview individual audio in this way, you won't see recorded animation or inking.)

You can pause playback while previewing the audio.

Set the slide timings manually

PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 automatically records your slide timings when you add narrations, or you can manually set the slide timings to accompany your narrations.

In Normal view, click the slide that you want to set the timing for.

On the Transitions tab, in the Timing group, under Advance Slide , select the After check box, and then enter the number of seconds that you want the slide to appear on the screen. Repeat the process for each slide that you want to set the timing for.

If you want the next slide to appear either when you click the mouse or automatically after the number of seconds that you enter—whichever comes first—select both the On Mouse Click and the After check boxes.

You can use manual slide timings to the trim the end of a recorded slide segment. For example, if the end of a slide segment concludes with two seconds of unnecessary audio, simply set the timing for advancing to the next slide so that it happens before the unnecessary audio. That way you don't have to re-record the audio for that slide.

Delete timings or narration

The Clear command is for deleting timings or narration from your recording that you don't want or that you want to replace.

In the Recording window, the Clear command in the top margin of the window allows you to:

Clear recordings on the current slide

Clear recordings on all slides

In Normal view, there are four different Clear commands that allow you to:

Delete the timings on the currently selected slide

Delete the timings on all slides at once

Delete the narration on the currently selected slide

Delete the narration on all slides at once

If you do not want to delete all the timings or narration in your presentation, open a specific slide that has a timing or narration that you do want to delete.

On the Recording tab of the PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 ribbon, on the Record Slide Show button, click the down arrow, point to Clear , and then choose the appropriate Clear command for your situation.

Turn off timings or turn off narrations, and ink

After you've recorded your PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 presentation, any timings, gestures, and audio you performed are saved on the individual slides. But you can turn them all off if you want to view the slide show without them:

To turn off recorded slide timings: On the Slide Show tab, clear the Use Timings box.

To turn off recorded narrations and ink: On the Slide Show tab, clear the Play Narrations box.

Publish the recording to share it with others

Once you've edited the recording to your satisfaction, you can make it available to others by publishing to Microsoft Stream.

With the presentation open, on the Recording tab, select Publish to Stream .

Type a title and a description for the video.

Set other options, including whether you want others in your organization to have permission to see the video.

Select the Publish button.

The upload process can take several minutes, depending on the length of the video. A status bar at the bottom of the PowerPoint window tracks the progress, and PowerPoint shows a message when the upload is finished:

Click the message to go directly to the video playback page on Microsoft Stream.

Create closed captions

To make your video more accessible by including closed captions, choose from these options, which are described in separate Help articles:

Manually write a closed caption file yourself

Get a closed-caption file automatically generated by Microsoft Stream

Once you have a closed-caption file, you can add it to your video file by using PowerPoint .

Record a slide show

With your presentation open, on the Slide Show tab, click Record Slide Show .

(The Clear command deletes narrations or timings, so be careful when you use it. Clear is grayed out unless you have previously recorded some slides.)

In the Record Slide Show box, check or clear the boxes for your recording, and click Start Recording .

More about these options:

Slide and animation timings : PowerPoint automatically records the time you spend on each slide, including any animation steps that occur, and the use of any triggers on each slide.

Narrations, ink, and laser pointer: Record your voice as you run through your presentation. If you use the pen, highlighter, eraser, or laser pointer, PowerPoint records those for playback as well.

Important:    Pen, highlighter, and eraser recording are available only if you have the February 16, 2015 update for PowerPoint 2013 or a later version of PowerPoint installed. In earlier versions of PowerPoint, pen and highlighter strokes are saved as ink annotation shapes.

At the top left corner of the window is the Recording toolbar, which you can use to:

If you re-record your narration (including audio, ink, and laser pointer), PowerPoint erases your previously recorded narration (including audio, ink, and laser pointer) when you start recording again on the same slide.

You can also re-record by going to Slide Show > Record Slide Show .

To use ink, eraser, or the laser pointer in your recording, right-click the slide, click Pointer options , and pick your tool:

Laser Pointer

Highlighter

Eraser (This option is grayed out unless you have previously added ink to some slides.)

To change the color of the ink, click Ink Color .

To end your recording, right-click the final slide, and click End Show .

Tip:  When you finish recording your narration, a sound icon appears in the lower-right corner of each slide that has narration.

The recorded slide show timings are automatically saved. Timings are shown in Slide Sorter view just beneath each slide.

In this process, what you record is embedded in each slide, and the recording can be played back in Slide Show. A video file is not created by this recording process. However, if you want a video file, you can save your presentation as a video with a few extra steps.

On the Slide Show tab, click From Beginning or From Current Slide.

During playback, your animations, inking actions, laser pointer, audio and video play in sync.

Preview the recorded audio

In Normal view, click the sound icon in the lower-right corner of the slide, and then click Play.

PowerPoint automatically records your slide timings when you add narrations, or you can manually set the slide timings to accompany your narrations.

On the Transitions tab, in the Timing group, under Advance Slide , select the After check box, and then enter the number of seconds indicating how long the slide should appear on the screen. Repeat the process for each slide that you want to set the timing for.

Tip:  If you want the next slide to appear either when you click the mouse or automatically after the number of seconds that you enter—whichever comes first—select both the On Mouse Click and the After check boxes.

The Clear command is for deleting timings or narration from your recording that you don't want or that you want to replace. There are four different Clear commands that allow you to:

On the Slide Show tab of the PowerPoint ribbon, on the Record Slide Show button, click the down arrow, point to Clear, and then choose the appropriate Clear command for your situation.

Turn off timings or turn off narrations, ink, and laser pointer

After you've recorded your PowerPoint presentation, any timings, gestures, and audio you performed are saved on the individual slides. But you can turn them all off if you want to view the slide show without them:

To turn off recorded narrations, ink, and the laser pointer: On the Slide Show tab, clear the Play Narrations box.

Turn your mouse into a laser pointer

Animate text or objects

Turn your presentation into a video

Create a self-running presentation

Record your presentation

Toggle video and audio options in the options  dropdowns in the recording toolbar.

Note:  Your video will be re-recorded just as you had styled. 

After you exit Recording Studio with the  Esc  key (or by clicking  End show ) you will see narration (audio/video) applied to your slide along with the proper slide timings and ink animations. 

Tip:  Audio, video, and inking elements can all be resized and moved in edit view after recording. 

Reset to Cameo 

To delete your recording and retain your camera style, do the following: 

On the Record tab, select Reset to Cameo .

Clear timings or narration 

On the Record tab, select Clear Recording

Keyboard shortcuts during the recording process

Related information.

Present with Cameo

Save a presentation as a movie file or MP4

Record audio in PowerPoint for Mac

Add or delete audio in your presentation

Prepare to record

To begin, open the presentation you want and click the Slide Show tab.

Tip:     If your presentation has a lot of slides, you might find it more convenient to work in Slide Sorter view. Click View > Slide Sorter to try it out.

Here are some things to check before you begin recording:

If you want to record only part of your slide deck, do one of the following before you begin:

Select the slides you don't want to include, and click Hide Slide .

Click Custom Show > Custom Slide Show > + (add).

Use the Rehearse button to change the timing between slides without affecting the narration or gestures you've already recorded.

Make sure your microphone is set up correctly. On the Mac, go to System Preferences > Sound .

Record your slide show

If you want to add narration or commentary to the slide show, make sure your microphone is set up and working.

To start recording:

Click the Slide Show tab, select the slide where you want the recording to begin, and then click Record Slide Show .

During recording, use Ctrl+click to access the recording commands that let you navigate through the slides, change cursors, or trigger screen blackouts or whiteouts.

Click End Show to stop recording.

A Save dialog box appears. Click Yes to save your recording, or No if you want to record it again.

Saving overwrites anything you've previously recorded. If you want to record another slide show with the same set of slides, save your presentation file with a different name.

Click Play from Start to preview your recording.

You may want to print this list of keyboard shortcuts to refer to while you're recording:

Set playback options

When you've finished recording and are ready to distribute the presentation, click Set up Slide Show and choose the options that are right for your audience.

Show type     Show full screen or windowed.

Show options     Turn off narration or animations.

Slides     Choose a subset of slides, or a Custom show if you've set one up.

Advance slides     Set up this version of the slide show so someone can page through it manually.

Add, change, or remove transitions between slides

Start the presentation and see your notes in Presenter view

We're sorry. PowerPoint for the web doesn't support recording a slide show.

