how to record powerpoint presentation

How to Record A PowerPoint Presentation [2022 User Guide]

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter

By Nikolay Kaloyanov

in How-To Tutorials

2 years ago

Viewed 529 times

Spread the word about this article:

If knowing how to record a PowerPoint presentation wasn’t necessary a decade ago, this isn’t how things stand today. The pandemic taught us a valuable lesson – if we don’t catch up with technology, we will fall short.

Fortunately, Microsoft’s app is the global leader in presentation software and provides you with all the required tools to create an excellent presentation you can show in front of your audience. But how to record a presentation on PowerPoint, and is it easy to do so?

Article overview: 1. What are the benefits of recording PowerPoint presentations? 2. How to record a PowerPoint presentation? 3. How to live stream a PowerPoint presentation? 4. Frequently asked questions

1. What are the benefits of recording PowerPoint presentations?

I am are pretty sure that if recording presentations weren’t helpful, PowerPoint wouldn’t offer it to its users. Well, we all know that’s not the case. Recording your PowerPoint slides can bring a ton of benefits. Let’s see which they are:

• Save time  – regardless if you’re a lecturer or present in front of colleagues, having a video of your recording will save you many hours. Imagine speaking in front of your marketing team, but 2 members are on summer holidays. It’s fine. They’ll catch up later when they watch your PowerPoint recording.
• Focus on the presentation  – usually, if you’re presenting in front of an audience, it’s typical to get asked many questions that you need to answer promptly. But that is a good reason to get distracted from your core information. Thus, it makes sense to record your presentation beforehand.
• Practice before presenting – the best way to carry out a great presentation is to spend some time at home, focusing on key details. When you record your PowerPoint slides, you can find areas of improvement and work on them.

2. How to record a PowerPoint presentation?

There are many tools that you can use to record a PowerPoint presentation. From Loom and Panopto, and even Apple’s basic Quicktime and Windows’ own recording tool. But here we will discuss none of the other options. Why? The answer is simple: PowerPoint has its own in-built, robust recording tool.

Unlike other options, PowerPoint’s recording feature enables you to record slide by slide. This effectively means you can create as many recordings as you like, until you like the playback version, and move on to the next slide.

Pro tip : PowerPoint doesn’t record slide transitions. You need to start recording each slide when it is opened and finish the recording before you move on to the next one.

Let’s see how to record a PowerPoint presentation with video and audio in just a few steps.

Step #1: Open your PowerPoint presentation

The first step is to open the PowerPoint presentation you wish to record. Ensure you have all the necessary slides and information on them. While this seems logical, there aren’t one or two cases when presenters have recorded wrong or unfinished slides, which leads to a disappointing outcome.

Step #2: Prepare your video and audio devices

Before you start the recording, you should check your camera and microphone. Try to make a sound check and see if your camera works properly.

Step #3: Select the slides you wish to record

PowerPoint gives you the option to record a presentation right from the beginning, or from a specifically selected slide.

• Pick “ From Beginning ” (1) from the Record tab of the Ribbon if you wish to start from the first slide.
• Pick “ From Current Slide ” (2) from the same tab in case you would like to start from a selected slide (which isn’t the first one).
• Click the Record button (3) which is positioned in the top right corner, between the Comments  and Share buttons. It starts the recording from the slide you have currently selected.

Step #4: Start the recording

Once you click on one of the options, you are ready to start narrating your PowerPoint presentation. You will see a countdown timer, after which you can start narrating slides.

Step #5: Manage your PowerPoint recording

You have probably seen a couple of other options aside from the recording one. Let’s see which they are:

• Timer with a grey/red light – if you are recording your narration, you will see a timer and a small circle with a red light that indicates you are recording. If you pause, the small circle indicator will become grey again and the timer will stop counting.
• Refresh icon – right next to the timer there is a refresh-like icon but it serves a different purpose – to re-take the recording. You have the option to record again the current slide or all slides.
• Start/Stop button  – the big red button serves as a start/stop button for your recordings. Only stop the recording when you want to move on to the next slide.
• Pause button – if you would like to stop the slide recording, in order to drink some water or read your speaker notes, you can use the Pause button, and then resume the recording. Bear in mind you cannot pause and move to the next slide. You have to stop the recording, to indicate you have finished with the current slide.
• Camera button  – clicking the camera button will work as a toggle on/off.
• Microphone Button – clicking the microphone button will work as a toggle on/off.
• Ellipsis – this is the place where you can select camera and microphone settings, as well as erase recordings from the current slide or all slides.

Step #6: Export your PowerPoint video recording

The last button from the menu is the Export setting. You can export your narration as an mp4 file in Full HD size by default. However, you can customize your export and get your narration in 4 sizes – 480p, 720p (HD), 1080p (Full HD – standard), and 4K. We don’t recommend Ultra HD exports.

Pro Tip : Exporting 4K PowerPoint presentation recordings doesn’t necessarily mean you will get better quality (unless you have 4K resources within your presentation) but it does guarantee a significantly larger file size – up to 4 times more than on standard Full HD recordings.

3. How to live stream a PowerPoint presentation?

If you have already honed your skills and would like to stream your PowerPoint slides directly to your audience, there are many ways to do so. We are going to cover two of them.

3.1. How to stream a PowerPoint presentation from OneDrive?

Microsoft has invested a lot of resources to make OneDrive a powerful cloud service, and so far they have been quite successful. Let’s see how to record a PowerPoint presentation in front of live audiences.

Step 1 – save your PowerPoint presentation in OneDrive.

Step 2 – open your PowerPoint slides from PowerPoint online.

Step 3 – go to Present Live  from the Slideshow Ribbon tab.

Step 4 – share a  live link with your audience.

3.2. Stream your PowerPoint presentation in Zoom

Zoom is one of the most popular conference call apps which has plenty of tools, including live streaming presentations. Since PowerPoint is the leading presentation program in the world, Zoom developers have created some amazing things, like PowerPoint presentation recording with a web camera on a transparent background. If you’re interested, you can check our guide on how to record a Zoom presentation .

Does PowerPoint have a screen recording?

PowerPoint has a screen recording window and you can select the area you would like to be recorded. Go to Record  (from the Ribbon), then select Screen Recording , choose the area and start recording.

Can I view speaker notes while recording narration?

You are able to access your speaker notes if you have created them beforehand. To insert speaker notes, you have to go to View -> Notes Page  and you will have a text box that you can utilize for speaker notes.

What format does PowerPoint use for video?

PowerPoint records videos in mp4 format. The default resolution is 1080p (Full HD).

Recording your PowerPoint presentations can make the difference between a successful and smooth speech and a bad narration. Being able to record each slide means you can get the best narration possible for your whole presentation.

And if you would like to stream your presentation live, there are more than enough options to do so – both via the online version of PowerPoint or via third-party apps like Zoom.

If you found this article helpful, you can also check some of our other PowerPoint tutorials:

• Add Audio to PowerPoint: The Quick Step-by-Step Guide
• Insert GIFs into PowerPoint – a 2022 Pocket Guide
• How to Convert Your PowerPoint Presentation into Google Slides ?

Add some character to your visuals

Cartoon Characters, Design Bundles, Illustrations, Backgrounds and more...

Like us on Facebook

Subscribe to our newsletter

Be the first to know what’s new in the world of graphic design and illustrations.

• [email protected]

Browse High Quality Vector Graphics

E.g.: businessman, lion, girl…

Related Articles

How to make a business card template with bleeds in adobe illustrator, character animator tutorials part 6: behaviors 2, how to add, duplicate, move, hide, and delete slides in google slides, 22 coreldraw tutorials for beginners to start design, what is a storyboard [theory, examples and mega inspiration], enjoyed this article.

Don’t forget to share!

• Comments (0)

Nikolay Kaloyanov

Nikolay is a copywriter with vast experience in Technology, Marketing, and Design. When he isn't playing with words and crafting texts, he watches sports and asks questions. He is a funny person...until you put him on a diet.

Thousands of vector graphics for your projects.

Hey! You made it all the way to the bottom!

Here are some other articles we think you may like:

How-To Tutorials

How to add a gif to google slides and make it look nice.

by Nikolay Kaloyanov

How to Make Cartoon Animation Like Ted-Ed

by Lyudmil Enchev

How to Make an Infographic in PowerPoint: The Beginners’ Guide

by Iveta Pavlova

Looking for Design Bundles or Cartoon Characters?

A source of high-quality vector graphics offering a huge variety of premade character designs, graphic design bundles, Adobe Character Animator puppets, and more.

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.

Sodiq has written thousands of tutorials, guides, and explainers over the past 4 years to help people solve problems with Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows devices. He also enjoys reviewing consumer tech products (smartphones, smart home devices, accessories, etc.) and binge-watching comedy series in his spare time. Read Sodiq's Full Bio

Read More Posts:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

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.

Like this article? Please share

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

Related Articles

Filed under PowerPoint Tutorials • March 26th, 2024

How to Translate in PowerPoint

Unlock the experience of PowerPoint translation! Learn methods, tools, and expert tips for smooth Spanish conversions. Make your presentations global.

Filed under Google Slides Tutorials • March 22nd, 2024

How to Share a Google Slides Presentation

Optimize your presentation delivery as we explore how to share a Google Slides presentation. A must-read for traveling presenters.

Filed under PowerPoint Tutorials • March 19th, 2024

How to Change Line Spacing in PowerPoint

Adjust text formatting by learning how to change line spacing in PowerPoint. Instructions for paragraph indenting included.

One Response to “How to Record a Presentation in PowerPoint”

How do I generate webcam option in PowerPoint 2016 ?