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How to Record a PowerPoint Presentation with Narration

Can be helpful in creating a dramatic narrative

Microsoft PowerPoint has a built-in recording tool that allows you to narrate your presentations using recorded audio. You can export and share recorded presentations as video files.

This tutorial covers everything about recording PowerPoint presentations on Windows and Mac computers.

Record PowerPoint Presentation with Narration

Open the PowerPoint file/presentation you want to record and follow the steps below.

Record PowerPoint Presentation on Windows

• Select the slide you want to start recording from on the slide thumbnail pane.

• Head to the Record tab on the ribbon and select the Record button to start recording from the current/selected slide.

To record from the first slide, select the down-facing arrow icon below the Record button and select From Beginning .

You can also record a presentation from the Slide Show tab. Select Slide Show on the ribbon and select Record , From Current Slide , or From Beginning .

That’ll open PowerPoint’s presentation recorder in a fullscreen window.

• Select the Record icon and start speaking after the three seconds countdown.

PowerPoint records the presentation window and captures your voice and webcam feed as you navigate the slides. Select the left-facing and right-facing arrows to move to the previous and next slides in the presentation.

Record PowerPoint Presentation in macOS

• Open the Slide Show tab and select Record Slide Show .

• Select the Record button on the toolbar to start recording your narration.

Use your keyboard arrow keys to move back and forth between slides. Press N or Space Bar to move to the next slide or animation in the presentation. Press P or Backspace to return to the previous slide or animation.

Select Tips in the top-left corner for more keyboard shortcuts and other presentation tips.

Note: The narration tool doesn’t record slide transitions. When moving between slides, wait for the destination slide to appear on the screen before speaking.

PowerPoint Recorder Control/Settings

You’ll find a handful of controls and options on the recording tool. We’ll show you how to use these controls to include voiceovers or audio recordings in your presentation.

Using Presentation Pointer Tools

PowerPoint provides several tools to mark up your slides when narrating your presentation. There’s a pen tool, eraser, laser pointer, and highlighter.

With the Pen tool, you can draw on slides during narration/recording. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Command + P (Mac) to use the pen tool. You can also select the Pen icon to convert the pointer to a pen.

The Laser pointer tool converts your cursor to an onscreen laser. Use the laser pointer to draw attention to something on a slide/presentation.

Press Ctrl + L (Windows) or Command + L (Mac) to use the laser pointer. There’s also a Laser pointer icon on the toolbar.

Pressing Ctrl + I (or selecting the Highlighter tool ) converts your cursor to a highlighter.

Use the Eraser tool to remove inks and highlight from slides. Select the Eraser icon or press Ctrl + E and select the ink to erase.

On macOS, select the Erase Pen icon (or press E ) to erase all drawings and highlights on the slide.

You can change the pointer tools ink from the color selection boxes. However, one major limitation is that you can’t change the size of these pointer tools.

Pause and Resume Your Recording

In Windows, press I on your keyboard or select the Pause button in the top-left corner to pause your recording.

Press I again or select the Record icon to resume the recording.

If you use a Mac, select the Pause icon in the top toolbar to pause the recording.

Unmute or Mute Microphone

Check that your microphone is unmuted before recording. Select the microphone icon in the bottom-right corner to mute or unmute your mic.

PowerPoint for Windows allows you to mute and unmute your microphone in real time while recording video/audio narrations. The macOS version of PowerPoint only lets you configure your camera and microphone settings before recording.

Switch Microphone or Camera

Want to record your presentation with an external microphone or camera? Press Ctrl + M or select the audio/camera settings icon in the top-right corner and choose your preferred microphone/camera.

In macOS, select the microphone icon to mute or unmute your microphone. Select the arrow-down icon next to the microphone or camcorder icons to switch input devices.

Enable and Disable Camera

The recorder displays your camera or webcam feed in the bottom-right corner of the presentation slides.

Select the camcorder icon to remove your webcam feed from the recording. Select the icon again to display your webcam feed in the presentation.

You can also use the Ctrl + K keyboard shortcut on Windows computers to enable or disable your camera.

On Mac computers, you’ll find the video control icon on the top toolbar.

Note: The recording tool greys out the camcorder icon if your microphone is turned off.

Enable or Disable Camera Preview

PowerPoint allows you to disable the camera preview without turning off your camera or webcam.

Press Ctrl + J (Windows) or select the Camera Preview icon in the bottom-right corner to disable or enable the camera preview.

End a Recording

Press S on your Windows keyboard or select the Stop icon to end the recording.

Replay or Preview Your Recording

When you end a narration, press V on your keyboard or select Replay to preview or watch the recording.

The recorded narration will include all pen inks, highlights, and laser pointer gestures made during the presentation.

You can also preview/replay the narration outside the recording tool. Open the Slide Show tab and choose to watch the playback From Beginning or From Current Slide .

PowerPoint allows you to preview the playback on individual slides. A speaker/audio icon appears in the bottom-right of PowerPoint slides with narrations.

Choose the slide you want to preview, hover your cursor on the speaker icon in the bottom-right corner, and select Play .

Delete Current Narration/Recording

Did you spot an error when previewing your presentation? Want to delete the current narration and start from scratch?

Select the Clear existing recordings icon and choose whether to Clear Recordings on Current Slide or Clear Recordings on All Slides .

On Mac, select the Bin icon to delete the entire narration/recording.

Close the Narration Tool

Select the X icon on the title bar to close the presentation narration tool and return to Powerpoint.

Select End Show in the top-left corner to close the recording tool on a Mac computer.

Delete Narrations from Slides

Want to delete the narration or timing on an individual slide or the entire presentation? Select the slide with the narration you want to delete and follow the steps below.

• Open the Record tab and select the down-facing arrow below the Record icon.
• Select Clear and choose to clear timing or narration on current or all slides.

Export Recorded or Narrated Presentation

You can export a narrated PowerPoint presentation as a video file. The video output includes ink strokes, recorded audio/video, laser pointer gestures, and webcam/camera recording.

• Open the Record tab and select Export to Video .

Alternatively, open the File menu, select Export on the sidebar, and select Create a Video .

• Choose the quality of the video export in the first drop-down box—Ultra HD (4K), Full HD (1080p), HD (720p), Standard (480p).

• Choose Use Recorded Timings and Narrations in the next drop-down box and select Create Video .

• Give the recorded presentation a file name and select Save .

Narrate Your PowerPoint Presentations

The Microsoft PowerPoint web app doesn’t have a recording tool. As a result, you can only record presentations with narrations using PowerPoint for Windows or Mac.

You might meet issues recording a slide show if you use an outdated version of PowerPoint. Also, the recording tool on older versions of PowerPoint has a different interface and lacks some controls. Update PowerPoint and restart your computer if you cannot record a slide show.

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Home Blog PowerPoint Tutorials How to Record a Presentation in PowerPoint

How to Record a Presentation in PowerPoint

Recording PowerPoint presentations can have several benefits. They can serve as recordings of a session that can be uploaded online, shared with participants who might not be able to attend a presentation session, or used as tutorials for passing on instructions.

How to Record a PowerPoint Presentation

PowerPoint provides multiple options for initiating recording for a presentation. You can also choose to record audio and yourself presenting the slides using your camera. When recording your presentations, you can choose PowerPoint templates or something minimalist made by you to record the session. Just be mindful of the graphics to ensure the video does not appear overpowering to the viewer.

How do I Record a PowerPoint Presentation as a Video?

You can start recording your presentation using the following method.

• Record Tab: To record a PowerPoint presentation, go to the Record tab and select whether you wish to record from the beginning, from the current slide, a specific area on the screen, or record audio.
• Slide Show Tab: you can also initiate recording a PPT via Slide Show -> Record to initiate recording from the current slide or the beginning of your presentation.

Record Button: If you’re using the latest version of PowerPoint, you can start Recording your presentation from the current slide via the Record button in the top right corner.

Record from the Current Slide or Beginning of the Presentation

Starting your recording from the beginning of the current slide will open your presentation in recording mode. Hit Record to start the recording.

Screen Recording in PowerPoint

If you initiate screen recording in PowerPoint, you can start recording a screencast by selecting the area you wish to record. This is similar to recording a PowerPoint presentation as a video, with the added advantage of recording other parts of your desktop. This method can also be used for recording a screencast, even if you’re not using a PowerPoint presentation in your video recording.

To start the recording, click Record or use the Windows+SHIFT+R hotkey. To stop the screen recording, click Pause to temporarily halt the recording to resume later or Stop or the Windows+SHIFT+Q hotkey to end the recording session.

The recorded video will be instantly added to your slide once you click Stop .