Leave a Reply

Blog > Record voice narration for PowerPoint

Record voice narration for PowerPoint

01.11.21   •  #presentation #powerpoint #voiceover #narration.

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

Here's what you need for recording:

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

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

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

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

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

Save Presentation as Video

• Go to File in the PowerPoint taskbar

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

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

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

Live interaction with polls & quizzes

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

Can I record a presentation in PowerPoint?

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

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

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

Related articles

About the author.

Pia Lehner-Mittermaier

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

Get 1 Month for free!

Do you want to make your presentations more interactive.

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

Top blog articles More posts

Insert Harvey Balls in PowerPoint

How to embed fonts in PowerPoint (2010, 2013, 2016, 2019)

Get started with Live Polls, Q&A and slides

for your PowerPoint Presentations

The big SlideLizard presentation glossary

Leading questions.

Leading questions subconsciously make the respondent think in a certain direction.

Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication means that the communication is based on someone's voice and body instead on the use of words.

Student Response System (SRS)

With Student Response Systems (SRS) it is possible to get live student feedback in the classroom. Questions and answers can usually be asked and given anonymously, which increases participation and engagement. An SRS may be used for any grade, including university.

.potm file extension

A .potm file is a template for macro-enabled presentations. They are used for creating more .pptm files with the same macro settings and the same formatting.

Be the first to know!

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

- or follow us on -

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

Cookie Settings

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

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

How to 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.

• How To Rotate a Video
• How to Write A Shot List That Will Transform Your Video
• YouTube vs. Vimeo: What’s the Difference?

Subscribe to TechSmith’s Newsletter

Join over 200,000 people who get actionable tips and expert advice every month in the TechSmith Newsletter.

How to Record a PowerPoint Presentation

By Jeff Cobb .  Last Updated on July 10, 2022

Need to record a PowerPoint presentation? Whether for an online course , a virtual conference session, or as an element of a broader content marketing strategy, most edupreneurs and expertise-based businesses will need to record presentations at some point. And while a growing number turn to alternatives like Google Slides or Keynote, Microsoft PowerPoint is still the most common choice.

It’s hard to believe (at least for me) that PowerPoint has been a mainstay of educators and public speakers for over 30 years. Even more surprising, its market share has held steady at 95% since the late 1990s. Clearly, it’s going nowhere, in spite of the complaints about “ death by PowerPoint ” that have been around for nearly as long.

The problem, of course, is that most presenters have never learned to use PowerPoint effectively, resulting in dull, tired presentations that quickly turn learners off. That problem is usually even worse when you record a PowerPoint presentation because you lose the ability to respond, adjust, and interact with your audience on the fly.

So, in this post, we’ll take a look at how to video record yourself presenting a PowerPoint using the tools in PowerPoint (and a few compatible video editing programs) and also review the basics of creating an effective, compelling presentation.

• For a more in-depth look at how to make your content as seamless as your slides, check out 7 steps to record a successful virtual presentation .
• For more on using PowerPoint to create online courses, see Optimizing PowerPoint for E- learning .

How Microsoft PowerPoint Works

You’d have to be living under a rock to have never heard of PowerPoint before, but to understand how it works, it’s important to know why it was first designed.

The original PowerPoint program was written to create overhead transparencies, a favored medium of many educators before video projectors and interactive whiteboards became the norm! This explains PowerPoint’s “slide” feature, as originally each presentation was delivered on a series of individual sheets.

Today the slides created in PowerPoint are usually displayed as a complete video or slide show. This ability opened the door for more interactive elements, such as animated transitions between slides, and embedded video and audio. These features can help make your PowerPoint presentation more engaging, but too many interactive elements can increase the learners’ cognitive load and ultimately make presentations less effective.

How to Create a PowerPoint Presentation

Every presentation starts with the same basic template. These options are fully customizable, or you can select from pre-made templates to speed up the process of designing your slides. To make a simple presentation, you only have to add text, bullet points, and images. Use the preset layouts or select content boxes from the top ribbon and click to insert them into your post.

The latest versions of PowerPoint include a stock image library, and the program will suggest design ideas based on your layout to make each slide look more professional. This is an excellent feature if you’re not particularly design-minded and don’t want to spend a long time adjusting the appearance of your slides.

Pro Tip : If you need to edit your images, check out Pixlr , a simple, but powerful Web- based photo editor.

Once you’re happy with the content and general appearance of your PowerPoint presentation, it’s time to add your audio or video content. The entire slide show can then be exported as a video presentation or virtual lesson, and uploaded to your website, newsletter, or content delivery system of choice.

PowerPoint will export to video (mp4 or wmv) in full or ultra HD (1080p/4K). This is important if you intend to embed your presentation in a website or use it as part of an online course. It also removes compatibility issues for users who either don’t have access to PowerPoint, or are using PowerPoint for the web, which doesn’t support all the functionality of the full program.

How to Record Audio on PowerPoint

The most fundamental question in recording your presentation is how to record voice on PowerPoint. To add voice recordings to your presentation, simply select the Slide Show tab from the top ribbon.

Before completing the entire recording, I recommend using the Rehearse Timings feature to review how your script fits your slides. This opens a test screen that will play your slide show and record how long you spend on each page.

Use the Pause and Reset buttons as you make adjustments and use the Notes section to document any changes you need to make to your script (you do have a script, right?). If timing is an issue, use an online speech calculator to calculate your word count.

When you’re ready to record, select the Record Slide Show option from the top ribbon. Toggle video and/or audio on or off using the options at the top of the record screen.

While you can record audio using a built-in microphone, investing in a good quality shotgun mic will improve the quality of your recording.

By default, PowerPoint enables you to record the full slide show presentation in a single take. Click through the slides to trigger animations or progress through the presentation. When you’re

done, you can review the recording. The recording is saved on a slide-by-slide basis, so you don’t have to re-record the entire presentation to correct any errors.

A word of caution : Because the audio is saved on a per-slide basis, no audio is recorded during slide transitions. Always ensure you have finished speaking before triggering the next slide to avoid cutting off the end of each section.

How to Video Record Yourself Presenting

If you want to include yourself in your PowerPoint, toggle the video option on from the Record Slide Show screen. By default, your camera input will appear at the bottom right of your presentation during the recording.

Once you’ve finished recording your video, return to the editing screen. Your recording will appear in the bottom right. From here it can be dragged anywhere on the slide to reposition it. You can also resize the video frame or remove the recording by selecting and deleting it.

As with audio recording, PowerPoint doesn’t save video during transitions. And while you can use a built-in webcam to record your presentation, if you want it to look more professional, you’re better investing in an external camera such as the Mevo Plus .

Related: How to create a simple home video studio

Record with a Screen Recorder

While you can get a perfectly good recording using the native capabilities in PowerPoint, there are powerful third-party tools that can help you take your recorded presentation to a more professional level – increasingly important if you want to stand out in the market for online courses and/or virtual event presentations.

Specialized screen recording or screencasting software offers more post-production options, including professional transitions, closed captioning, the ability to add interactive elements, and direct publishing to content distributors such as Vimeo and YouTube, and additional video file formats, including mov, avi, and mpeg-2.

In this section, we’ll take a quick look at three of the most popular choices:

• Screencast-O-matic

Each of these is compatible with PowerPoint and offers extra features to make your presentation stand out from the crowd. (You can also find more information about screen recording software here as well as in this review of Camtasia alternatives .)

Recording a PowerPoint Presentation with Camtasia

Since its initial release in October 2002, Camtasia has grown to become an industry leader in screen recording and video editing. Using Camtasia you can capture personal videos via your web camera, record sections of your screen, load sound effects from Camtasia’s royalty-free music library, capture stuff from your iPhone, throw in pre-made animations, set up custom video themes, apply device themes, and more.

Camtasia is compatible with both macOS and Windows PCs – it can run on Microsoft Windows 10 or later versions as well as on macOS 10.13 or later.

If you have Camtasia and PowerPoint installed on your computer, you’ll find the Camtasia record features in the Add In tab on the toolbar in PowerPoint. From there you can access additional features Camtasia offers, such as setting custom hot keys or frame rate.

You can also import your PowerPoint slides into Camtasia and edit them in Camtasia’s software instead. Click the Import Media option and select your PowerPoint file. This will convert your slides into PNG image files. While this will limit your ability to edit the slide itself, it gives you much more control over the final output, as you can adjust your slides to fit your audio and video overlay.

If you plan to record a PowerPoint presentation for use as part of an online course, one of the big advantages of using Camtasia is that you can export your finished recording as a SCORM package, meaning it can be imported into any SCORM-compliant learning management system (LMS) and the LMS will be able to track learning activity (e.g., time in course, quiz scores). This is not possible when relying only PowerPoint’s native recording capabilities. (More on SCORM here.)

Recording a PowerPoint Presentation with ScreenFlow

Available only for Mac, ScreenFlow is software that allows you to simultaneously record from your screen, camera, and microphone. You can record everything in a single take by navigating through your slide show on your screen while delivering your audio and/or video presentation, or you can record each element separately and stitch them together. While a little more time consuming, this second method works best if you need to edit, cut, or retake a section of your delivery.

Like Camtasia, ScreenFlow includes a suite of audio and video editing tools to customize your presentation, and it enables you to continue speaking during slide transitions. This can eliminate long pauses and deliver a seamless narration.

In general, Screenflow is very similar to Camtasia in its overall feature set. One major difference is that it cannot export content as a SCORM package, which may make it somewhat less attractive for course creators. On the other hand, if you are a Mac user, it’s lower price tag makes it an attractive option for bring more power to recording your PowerPoint presentations.