Record Audio

Another option in the Record tab in PowerPoint is to record audio narrations for your PowerPoint presentation. Simply click Record to start, Pause to temporarily halt, and Stop to stop the recording process.

Once the recording stops, the audio will be added to your PowerPoint presentation.

How can I Annotate Slides in PowerPoint During a Recording?

Once you enter recording mode, you can start annotating your slides using the Pen or Highlighter tool. Other tools in the menu include a Laser pointer and Eraser.

How can I Record a PowerPoint Presentation with Audio?

To enable audio for your Powerpoint recording, unmute the mic from the audio icon on top, CTRL+M hotkey, or click the three dots ( More options for recording menu), followed by the Microphone to select the audio device for recording. You can only record audio if an audio device is connected to your computer. This is a fairly simple process, unlike other presentation platforms. For example, in an earlier article, we showed you how to do a voiceover on Google Slides , which entails a slightly more elaborate process.

How to Record Yourself Presenting a PowerPoint?

Enable the camera during a recording session.

Like turning on audio, you can toggle the camera on or off using the icon on top. The camera input device can also be selected via the Camera option or CTRL+K hotkey, which can be revealed via the three dots from the top menu.

Insert Video Recording in a Slide using Cameo

PowerPoint’s Cameo feature enables recording a video to insert in a slide. You can use the feature to quickly insert a video message in your slides that can be played during a presentation session. This option might also be relevant if you intend to convert PowerPoint to video . If you are looking how to video record yourself presenting a PowerPoint, then follow the steps below.

Once Cameo is turned on, you can also choose to stylize the camera shape, style, border, and add effects. Cameo is quite a unique feature in PowerPoint that currently does not have alternatives in rival presentation apps. For example, you cannot use a similar feature if you wish to convert Google Slides to video .

How to Save Recording for a PowerPoint Presentation?

After you have completed your recording, click Export to save the presentation recording.

You can customize your recording settings via Customize Export or continue the process via Export Video .

Using the Customize Export option, you can choose between a desired output quality for your video, including Ultra HD (4K), Full HD (1080p), HD (720p), and Standard (480p).

Other options in the menu include the ability to choose and preview timings and narrations.

After you are satisfied with your recording settings, you can export your presentation to video.

The video recording of your PowerPoint presentation can be played using any standard video player. The video can also be embedded in PowerPoint slides, uploaded online, such as to a YouTube channel, or shared via cloud storage apps like Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, etc.

Final Words

Recording a PowerPoint presentation can provide a record of a session that might be required for further sharing. The best way to record a presentation is to ensure that your slides aren’t visually overpowering, your audio is clear and audible, and if using a camera, the cam input isn’t hazy, grainy, or too dark.

Once you are familiar with how to record a presentation on PowerPoint, it might take a bit of practice to make your video recording look professional and crisp. It’s best to practice your sessions before recording them until you can seamlessly record presentation decks.

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PowerPoint Addins, PowerPoint Tips, Presentation Tips, Presentations, Screencasts Filed under PowerPoint Tutorials

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Record a Slide Show in PowerPoint – Instructions

How to record a slide show in powerpoint: video.

            This video lesson, titled “ Record a Slide Show ,” shows how to record a slide show in PowerPoint. This video lesson is from our complete PowerPoint tutorial , titled “ Mastering PowerPoint Made Easy v.2019 and 365 .”

Overview of How to Record a Slide Show in PowerPoint:

What to know before you start recording a slide show in powerpoint:.

            Before you record a slide show in PowerPoint, you must have a computer with a sound card, speakers, and a microphone. To optionally record video, too, you must have a camera. These tools let you record your presentation, slide by slide, as you deliver it. When recording the slide show, PowerPoint records its narration, slide advancement timings, annotations, and any optional video you record.

            PowerPoint saves this data on a per-slide basis, so you can easily reorganize the slides after recording without losing recorded content. This also lets you re-record only a selected slide if you need to correct a mistake during recording. However, PowerPoint doesn’t record audio or video during slide transitions, so do not speak during slide transitions or it will be lost. You should also give yourself a small buffer before and after a slide transition to ensure all your narration is recorded.

            After you finish recording, you can play the recording in Slide Show view or save the presentation as a video file. This helps you deliver a presentation to others if you cannot deliver it in person.

How to Record a Slide Show in PowerPoint:

            To record a slide show in PowerPoint, click the “Record Slide Show” drop-down button in the “Set Up” button group on the “Slide Show” tab of the Ribbon. Alternatively, if you have the “Recording” tab in the Ribbon enabled in your version of PowerPoint, you can click the same drop-down button which also appears in the “Record” button group there. To start recording from the first slide in the presentation, then select the “Record from Beginning…” command. Alternatively, to start recording from the currently active slide, choose the “Record from Current Slide…” command.

            At that point, the presentation then opens in the Recording window, which is very similar to the Presenter View. The selected slide appears in the center of the window. To record, pause, or stop recording, click the desired button in the upper-left corner of the Recording window.

            Optionally, to disable audio, video, or the video preview, click the desired button in the lower-right corner of the window. To change your camera or microphone, if needed, click the “Settings” button in the upper-right corner of the window, roll over the desired category, and then select your choice from the side menu that appears. To show speaker’s notes, click the “Notes” button at the top of the window.

A picture showing how to record a slide show in PowerPoint using the Recording window in PowerPoint for Microsoft 365.

            To start recording the slide show, click the “Record” button, which looks like a red circle. A three second countdown then starts, after which you can start delivering your presentation. To make annotations, click the desired tool at the bottom of the Recording window. Then select a color to the left, if needed. Then draw the annotation. Annotations are also recorded with the slide.

            To pause the recording, if needed, click the “Pause” button in the upper-left corner of the Recording window after the recording starts. To stop the recording, when finished, click the “Stop” button in the upper-left corner of the Recording window.

How to Clear Slide Recordings, Replay Recordings, and Close the Recording Window:

            To clear all recording from a slide when you are not recording, navigate to the slide in the Recording window. Then click the “Clear” drop-down button towards the upper-right corner of the window. Then select the “Clear Recordings on Current Slide” command from the drop-down menu that appears. You can then re-record the content for the slide. Alternatively, to delete all recordings from all slides, select the “Clear Recordings on All Slides” command from the drop-down menu, instead.

            To play the recording from the current slide, if desired, click the “Replay” button in the upper-left corner of the Recording window. To return to Normal view after you finish recording, press the “Esc” key on your keyboard click the “X” button in the upper-right corner of the Recording window.

Playing a Recorded Slide Show and Clearing Slides in Normal View:

            To play the recorded slide show in Slide Show view, just click the “From Beginning” or “From Current Slide” button in the “Start Slide Show” button group on the “Slide Show” tab of the Ribbon when in Normal view, as usual.

            To clear either recorded slide timings or narrations (meaning audio, video, and annotations) from one or all slides in PowerPoint when using Normal view, first select the desired slide, if needed. Then click the “Record Slide Show” drop-down button on either the “Slide Show” or “Recording” tab of the Ribbon. Then roll over the “Clear” command in the drop-down menu. Finally, select the desired type of element to clear and from which slides to clear it from the four choices in the side menu that appears.

How to Manually Present a Recorded Slide Show:

            After you record a slide show in PowerPoint, you may want to manually present it again without the recorded narrations or slide timings. You can toggle those settings off to accomplish this. If you want to disable recorded timings and/or narrations for a slide show, click the “Slide Show” tab in the Ribbon. To disable slide timings, uncheck the “Use timings” check box in the “Set Up” button group. To disable narrations, uncheck the “Play Narrations” checkbox in the “Set Up” button group.

Instructions on How to Record a Slide Show in PowerPoint:

Things to know before recording a slide show in powerpoint:.

• Before you record a slide show in PowerPoint , you must have a computer with a sound card, speakers, and a microphone.
• To optionally record video, too , you must have a camera.

Instructions on Recording a Slide Show in PowerPoint:

• To record a slide show in PowerPoint , click the “Record Slide Show” drop-down button in the “Set Up” button group on the “Slide Show” tab of the Ribbon.
• Alternatively , if the “Recording” tab of the Ribbon is enabled in your version of PowerPoint, you can click the same drop-down button in the “Record” button group there.
• To start recording from the first presentation slide , select the “Record from Beginning…” command.
• Alternatively, to start recording from the currently active slide , choose the “Record from Current Slide…” command.
• The presentation then opens in the Recording window and the selected slide appears in the center of the window.
• To record, pause, or stop recording , click the desired button in the upper-left corner of the Recording window.
• Optionally, to disable audio, video, or the video preview , click the desired button in the lower-right corner of the window.
• To change your camera or microphone, if needed , click the “Settings” button in the upper-right corner of the window, roll over the desired category, and then select your choice from the side menu.
• If you want to show speaker’s notes , click the “Notes” button at the top of the window.
• To start recording the slide show , click the “Record” button, which looks like a red circle.
• A three second countdown then starts, after which you can start delivering your presentation.
• If you need to make annotations , click the desired tool at the bottom of the Recording window, select a color to the left, if needed, and then draw the annotation. Annotations are also recorded with the slide.
• To pause the recording, if needed , click the “Pause” button in the upper-left corner of the Recording window after the recording starts.
• To stop the recording, when finished , click the “Stop” button in the upper-left corner of the Recording window.

Instructions on How to Clear Slide Recordings, Replay the Recording, and Close the Recording Window:

• If you want to clear all recording from a slide when you are not recording , navigate to the slide in the Recording window.
• Then click the “Clear” drop-down button towards the upper-right corner of the window.
• Then select the “Clear Recordings on Current Slide” command from the drop-down menu that appears.
• You can then re-record the content for the slide.
• Alternatively, to delete all recordings from all slides , select the “Clear Recordings on All Slides” command from the drop-down menu, instead.
• To play the recording from the current slide, if desired , click the “Replay” button in the upper-left corner of the Recording window.
• To close the Recording window and return to Normal view after you finish recording , press the “Esc” key on your keyboard.
• Alternatively, click the “X” button in the upper-right corner of the Recording window.

Instructions on How to Play a Recorded Slide Show and Clearing Slides in Normal View:

• To play the recorded slide show in Slide Show view , just click the “From Beginning” or “From Current Slide” button in the “Start Slide Show” button group on the “Slide Show” tab of the Ribbon when in Normal view, as usual.
• To clear either recorded slide timings or narrations (meaning audio, video, and annotations) from one or all slides in PowerPoint when using Normal view , first select the desired slide, if needed.
• Then click the “Record Slide Show” drop-down button on either the “Slide Show” or “Recording” tab of the Ribbon.
• Then roll over the “Clear” command in the drop-down menu.
• Finally, select the desired type of element to clear and from which slides to clear it from the four choices in the side menu that appears.

Instructions on Manually Presenting a Recorded Slide Show:

• After you record a slide show in PowerPoint, you may want to manually deliver it again without the recorded narrations or slide timings. You can toggle those settings off to accomplish this.
• If you want to disable recorded timings and/or narrations for a slide show , click the “Slide Show” tab in the Ribbon.
• To disable slide timings , uncheck the “Use timings” check box in the “Set Up” button group.
• To disable narrations , uncheck the “Play Narrations” checkbox in the “Set Up” button group.

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Working with Video (Kaltura, Canvas, Zoom, and PowerPoint)

Recording an individual or group presentation with PowerPoint 365 or 2019

These instructions are for Office 365 or Office 2019 for Windows . You can download Office 365 from IUWare for free . Office 2019 is available on all computer lab Windows computers and via IUAnyWare . (See instructions on setting up and using IUAnyWare .)

If you are using a Mac

If you are using the latest version of Office 365, you can export a presentation narrated in Slide Show as a video file  which can then be submitted as a previously recorded video . Note that when you export your presentation as a video, any narrated audio that was recorded in Slide Show will play, but other embedded media files will not play .

You can also record audio onto slides in Keynote and export them to a QuickTime .mov file which can then be submitted as a previously recorded video .

Video Walkthrough

Instructions.

The following steps presume you have Office 365 or 2019 on a Windows computer.

• The Recording tab does not appear on the Ribbon in PowerPoint 365 or 2019 by default so you may need to enable it. Go to File > Options and choose “Customize Ribbon.”
• On the right side list of Main Tabs scroll down to Recording, check the box next to it, and click “OK.”

• Check and make sure your microphone and webcam (if using) are recording properly by clicking the small microphone and video camera icons at the bottom right of the recording screen.
• Click the red “Record” button at the top left to start. You can stop after each slide and review your recording or you can continue through the whole presentation. If you continue, make sure to pause between slides. The 1-2 seconds of silence allow PowerPoint to tell what audio goes with what slide.
• When you are done, click the “X”  at the top right to finish.

• Select the quality you would like the video to be. Normally 1080p (the default) is fine and leave “Use Recorded Timings and Narrations ” selected.
• Click “Create video” and tell PowerPoint where to save your video file. The small black status bar at the bottom of PowerPoint will show you the progress of your export. Do not do anything else in PowerPoint while a video is processing or it will cancel the job.
• Once the video has been processed, you are ready to upload your video to Kaltura and submit. See submitting a previously recorded video for instructions.

Group Recording with PowerPoint

If your group prefers to record the individual sections independently and at least one person has Office 365 or 2019 or can access it at a computer lab, you can compile your separate recordings in PowerPoint. Each person in the group would

• begin with a copy of the master PowerPoint file,
• delete the slides that they are not responsible for recording,
• record their audio and/or video on their slides only, and
• send the file with their recorded slides to the group member responsible for putting together the slide deck.

The person putting the slides together would add the other members’ slides into their PowerPoint file and export it to video.

Recording tips

• Team members using Powerpoint for Mac or an older version of PowerPoint for Windows can record audio onto their slides by using the “Audio”  option on the “Add” tab on the Ribbon. To do this,
• open your PowerPoint file in the version of PowerPoint that you have
• go to the Insert tab,
• click the Audio button and choose “Record audio”
• Starting from the same PowerPoint file is very helpful for the person who is compiling the recorded slides.
• After your video is created, the person who will submit the assignment for the group will upload the video file to their Kaltura account.

Submit Your Assignment

See Upload a previously recorded video for instructions on adding your video to Kaltura. Then, based on your instructor’s instructions, submit your video in one of the two following ways.

• Submit your video by embedding it in a text box in an Assignment or Discussion .
• Submit your video by adding it to the Kaltura: Media Gallery for your course

Verify the Automatic Captions on Your Video

All video uploaded to Kaltura is automatically mechanically captioned using speech-to-text technology. If you’ve ever used speech-to-text, you know it’s never 100% accurate so you need to check your captions and edit as needed to make sure they are correct and not saying anything embarrassing. The mechanical captions appear fairly quickly on short videos once they’re uploaded. You can check them either in Kaltura: My Media  if it is available in your course, or at Kaltura Mediaspace.   Instructions on checking and editing your captions are at  Accessible Videos in this book.

Note on Video Processing

When a video is first uploaded to Kaltura you will see a “media is being processed” animation  where you expect your video to be.

Please be patient.  Processing time depends on the length of the video and the number of other videos Kaltura is processing.  It will appear once it has completed processing, though you may need to refresh your page to see it. You can embed a video that is still processing in Kaltura .

A Canvas Semester Checklist Copyright © by Trustees of Indiana University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

• Slidesgo School
• PowerPoint Tutorials

How to Use the Presentation Modes and the Screen Recording Features in PowerPoint

After designing all the slides for your presentation, the next and last step is presenting in front of your audience. In this new Slidesgo School tutorial, you’ll see how the presenter view works and how you can record your presentation .

Presentation Modes

Presentation modes — set up slide show, presentation modes — record slide show.

• There are different presentation modes in PowerPoint, besides the one you can find at the bottom of the screen.
• To access the presentation modes, go to the Slide Show tab.
• The first two options allow you to start the presentation from the beginning or from the currently selected slide.

• If you choose Present Online, an URL will be generated, which you can then share with your potential online viewers. After clicking this button, a new window will open, displaying info about the Microsoft Office online presentation service and a checkbox to enable remote download for your online audience. To enjoy this service, you need an Office 365 account. When you’re ready, click Connect to generate the URL.
• If you choose Custom Slide Show, you can select which slides to display in your presentation.  First, create a new custom slide show and select the slides that you want to display. Then, click Add, enter the name of the presentation and click OK. This new custom presentation will appear on the list. Select it and click Show to begin the presentation.
• In the Set Up group you’ll find options to set up the presentation, hide slides, rehearse your presentation and even record it.
• Click Set Up Slide Show to adjust several settings regarding your presentation. You’ll find more information in the next section of this tutorial .
• If you click Hide Slide, the selected slide won’t show up during your presentation. Hidden slides will appear faded out on the list and their numbers will be crossed out.
• If you click Record Slide Show, you’ll be able to record your presentation from the beginning or from the current slide. We’ll go into detail in the last section of this tutorial.
• There are several checkboxes regarding whether to play narrations, use timings and show media controls.