Recording a Presentation with Screencast-O-Matic

Screencast-O-Matic screencasting software – compatible with both Mac and PC – boasts a powerful suite of video editing tools. Even the Premier version only costs an extremely reasonable $4/month. As with other software, you can record video or audio as well as your screen and edit the final presentation with post-production tools.

Open PowerPoint and navigate through your slides while Screencast-O-Matic records all or part of your screen. You can hide or show the webcam video at any point during the presentation, and use video editing tools to add effects, captions, and filters.

While somewhat less feature rich than Camtasia – particularly in the free version – Screencast-O-Matic does have the advantage of a very user-friendly interface. If you are new to creating recorded presentations, it will enable you to get up and running in no time and at little to no extra cost.

Final Thoughts

PowerPoint has come a long way from mundane bullet point slides and gimmicky transitions. Now a host of impressive design and editing tools allow you to create engaging, informative

video presentations for your online courses , webinars, and lecture series. And native tools make it possible to record a PowerPoint presentation so that it can be access and played according to the specific schedules of your audience members.

Getting skilled at recording your presentations is more important than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the value of virtual learning across multiple fields and industries, and there’s every reason to believe that more and more conferences, courses, and events will continue to make video learning a core part of their strategy in the future.

As recorded presentations grow in popularity, though, event planners, attendees, training purchasers, and learners will demand higher quality content. So, it’s more important than ever to produce professional, quality videos that captivate your audience and demonstrate the value of your expertise . PowerPoint and accompanying video editing programs now make creating beautiful presentations easier than ever before.

• Camtasia Review
• Camtasia Alternatives
• Optimizing PowerPoint for E-learning
• 7 Steps to Record a Successful Virtual Presentation

Table of Contents

Related Posts

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

• 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.

Need more help?

Want more options.

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

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

Microsoft 365 training

Microsoft security

Accessibility center

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

Ask the Microsoft Community

Microsoft Tech Community

Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

Was this information helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

#1 Screen Recorder

Free Video Course

Mini AI Tools

Best Product Videos

Try Tella for free

October 16, 2023

How to Record a PowerPoint Presentation (with Audio)

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

Table of contents

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

Other solutions

Things to do before you start recording

Tips for creating engaging powerpoint recordings.

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

Step 1: Open your PowerPoint presentation

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

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

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

Step 2: Prepare for recording

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

Step 3: Start the recording

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

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

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

Click on your preferred option to proceed with the recording.

Step 4: Recording the narration and timings

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

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

Step 5: Manage your recording

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

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

Stop: Click this button to end your recording.

Replay: This allows you to review your recording.

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

Step 6: Edit or remove narration and timings

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

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

Choose one of the following options:

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

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

Consider re-recording the sections that need improvement.

Step 7: Save and share your presentation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Step 1: Install OBS Studio

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

Step 2: Open OBS Studio

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

Step 3: Setting Up Your Scene

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

Step 4: Setting Up Sources

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

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

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

Step 5: Positioning Your Sources

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

Step 6: Open PowerPoint Presentation

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

Step 7: Adjust OBS Studio Settings

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

Step 8: Start Your Presentation

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

Step 9: Start Recording

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

Step 10: Save Your Recording

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

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

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

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

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

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

Talk about a dream team!

Step #1 - Getting started with Tella

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

There are several ways you can do this, including;

Running the Web App

Running the Chrome extension

Running the Mac App

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

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

Have your presentation ready already?

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

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

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

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

Step #2 - Roll cameras, action!

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

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

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

Step #3 - Wrapping it up

Breathe out; you made it!

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

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

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

Other solutions to record a PowerPoint

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Setting your goals

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

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

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

Creating content to fit your audience

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

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

Let your audience know you speak their language.

Polishing your presentation

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

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

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

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

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

Prepare your audio equipment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wrapping up

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jul 24, 2023

The Ultimate Chrome Screen Recorder Extension (with Audio)

May 19, 2022

How to Record Your Screen on a Mac

Aug 18, 2022

How To Record Your Screen And Webcam Simultaneously

Tella — Screen recording for creators

Learn more ->

Learn more about Tella ->

How to Record in a PowerPoint presentation Audio & Video.

Recording audio and video in a PowerPoint presentation can improve the overall effectiveness and impact of your presentation because it can make it more interesting and keep your audience engaged.

Microsoft PowerPoint 2013 and later versions allow you to record your presentation with audio and video, so you can enhance your slides with voice narration or by recording yourself during the narration via the camera.

In this guide we show, how you can record your voice or yourself while presenting a Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation and how to insert an audio or video file to a Presentation. You will also learn how to save the presentation as a video file or as a PowerPoint Show after you have finished recording audio/video.

How to Record or Insert Audio or Video in a PowerPoint Presentation.