• In the Monitors group you can choose which screen to display your presentation.
• The last group, Captions & Subtitles, is only available in Office 365. You’ll find options to enable subtitles, which will be generated out of your speech (so you’ll need to have a mic). There are settings to change the language and the position of the subtitles.
• Open your presentation in PowerPoint.
• Go to the Slide Show tab.
• In the Set Up group, click Set Up Slide Show. A new window will open, where you’ll find several options.
• In the top-left corner, under “Show type”, you can choose whether the presentation will be in fullscreen with speaker notes, windowed, or in fullscreen without speaker notes or the menu bar.

• Under “Show options” you can choose whether to show the presentation without narration or animations, or disable the hardware graphics acceleration (for better performance). You can also set the pen and laser pointer color.

• Under “Show slides”, you can choose which slides to show in your presentation. You can select all of them, a specific range or a custom slideshow.
• There are other settings to determine how to advance slides (manually or using timings), what the resolution will be and whether to use the presenter view.
• Click Record Slide Show. From the drop-down menu, select From the Current Slide or From the Beginning.
• A new window will open, along with the presentation in fullscreen mode. At the top-left you’ll find a button to start recording.

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• Audio/Video Creation
• Last Updated: August 21, 2022

How To Video Record Yourself Presenting A PowerPoint (with 4 Pro Tips)

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An estimated 35 million PowerPoint presentations are given every single day . From corporate boardrooms to high school classrooms, a PowerPoint presentation is among the most popular mediums for sharing content that can engage your viewers and help them get a better understanding of various concepts.

Due to convenience, more and more people now prefer online courses over the traditional, offline mode of learning. Online course providers might need to stream or record their lectures into videos so that their students can watch them on their own time. In the absence of a blackboard, an online PowerPoint presentation is a much better alternative for creating online courses and lessons.

Why Should Course Creators Video Record Themselves When Presenting a Slide Show?

In many cases, a screen recording showing PowerPoint slides on their own just doesn’t do enough to convey the information well. Hence, many course creators have tried the following:

• Recorded narration over the PowerPoint slides.
• Used a screen recorder to capture slides and voice-over.
• Use an online chat tool to record the slides as they are being presented.

Although these methods are a step above the plain and regular PowerPoint presentation, they are not able to engage viewers as completely as a course creator presenting in front of them would. The most effective type of PowerPoint presentation is one where the learners are shown both the slide show as well as the presenter.

Because of the face-to-face contact and body language, learners feel more like they are in an actual classroom. This will help them remain focused on the topic, improve comprehension, and make them retain the subject matter for a longer period.

Hence, when it comes to class lectures, online skill-sharing, and organizational training, using PowerPoint presentations in conjunction with video is the best way to share information.

Here are some reasons course creators prefer a PowerPoint presentation where you record yourself presenting the slide show rather than lifeless slides:

Greater Power of Persuasions:

Video presentations have higher persuasion ability through video-audio communication and involve the sight, sounds, and emotions that trigger engagement.

Better Retention:

According to statistics, viewers retain approximately 95% of the message when watching a video recording as compared to just 10% when viewing only text.

Available at Your Fingertips:

About 75% of all audio and video are played on smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. This means accessing and viewing videos are now easier than ever. This provides course creators a big opportunity to ensure more and more people watch their content.

Time-Saving:

Video presentations allow course creators to break big blocks of information into bite-sized pieces. This makes it easier for the learners to process the information.

Overview: Steps to Create Video PowerPoint Presentations

Almost everyone who has ever used a computer has a basic idea of how a PowerPoint presentation works. Initially, the slide show was created for overhead projector transparencies, which was the most favored medium for many instructors before video projectors.

However, thanks to advancements in digital technology, creators can now enjoy various interactive elements like animated transitions in between slides and audio and video embeds in their presentation to make it more engrossing.

Creating PowerPoint Slides

Every PowerPoint presentation starts with the same basic template. Your slides can be fully customizable or you can choose from pre-made templates to expedite the design process of the slides.

To make a simple PowerPoint presentation, you need to add text, bullet points, and images. You can use the standard layout or select the content themes from the top ribbon.

PowerPoint now also comes with a gallery of stock images. In addition, the application also recommends design ideas based on your layout so that your slide looks more professional. This is a useful feature if you do not have a lot of time customizing the slide design.

Once you are satisfied with the general look of your slides, you will need to add the audio and video content to the presentation. You can then export the entire presentation and share it with your learners.

Recording Audio on PowerPoint

Do you know that PowerPoint software itself allows you to record your audio onto the presentation? This summary you a quick run-down of how to use this feature.

Before you start the audio recording, it is a good idea to use the “Rehearse Timings” option to see how your script fits your slides. This will open up a test screen, which will show how long you played the slide show and how much time you took on a single slide.

You can use the “Pause” and “Reset” buttons to make changes and use the “Notes” section to document the changes you made to your script.

To add your voice recording, go to the “Slide Show” tab on the top ribbon. Go to the “Record Slide Show” option and start recording the audio. You can also use the audio on and off toggle video options at the top of the record screen to record only the audio.

Although you can record your audio through the built-in microphone on your laptop or phone, it is a good idea to invest in a good-quality mic for better quality audio.

PowerPoint allows you to record the full slide show in a single take. You can also click through the slides to trigger the added animations or to make progress through the presentation.

Once you are done, you should review the recording, which will be saved on a slide-by-slide basis, so you do not need to record the presentation again to fix any errors.

PowerPoint audio is not recorded during slide transition, so make sure you finish speaking before you skip to the next slide to avoid cutting off your conversation.

Creating a Video of Yourself

To add yourself to the PowerPoint presentation, switch on the video option located on the Record Slide Show screen. By default, PowerPoint will show the video picked by your camera at the bottom right of the presentation during the recording.

Once your video has been recorded, you should return to the editing screen. You will find your video recording shown at the bottom right of the slide.

Resizing and Repositioning the Clip:

You can drag your recording from the default place to anywhere on the slide. You can also blow it up to fit the slide frame or remove the recording by selecting it and pressing the delete option.

Making Video Presentations with a Screen Recorder

Although PowerPoint presentations allow you to make a perfectly good screen recording, you can also find a lot of powerful and robust third-party tools that can take your video presentation to the next level. Making your video presentation appear more professional and sleek will help you stand out from the crowd and will help you establish trust and authority with your learners.

Screen recorders or screencasting software offers a more comprehensive range of editing and post-production options, including closed captioning , professional transitions, and the ability to add interactive elements. They also come with an added bonus of directly sharing your online lesson to video-sharing sites like YouTube and Vimeo and allow you to save your presentation in alternative formats, including .mpeg2, .avi, and .mov.

Let’s take a look at how you can video record a PowerPoint presentation with Camtasia.

Using Camtasia to Record PowerPoint Presentations

Camtasia is an industry leader in video editing and screen recording. The software allows you to capture videos via your webcam, add sound effects from the royalty-free music library, record sections from your screen, capture content from iPhone, integrate animations, set up customized video themes, add device themes, and allow course creators to benefit from a whole lot of other features.

If you have Camtasia on your computer, you can import your PowerPoint slides into the software and edit them through Camtasia. Just click on the “Import Media” option and select your PowerPoint file. This will turn your slides into PNG format. PNG files are not editable so you will not be able to change the content in your slide, it will give you better control over the presentation design and style since you will be able to adjust your slides to fit in with your video and audio overlay easily.

For online course creators, Camtasia offers real benefits since it allows you to export your finished file as a SCORM package. This means it can be downloaded to any SCORM-compliant LMS and will enable the LMS to track learning activities, like quiz performances and time spent on a course.

This is not possible if you are making your presentation using only PowerPoint software.

Recording the Screen

To start the screen recording, you need to click the “Record” button at the top of the toolbar. This will open up the Camtasia recorder which is default set to capture everything that is happening on your screen.

Customize Recording

You can either choose to record the full screen or click on the arrow to “select area to record.” You can also choose to record other elements on the screen, including the webcam, mic audio, and system audio. Click on the down arrow button or the double arrows next to the options to choose a specific webcam (if you have one) or mic. This way you can record yourself presenting a PowerPoint. Click on the “Start Recording” button to begin.

Record Yourself Presenting the PowerPoint Presentation

As mentioned, you can use the tools within Camtasia to record your screen which consists of your PowerPoint slides. Then you can use the recorder to choose a specific webcam. However, you can also use a different device to record yourself presenting a PowerPoint.