There are two ways to include audio and video in your PowerPoint presentation: record a slide show with audio from your microphone and video from your camera, or add external audio and video to your presentation from a file.

* Note: As mentioned above, to add sound and video to a PowerPoint presentation you should have Microsoft PowerPoint 2013, 2016, 2019 or PowerPoint for Office 365.

1. Record your Audio & Video to PowerPoint.

2. Insert External Audio or Video files to PowerPoint.

Method 1. Record your Sound and Video to a PowerPoint Presentation.

To record your voice narration and/or yourself while presenting the slides in a presentation:

Step 1. Configure Microphone & Camera Settings.

Before recording your audio/video to a PowerPoint presentation, make sure that your microphone and camera settings are properly configured.

To adjust your microphone and camera settings for optimal quality:

1. Press Windows + I keys to open Windows Settings.

2 . Go to System > Sound and under Input Settings select your microphone device and make sure the input volume is set to at least 80%

3. When done, go to Bluetooth & devices > Cameras > Connected Cameras and ensure that your camera is recognized by the system.

Step 2. Record Audio and Video to PowerPoint Slideshow.

Before you start recording audio/video in a presentation, it's important to know that audio cannot be recorded during animations and slide transitions. So, to avoid interruptions of your speech during the presentation, remember to leave a brief pause of 1-2 seconds in your narration at the beginning and end of each slide.

1. Open the PowerPoint presentation in which you want to record audio and video.

2. From the Slide Show tab (or the Recording tab), click the Record Slide Show button and choose either Record from Current slide or Record from Beginning, depending on which point you want to add audio/video.

3. The presentation will open in a recording window in full-screen mode.

4. Click the SETTINGS button at the top-right corner and ensure the correct microphone and camera devices are selected.

5. Use the Microsoft and Camera icons in the bottom right corner of the screen to turn off the input of the Microphone or Camera device if it is not needed during the presentation.

6. When you are ready, click the RECORD button to start recording your voice and/or camera input and present your slides.

7. Use the arrow keys to navigate through slides (forward only). Remember that you cannot go back or forward to a slide that already has a recording. This is to prevent accidentally recording over an existing recording.

8. If there are videos in your slides, click on them to start or stop the playback.

9. Use the Pen , Highlighter , or Laser icons from the bottom right corner to annotate your slides.

10. Look at the bottom left corner to find out the time counts for the current slide and the entire presentation.

11. If a slide already contains a recording, you will see a video preview or a speaker icon displayed at the bottom right corner.

• To re-record audio/video to a slide, click CLEAR and select Clear Recording on Current Slides .
• To delete all recordings, click CLEAR and select Clear Recordings on All Slides .

12. To pause or stop recording using the Pause and Stop buttons.

13. When finished Close the recording window (or right-click and select End Show ).

Step 3. Preview your Recordings on the Presentation.

After completing the recording, it is crucial to review the recordings of each slide before exporting the file as a PowerPoint show or video. To preview your recordings in your PowerPoint presentation:

1. Go to the Slide Show tab and click either From Beginning or From Current Slide to start playback.

2. Make sure each slide has a record and timing by changing the View to Slide Sorter .

3. On each slide where audio has been recorded you will see an audio icon along with the time/duration of the recording.

4. When you are satisfied with your recordings, you can move on to the next steps and export the entire presentation, including your audio and videos, either as a PowerPoint Show as a video file.

Step 4. Save the Presentation as a PowerPoint Show.

If you want to export your Presentation as a PowerPoint Show (.ppsx), which is useful if you want your presentation to be viewed even on computers that don't have the Microsoft PowerPoint app installed, do the following:

1. Click on File and select Save As .

2. Choose the location where you want to save the file and select PowerPoint Show (*.ppsx) format from the Save as type drop-down menu.

3. Then, click Save to save the file as a PowerPoint Show.

Step 5. Save Presentation to Video.

If you prefer to export your PowerPoint SlideShow as a video file, follow these steps:

1. Click on File and select Export .

2. Then Click the Create a Video option and select the preferred video quality from the first drop-down menu (e.g., Full HD 1080p ).

3. Then select the Use Recorded Timings and Narrations option in the next drop-down menu.

4. Then adjust the Seconds spent on each slide for the slides without recordings.

5. Finally, click the Create Video button and select the location to save the video.

6. Now wait for the PowerPoint to finish creating the video, as it may take some time depending on the performance of your computer.

7. Once the video is created, you can play it using any video player of your choice.

Method 2. Add External Audio and/or Video to a PowerPoint Presentation.

Instead of directly capturing audio and video within PowerPoint, you can insert an external audio or video file in your presentation.

Step 1. Adding an audio archive to a PowerPoint presentation.

To insert an audio file from your computer (such as pre-recorded narration, background music), to a slide:

1. Open your PowerPoint presentation and navigate to the specific slide where you want to add the audio.

2. Then, go to the Recording tab, click on the Audio button, and select the Audio on My PC option.

3. Then, choose the desired audio file from your device and click Insert .

4. The added audio file will appear as a small speaker icon in your presentation.

5. When you click on the speaker icon, the Playback tab will appear in the Ribbon. Move to the Playback tab and click the Play in Background option if you want the audio to play across all slides.

Step 2. Adding a Video file to a PowerPoint Presentation.

If you want to insert a video file from your PC, inside a Presentation.

1. Open the presentation and navigate to the specific slide where you want to add the audio.

2. Switch to the Recording tab and click on the Video button.

3. Then, select the video file that you want to add in the slide and click Insert .

4. Resize the video window as needed, and then customize the Playback settings from the Playback tab.

Step 3. Exporting or Saving the Presentation.

Once the audio and video files are inserted, you can export the presentation to a video file or save it as a PowerPoint show. To do that:

1. Select the Recording tab:

• Select Save as Show to save the file as a PowerPoint show, or…
• Export to Video to export the file as a video.

That's it! Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.

We're hiring

We're looking for part-time or full-time technical writers to join our team! It's about a remote position that qualified tech writers from anywhere in the world can apply. Click here for more details.

• Recent Posts

• How to Upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11. - April 3, 2024
• FIX: Windows 11 File Explorer is slow, lags and freezes. - April 1, 2024
• FIX: Windows Security Not Working in Windows 11. - March 28, 2024

Konstantinos Tsoukalas

Related posts.

How to , Tutotial , Windows , Windows 10 , Windows 11

How to Upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11.

FIX: Windows 11 File Explorer is slow, lags and freezes.

FIX: Windows Security Not Working in Windows 11.

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

How-To Geek

How to record your screen with microsoft powerpoint.

You don't need expensive software to record your screen--do it with PowerPoint!

Quick Links

Using powerpoint’s screen recorder, customizing your recording.

If you need to record your screen to demonstrate a process as part of your PowerPoint presentation, you can use the built-in tools to do so. Here’s how to record your screen using PowerPoint.

PowerPoint comes with a built-in, no-nonsense screen recorder. There are a lot of things that PowerPoint’s screen recorder can’t do that more full-featured screen recording software can, but that’s the beauty of it—it’s great for a quick, no-fuss recording.

Related: How to Embed a YouTube Video in PowerPoint

First, open PowerPoint, head to the “Insert” tab, and then click “Screen Recording.”

PowerPoint will minimize, and the screen recording dock will appear at the top of your screen. Here’s where the “simplicity” of PowerPoint’s screen recording feature comes in—you only have five options. By default, PowerPoint will record audio and your cursor. Toggle these options to disable them if you want. When you’re ready to move on, click “Select Area.”

Your pointer will turn into a crosshair. Click and drag to select the area of your screen you want to record.

Next, click the “Record” button in the screen recorder dock.

A three-second countdown will begin. Once it reaches zero, your recording will begin. When you’ve finished recording everything, move your cursor back to the top of the screen where the dock was, and the dock will reappear. Click “Stop.”

Your screen recording will now appear in your PowerPoint slide.

Now that you’ve successfully embedded the recording in your presentation, you might want to adjust a few of the settings. There are a few things you can do here, including trimming the video, setting how the video plays during the presentation, or applying a style to the video’s frame.

Trimming Your Video

There may be a few seconds of your video that you’d like to remove. You can trim these parts out directly in PowerPoint. Right-click the video and select “Trim.”

The “Trim Video” window will appear. Here, click and drag the green and red bars to adjust the start and stop time, respectively. Once you’ve set this up, click “OK.”

Your video will now be trimmed.

Setting Video Playback Rules

You can tell PowerPoint how to play your video during the presentation. To do this, right-click the video and select “Start” from the menu.

A sub-menu will appear, presenting three different playback options:

• In Click Sequence: The video will play in the appropriate order you’ve set in terms of actionable sequences (such as animations).
• Automatically: The video will automatically play when it appears.
• When Clicked On: The video will play when you click on it.

Select the one that works best for you.

Applying Frame Styles

If you want to make your video more visually appealing, you can apply a frame to it. To do so, right-click the video and select “Style” from the menu.

A sub-menu will appear, presenting a large library of frames for your video. Hovering over each one will show a live preview of how the frame will look.

Select the one you like, and it will be applied to your video.

That’s all there is to it!

How to Record PowerPoint Presentation with Audio and Video

Sometimes it is necessary to record not only the sound of the speaker over presentation slides but also their face via a web camera. Learn how to easily do it!

How to record yourself presenting a PowerPoint

The more people work from home, the more online meetings happen. Teams discuss work on projects, put forward their ideas, and share presentations containing essential information. However, problems with the latter can sometimes arise – watching a presentation only might be pretty boring. But this is not the case when the user adds a video recording of them presenting as well.