For instance, if you have a video camera or a Smartphone, you can set that up to record yourself as you go through the presentation. Then you can import that video file into Camtasia later on.

Finish Recording

Depending on whether you are using Windows or Mac computers, you will need to follow slightly different to finish recording on Camtasia. If you use Windows, click the Camtasia recorder icon located on the taskbar and press the “Stop” button. To re-record, delete the recording and then start over. Alternatively, you can also press “F9” to pause and resume the recording and “F10” to stop the recording.

If you use a Mac, click the Camtasia icon on the Apple menu bar and press the “Stop Recording” button. To re-record, click on the “Start Over” button. Alternatively, you can also press “CMD+SHIFT+2” to pause or resume a recording, and “CMD+OPTION+2” to stop a recording.

Import the Audio and Video into Your Camtasia Project

Camtasia works with projects. Once you’re done with your presentation recording and you end the recording, a new project should open. You’ll want to import any additional audio and video into that project.

That means if you recorded yourself separately on your Smartphone, you’ll need to upload that to the project. Then you can organize both your Camtasia recording and the video of you presenting a PowerPoint on the timeline.

Trimming the Video

To remove the extra content that is often found at the start of a video, drag the end of the clip “in” on the timeline. If you remove too much material from the recording, drag it back out to restore the video. A great thing about this is that any edits you make on the timeline will not change the original recording saved in the media bin.

Cutting Out the Video

To cut out a certain section on the video, drag the red or green handle on the video playhead to select a specific area on the timeline. Then, click on the “Cut” button to remove that section. The program will add a stitched line on the timeline to show where the cut was made. In addition, if you want to bring the playhead together, double-click on the playhead.

Adding Titles and Annotations

Make your video more professional by adding titles, annotations, and effects to the content. You can easily add an annotation by clicking and dragging the relevant option from the tool panels to your video timeline or the canvas.

Double click the annotation to change the test. You can change the background color, font, and other elements in the properties panel. To change the position, rotation, and size of the annotation, click and drag the handles.

Adding Effects

Camtasia also offers you “Shapes” and “Blur” options as effects you can add to your Powerpoint presentation. You can add a shape by clicking and dragging one from the tool panel to the timeline or the canvas. If you want to hide sensitive or copyright information, use the “Blur” option. In addition, you can also adjust the size, position, and intensity of the blur in the properties panel.

Exporting the Video:

Click on the “Export” button to see all the export options that Camtasia provides. The first option downloads the video file on the computer. Other options allow you to upload your file to web services. This requires you to sign in to an account. You can then invite your learners to review the video presentation.

Using a Zipped Project

You should export your file in zip format. This way, all the original media used in the video presentation will be placed in one file. This allows you convenient access to all files in the project. To zip your files, go to “File” and select “Import Zipped Project.” This will import the zipped files into a new project.

Pro Tips for Making Better Video PowerPoint Presentations

To make your PowerPoint videos even better, you should consider the following tips:

1. Make it Short, Sweet, and Simple:

Your video clips should just be long enough to captivate your audience, not bore them to tears. Depending on what course you are offering, the length of your video will vary. However, make sure you do some research to find out how long is too long for your students.

2. Focus on the Point:

Before starting on the core subject, make sure you inform your learners about the goals and objectives of the course. Once you start the presentation, do not deviate from the core message. Your text, audio, and graphics should all be relevant to the subject matter. They should not detract your learners from your main lesson.

3. Know Your Audience:

The tone of your PowerPoint video presentation should match the content of your course. For example, if you are offering a makeup tutorial, your words should be simple. If, however, you are teaching an advanced course on physics or engineering, your language will be technical since your course covers a technical topic.

4. Adding Engagement:

You can turn up the engagement of your videos by adding more interesting elements to the content. For example, you can add YouTube videos, music, and interactive quizzes to ensure your course has the learner’s full attention.

A Meaningful Ending:

When ending your presentation, make sure you leave your learners with a resource that they can take away from the lesson. It could be a simple link to your website, a short ebook as a freebie, or just a few links. This provides a lot of value and creates a lasting impression on your customers.

Frequently Asked Questions on Recording Video

How can i record video online.

There are a few different ways to record videos online. One option is to use a screen-recording program like Camtasia or Snagit. These programs allow you to record your screen and create professional-looking videos.

Another option is to use a webcam to record yourself. This is a good option if you want to record a tutorial or how-to video.

Finally, you can use your smartphone. This is a good option if you’re recording something impromptu or if you want to record video in a format that’s easy to share online.

How can I record video for free?

One free option for recording video is to use a smartphone or tablet. Most devices come with a built-in camera, and there are also many apps available that can be used for recording video. If you already have a smartphone, then you may not need anything else to start recording for free.

How can I record audio and video online?

There are a few different ways you can record audio and video online. One option is to use a screen recording program like Screencast-O-Matic, Camtasia, or Snagit. These programs allow you to record your screen, along with any audio coming in through a microphone. You can then save the recording as a video file and share it online.

Another option is to use a webcam. Most computers come with a built-in webcam, or you can purchase an external webcam that plugs into your computer’s USB port.

Once you have a webcam set up, you can use it to record video by using a program like Skype or Zoom. You can set a webcam up to record audio through a microphone (if you want higher quality audio).

You can record audio separately (or with your video) by using a program like Audacity, Camtasia, or GarageBand. Once you’ve recorded your audio or video, you can save it as a .MPG file and share it online.

What is the best free online video recorder?

There are a number of free online video recorders available. These mostly cater to people using webcams and include Movavi’s Webcam Recorder , Webcamera.io , and Screen Capture .

While you’re looking for the best free online video recorder, consider the following factors:

• Ease of use: Look for a recorder with a user-friendly interface that won’t take hours to learn.
• Quality: The video recorder should produce high-quality recordings. Look for a recorder that offers various quality settings so you can adjust them according to your needs.
• File format: Look for a recorder that can export to different file formats so you can view your recordings on any device.
• Storage: Look for a recorder that offers cloud storage or that can save recordings directly to your hard drive.

How can I record my screen with audio online?

The first thing you’ll need to do is choose a screen recorder or screencast software. There are many options available, but some of the most popular include Screencast-O-Matic, Snagit, and Camtasia.

Nearly all screen recorders will connect up to an external microphone (if you have one) which will make the voice-over higher quality than using the built-in mic on your device.

Once you’ve selected a screen recorder, simply follow the instructions to record your screen. Often, it’s as simple as pressing a ‘record’ button!

Typically, you can record both your screen and your voice-over at the same time. When you’re finished, save your recording and share it online.

Final Words

PowerPoint presentations have come a long way from simple bullet points and stock images. Now, you can benefit from a plethora of impressive designing and editing options that allow you to create even more engaging and informative content for your online courses, tutorials, or webinars. In addition, there are plenty of tools available that allow you to record these presentations so that they are accessed and viewed anywhere, at any time.

Making excellent video PowerPoint presentations is now more important than ever. There is an increasing number of reasons to believe that more and more courses, classes, conferences, and events will be hosted through virtual content in the future.

As video presentations grow in popularity, learners will demand a higher quality of content. Hence, it is now more important than ever to produce sleek, professional quality, captivating PowerPoint presentations to establish yourself as an industry leader in the world of online courses.

Lisa Parmley

Lisa Parmley is the founder of coursemethod.com. After gaining a Master's degree, she worked in research for about seven years. She started a training company in 2001, offering a course helping people pass a professional exam. That course has earned multiple 7 figures. She created SEO and authority site building training around 2007 which went on to earn well into the 6-figure mark.

She has 22+ years of experience in the trenches creating and selling online courses. Get help starting and growing your online course business here .

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How to Record a Presentation with Webcam, Narration, and More

Everyone has, at some point, put a load of time and effort into creating the perfect PowerPoint presentation, only to use it once or twice. But isn’t it a shame for all that hard work to be discarded so quickly? Is every slide deck destined for deletion after just a couple of uses? 

Isn’t there a better way to make the most out of your presentations? Well, yes. Yes, there is. 

Rather than simply creating and presenting your work once or twice, recording your presentations can give them a new lease of life. Whether it’s a data report or a self-recorded PowerPoint, you can record a presentation in real-time, or in advance to make it available on-demand.

In this guide, we’ll explore two distinct ways of recording your presentation. First, we’ll discuss how to record a presentation from PowerPoint with audio and webcam, and then we’ll look at how to turn your .ppt slides into a video.

Benefits of Recording a Presentation 

As well as there being many different ways to record a presentation, there are also many benefits of recording them. So, before we show you the ‘how,’ let’s talk about the ‘why.’ 

• Encouraging asynchronous communication : One key benefit is fostering asynchronous communication . By recording presentations, you’re letting your audience engage with the content in their own time, breaking the constraints of time zones and scheduling conflicts. This also ensures your viewers can absorb information at their own pace, and revisit it as needed.
• Boosting SEO : You can use your presentation to create a YouTube video and share it on your website to increase your online visibility and attract prospective customers. This can be a great way to expand your audience, increase web traffic, and establish yourself as an expert in your field.
• Perfecting your presentation : Whether it’s in-person or over Zoom, you don’t get second chances with live presentations. However, a pre-recorded keynote lets you perfect the content and the narration before anyone sees it. This is a great way to combat stage fright while honing your presentation skills and building confidence.

With this in mind, turning your slides into a video is a no-brainer. It’s an easy way to grow your audience and make the information you’re sharing more accessible and easier to digest.

Record your presentation today!

Download a free trial of Snagit to quickly and easily record your presentation.

How to record your presentation (with Snagit)

Depending on your audience and the type of presentation you need to deliver, TechSmith’s Snagit could just be the perfect tool for recording your PowerPoint. With its user-friendly interface and advanced features, Snagit is ideal for capturing top-notch presentation videos, in just a few clicks. 

Now, there’s no denying that presentations are better when you can see the presenter… Fortunately, Snagit lets you capture your screen and webcam at the same time to create a Picture-in-Picture video.

In this section, we’ll guide you through the steps to record your presentation and webcam with Snagit. 

Step 1: Open video capture 

First, open Snagit and navigate to the Capture window. Select the Video tab, and start by clicking the big red Capture button.

Step 2: Select a recording area

Next, you’ll be prompted to choose which parts of your screen you want to record. Use Snagit’s orange crosshairs to select a specific region, window, or your entire screen. 

Step 3: Configure recording settings

With the Video Recording toolbar, you can set options like Cursor Capture and Effects, System Audio, and Webcam. 

If your webcam isn’t showing, click on the webcam icon. If you have an external webcam, select the one you want to use by clicking the dropdown arrow next to the webcam icon. 

Step 4: Adjust your webcam

Next, adjust your webcam options to ensure your Picture-in-Picture recording looks how you want it. Here you can change the Picture-in-Picture placement as well as the shape and size of your webcam recording. You can even toggle between Picture-in-Picture and fullscreen webcam modes as you like.

The best part? You can make these adjustments even while recording.

Step 5: Manage recording

When you’re ready to roll, hit the Record button and click the Stop button when you’re finished. It’s that simple! 

And remember, if there’s an interruption (like an unexpected visit from the mailman), just hit Pause. It’s okay to take a break — your video won’t be ruined by a little interruption.

Step 6: Edit your video

Once you’ve finished recording, Snagit will automatically open your video in the Snagit Editor, which is super easy to use. From here, you can make light edits to the footage as needed. 

For example, if you need to cut or trim your footage , you can! Here’s how: 

• Set Start Point : Drag the Start handle (green) on the timeline to your desired starting point.
• Set End Point : Similarly, drag the End handle (red) to where you want to end the cut.
• Review the Segment : Before making any cuts, you can review the segment by dragging the Playhead (white) left and right across the timeline. This ensures you’re only cutting the footage you intend to.
• Make the Cut : Once you’re satisfied with the selection, click the Cut button, which will pop up once you’ve made a selection.

And that’s all there is to it! If you want to go the extra mile, you can also use Snagit to save individual frames of your video as images , which can be used to create a thumbnail for your video . 

How to record a presentation from PowerPoint with audio and webcam

Now, Snagit is great for recording less formal videos in a flash, but if your presentation is intended for a particularly large or important audience, you might be looking to create something more polished. This is where TechSmith’s Camtasia comes in. 

Camtasia is one of the smartest and most intuitive pieces of editing software out there, but it also makes for a pretty nifty screen recorder too. Camtasia is great for recording presentations when you need more control and editing powers over the final product. 

But best of all, Camtasia streamlines the process by letting you record your presentation and voice over directly within PowerPoint. 

Step 1: Set up your presentation video recording

If you’re a Windows user, you’ll have the option to include a PowerPoint Add-in Toolbar when you install Camtasia. While this feature isn’t currently available on MacOS, the Camtasia Add-in Toolbar allows you to start, stop, and control your recordings from within PowerPoint — so you don’t need to switch between applications.

Just open the presentation you want to record and locate the Add-in toolbar under the Add-ins tab. 

Don’t see the add-in toolbar? Go to File > Options > Add-ins, to enable it. Click on the Manage drop-down, select Disabled Items, then click Go. If the Camtasia Add-in is listed, select it, and click Enable.

If you’re an Apple user, don’t panic! You can still record your screen (with audio) on a Mac using Camtasia, and it’s just as easy. Alternatively, you can skip ahead to the next section and import your slides directly into Camtasia. 

Step 2: Customize your recording options

Now let’s walk through each of the options on the toolbar before we begin recording.

Record audio

The microphone button controls whether or not audio is recorded as part of your presentation. When you enable it, you’ll be able to record your narration using a microphone.

If you are planning to record audio, this is where you’ll select your microphone. If you want to record great audio , we suggest using an external microphone, rather than the one that’s built into your laptop. 

Some of the best microphones for recording video are likely to be less expensive than you think. But, if you’re on a shoestring budget, even the mic that’s built into your headphones could produce better audio than your laptop. 

Once you’re set up, be sure to test the mic and adjust the volume slider as needed. You’ll also need to decide whether or not to record your system audio, which is any sound that comes out of your speakers, such as email notifications. 

Record webcam

If you have a webcam, you can also record your camera during the presentation to create a Picture-in-Picture clip — just as you can with Snagit! 

To customize even more of the recording settings, click the Recording Options button. Here you’ll find settings that let you record with a watermark and adjust your video frame rate . There are a few more options too, but the default settings should work just fine.

When you’re ready, click OK to close this window and save any changes made.

Step 3: Record your presentation

The final step is as simple as clicking the Record button in the toolbar. This will launch your slides into the Presentation Mode and start recording.

When you exit Presentation Mode or reach the end of your slideshow, you can either continue recording your screen, or stop recording and save your file. Pretty easy right? 

Before you get started, let us show you another way to turn your presentation into a video, without recording your desktop . 

How to turn your PowerPoint presentation slides into a video

Another way to create a video from your presentation is to import your PowerPoint slides into Camtasia. This way you can adjust how long each slide appears on screen, as well as add Behaviors and Annotations to personalize your presentation and highlight important information. 

By importing your slides into Camtasia, and recording your voice over separately, you get a lot more flexibility with the editing process, which means you have more control over the finished article. 

If you do decide to record your audio separately, you might want to take a look at TechSmith’s Audiate . This advanced audio recorder will transcribe your voice over in real-time and let you edit the audio file as if it were a text-based document. We don’t want to brag, but it’s probably the best way to add a voice over to a PowerPoint . 

Regardless of how you decide to narrate your PowerPoint, here’s how to turn your presentation into a video: 

1. Import your PowerPoint slides

First, start by importing your PowerPoint slides directly into Camtasia. Once your media is imported, you can edit it by dragging your slides into the Editing Toolbar.

You can now add the images to the Timeline, and edit them like any other media in a Project. 

If you drag your slides to the Timeline, the slides will be placed in the order of the presentation, each with a default 5-second duration.

With your presentation on the timeline, use Ripple Move to create space in between slides to adjust the timing of each one. To do this, hold shift, then click and drag.

Once you’ve imported your slides and adjusted the duration of each one to correlate with your voice over, it’s time to start editing. 

How to edit a presentation video (in Camtasia) 

Add behaviors.

Firstly, add some visual interest with Camtasia Behaviors . A Behavior is an animation that brings movement to your slides, making them stand out on screen. This is a great way to bring parts of your presentation to life and take it from ordinary to extraordinary — because nobody likes a boring presentation . 

To add a Behavior, click and drag the Behavior you wish to use onto the slide you want to animate. Once added, you can adjust the Behavior using the Properties tab.

Add annotations

Another good way to grab and direct your audience’s attention is to add some Annotations, which are great for highlighting important information.  

To insert an Annotation, click the Annotation tab on the left side of the screen and drag it into the designated slide. You can then re-position and edit the Annotation in the Properties tab as needed.

Recording a PowerPoint Presentation, the FAQs

Absolutely! Both Snagit and Camtasia are excellent choices for recording a professional and polished presentation. Snagit is perfect for no-fuss recording and editing. If you require more sophisticated editing capabilities, Camtasia is the ideal choice, offering the added convenience of recording your slideshow and voice over directly within PowerPoint.

Click the Record button in the toolbar to launch your slides into the Presentation Mode and start recording. When you exit Presentation Mode or reach the end of your slideshow, you can either continue recording your screen or stop and save your file.

If you’re planning to record audio, select your microphone in the recording options. The microphone button controls whether or not audio is recorded as part of your presentation. If you have a webcam attached to your computer, you can also record your camera to create a Picture-in-Picture clip, perfect for showing the presenter during the presentation.

With Snagit, you can conveniently record your voice over as you go through your presentation, capturing both the audio and visuals in one go. If you’re looking for more advanced recording and editing options, you might also consider using Camtasia, which allows you to record your voice over while presenting. For even more control, use Audiate to record your audio separately and then import it into Camtasia for fine-tuning.

Justin Simon

Global Content Strategy Manager at TechSmith. I play a lot of golf and watch a lot of football.

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Can I record PowerPoint Presentation with my animations

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• Microsoft Agent |

You have an option to record your presentation with animations. PowerPoint automatically records the time you spend on each slide, including any animation steps that occur, and the use of any triggers on each slide. To isolate the issue, I would like to confirm some information. Please answer the following:

• Is this your first time recording a PowerPoint with animations? If not, when did you first encounter this issue?
• Are you encountering this issue on all of the slides with animations?
• Does this issue occurs even when you try creating a new PowerPoint?

Meanwhile, I suggest that you check this link to be guided on the correct process in recording your presentation. Click on the Office version that you are using and follow the steps.

Let us know the result and please provide the required information.

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How-To Geek

6 ways to create more interactive powerpoint presentations.

Engage your audience with cool, actionable features.

Quick Links

• Add a QR code
• Embed Microsoft Forms (Education or Business Only)
• Embed a Live Web Page
• Add Links and Menus
• Add Clickable Images to Give More Info
• Add a Countdown Timer

We've all been to a presentation where the speaker bores you to death with a mundane PowerPoint presentation. Actually, the speaker could have kept you much more engaged by adding some interactive features to their slideshow. Let's look into some of these options.

1. Add a QR code

Adding a QR code can be particularly useful if you want to direct your audience to an online form, website, or video.

Some websites have in-built ways to create a QR code. For example, on Microsoft Forms , when you click "Collect Responses," you'll see the QR code option via the icon highlighted in the screenshot below. You can either right-click the QR code to copy and paste it into your presentation, or click "Download" to add it to your device gallery to insert the QR code as a picture.

In fact, you can easily add a QR code to take your viewer to any website. On Microsoft Edge, right-click anywhere on a web page where there isn't already a link, and left-click "Create QR Code For This Page."

You can also create QR codes in other browsers, such as Chrome.

You can then copy or download the QR code to use wherever you like in your presentation.

2. Embed Microsoft Forms (Education or Business Only)

If you plan to send your PPT presentation to others—for example, if you're a trainer sending step-by-step instruction presentation, a teacher sending an independent learning task to your students, or a campaigner for your local councilor sending a persuasive PPT to constituents—you might want to embed a quiz, questionnaire, pole, or feedback survey in your presentation.

In PowerPoint, open the "Insert" tab on the ribbon, and in the Forms group, click "Forms". If you cannot see this option, you can add new buttons to the ribbon .

As at April 2024, this feature is only available for those using their work or school account. We're using a Microsoft 365 Personal account in the screenshot below, which is why the Forms icon is grayed out.

Then, a sidebar will appear on the right-hand side of your screen, where you can either choose a form you have already created or opt to craft a new form.

Now, you can share your PPT presentation with others , who can click the fields and submit their responses when they view the presentation.

3. Embed a Live Web Page

You could always screenshot a web page and paste that into your PPT, but that's not a very interactive addition to your presentation. Instead, you can embed a live web page into your PPT so that people with access to your presentation can interact actively with its contents.

To do this, we will need to add an add-in to our PPT account .

Add-ins are not always reliable or secure. Before installing an add-in to your Microsoft account, check that the author is a reputable company, and type the add-in's name into a search engine to read reviews and other users' experiences.

To embed a web page, add the Web Viewer add-in ( this is an add-in created by Microsoft ).

Go to the relevant slide and open the Web Viewer add-in. Then, copy and paste the secure URL into the field box, and remove https:// from the start of the address. In our example, we will add a selector wheel to our slide. Click "Preview" to see a sample of the web page's appearance in your presentation.

This is how ours will look.

When you or someone with access to your presentation views the slideshow, this web page will be live and interactive.

4. Add Links and Menus

As well as moving from one slide to the next through a keyboard action or mouse click, you can create links within your presentation to direct the audience to specific locations.

To create a link, right-click the outline of the clickable object, and click "Link."

In the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, click "Place In This Document," choose the landing destination, and click "OK."

What's more, to make it clear that an object is clickable, you can use action buttons. Open the "Insert" tab on the ribbon, click "Shape," and then choose an appropriate action button. Usefully, PPT will automatically prompt you to add a link to these shapes.

You might also want a menu that displays on every slide. Once you have created the menu, add the links using the method outlined above. Then, select all the items, press Ctrl+C (copy), and then use Ctrl+V to paste them in your other slides.

5. Add Clickable Images to Give More Info

Through PowerPoint's animations, you can give your viewer the power to choose what they see and when they see it. This works nicely whether you're planning to send your presentation to others to run through independently or whether you're presenting in front of a group and want your audience to decide which action they want to take.

Start by creating the objects that will be clickable (trigger) and the items that will appear (pop-up).

Then, select all the pop-ups together. When you click "Animations" on the ribbon and choose an appropriate animation for the effect you want to achieve, this will be applied to all objects you have selected.

The next step is to rename the triggers in your presentation. To do this, open the "Home" tab, and in the Editing group, click "Select", and then "Selection Pane."

With the Selection Pane open, select each trigger on your slide individually, and rename them in the Selection Pane, so that they can be easily linked to in the next step.

Finally, go back to the first pop-up. Open the "Animations" tab, and in the Advanced Animation group, click the "Trigger" drop-down arrow. Then, you can set the item to appear when a trigger is clicked in your presentation.

If you want your item to disappear when the trigger is clicked again, select the pop-up, click "Add Animation" in the Advanced Animation group, choose an Exit animation, and follow the same step to link that animation to the trigger button.

6. Add a Countdown Timer

A great way to get your audience to engage with your PPT presentation is to keep them on edge by adding a countdown timer. Whether you're leading a presentation and want to let your audience stop to discuss a topic, or running an online quiz with time-limit questions, having a countdown timer means your audience will keep their eye on your slide throughout.

To do this, you need to animate text boxes or shapes containing your countdown numbers. Choose and format a shape and type the highest number that your countdown clock will need. In our case, we're creating a 10-second timer.

Now, with your shape selected, open the "Animations" tab on the ribbon and click the animation drop-down arrow. Then, in the Exit menu, click "Disappear."

Open the Animation Pane, and click the drop-down arrow next to the animation you've just added. From there, choose "Timing."

Make sure "On Click" is selected in the Start menu, and change the Delay option to "1 second," before clicking "OK."

Then, with this shape still selected, press Ctrl+C (copy), and then Ctrl+V (paste). In the second box, type 9 . With the Animation Pane still open and this second shape selected, click the drop-down arrow and choose "Timing" again. Change the Start option to "After Previous," and make sure the Delay option is 1 second. Then, click "OK."

We can now use this second shape as our template, as when we copy and paste it again, the animations will also duplicate. With this second shape selected, press Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V, type 8 into the box, and continue to do the same until you get to 0 .

Next, remove the animations from the "0" box, as you don't want this to disappear. To do this, click the shape, and in the Animation Pane drop-down, click "Remove."

You now need to layer them in order. Right-click the box containing number 1, and click "Bring To Front." You will now see that box on the top. Do the same with the other numbers in ascending order.

Finally, you need to align the objects together. Click anywhere on your slide and press Ctrl+A. Then, in the Home tab on the ribbon, click "Arrange." First click "Align Center," and then bring the menu up again, so that you can click "Align Middle."

Press Ctrl+A again to select your timer, and you can then move your timer or copy and paste it elsewhere.

Press F5 to see the presentation in action, and when you get to the slide containing the timer, click anywhere on the slide to see your countdown timer in action!

Now that your PPT presentation is more interactive, make sure you've avoided these eight common presentational mistakes before you present your slides.