If you were in such a situation, you may have wondered how to record yourself presenting a PowerPoint slideshow. Actually, with the help of our editing tool, it's not that hard at all! Using it, you can record a web camera video and PowerPoint presentation at the same time on Windows 10 and 11, as well as Mac.

For the rest of the process, follow the steps below:

Start the project

Open Clideo’s Online Video Editor and click "Get started".

To record a presentation and video of yourself at the same time, scroll down the navigation sidebar, click "Record", then "Screen & Camera". If prompted, allow your browser to access your camera and microphone.

You can select a specific camera and microphone and turn them on/off in the next pop-up window via the "Gear" icon at the bottom right.

Record the screen

Check that you look fine in the webcam, click the red circle to start a recording session, and select a window with your PPT in the pop-up screen. Then, click "Share" to start presenting.

Go to the tab with your presentation and do your best. If you return to the Clideo tab, you will see that you cannot move the video window from your camera now, but you can do that while editing your video later.

While recording your presentation, you can at any moment go to the Clideo tab and click the "Pause" button to pause the process, then click it again and go back to the presentation screen to continue the demonstration. To redo the recording and discard the current one, click the "Retake" button to the left.

When you are ready to stop and save the recordings, in the Clideo tab, click the "Stop" button or hit the "Stop sharing" button on your presentation screen.

In the next pop-up window, you can review, rename, redo, and add the files to your project timeline or "Uploads". Both cases will add the screen and camera recordings as separate files.

After every file is manually or automatically placed on the timeline, you can edit each one by one – just click them and adjust the available settings. Resize the camera recording if necessary, cut out the sections you do not need, or add captions.

When you finish editing, click "Export" at the top right and choose your preferred option.

Save the result

When the video is processed, watch the playback to see how it looks. If you like the result, click "Download" to save the screen recording to your device or cloud storage.

If you need more information about the latest state of video editor options and features, you can find details in our Help Center .

Interesting articles

Upgrade your account, get unlimited storage time and create projects without watermarks.

PowerPoint Recorder

Record your PowerPoint presentations online

Powerful Online PowerPoint Recorder

Make your presentations look professional using VEED’s online PowerPoint recorder. It’s fast, easy to use, and gives you access to video editing tools to make your presentation stand out. You can upload your slides or record your screen while you are presenting. Add yourself to the scene by recording your webcam and audio as well.

No need to install software. Open your browser and start recording! Choose from different layouts and customize your video after you record. You can also edit your recording using our professional video editor.

How to Record Your PowerPoint Presentation:

1 upload slides and select a layout.

Select from our list of layouts (you may need to click to ‘Allow’ permission to access your screen, camera, or microphone). You can record just your screen, your webcam, or both at the same time! You can either upload your slides or record while you’re presenting.

2 Start recording

Click the red button to start recording! You'll see a countdown before the recording starts. Don't worry if you mess up. You have unlimited time and unlimited retakes. You can navigate to other pages, and don't worry, you are still recording.

3 Review, edit, and export

You can playback your recording to review it, click ‘Share’ to share with friends and colleagues, or ‘Edit’ to edit your video (perfect for adding text, subtitles, and professional touches to your screen recording)

‘PowerPoint Recorder’ Tutorial

Highly customizable PPT recording software

VEED lets you easily customize your Microsoft PowerPoint presentation recordings. Select from different layouts and backgrounds. You can record your screen, webcam, audio, and upload your PowerPoint slides to present while recording. If you choose to record your entire desktop, you can easily switch the view between your presentation slides and other windows. When you’re finished, edit your video using our free video editor, where you can also add royalty-free music from our Stock Library.

All the things you need in a screen recorder

Our video capture software is packed with features that will help you create professional-looking recordings. When you press record, the countdown timer will appear to prompt you when your recording starts. To make sure that your audio is being picked up, check the little microphone icon on the bottom of your screen. It should be animated to indicate that your audio is being recorded. It only takes a few clicks. It’s the best app to record your Microsoft PowerPoint presentations.

Fast, free, and easy-to-use screen recorder software

Our screen recorder and video editor are free to use and beginner-friendly. However, if you need to record longer videos, you may need to subscribe to our premium plans. Check out our Pricing Page to see which plan suits your needs. It is super easy to use. It only takes a few clicks!

Frequently Asked Questions

Microsoft does allow you to record your presentation as well as your voice or audio. But you might be limited because you can’t switch screens. Use VEED to record your entire desktop and switch between windows.

With VEED, you can record your audio, webcam, screen, and presentation slides all at the same time!

To add yourself or your camera to the recording, select the layout that includes “webcam.” Choose the size and positioning of your camera feed and start recording!

Although there are many screen recorders out there, VEED is your best choice when it comes to recording your PC screen! It’s free and online. No need to install software. Plus you can use our free video editor to enhance your recording even more.

What they say about VEED

Veed is a great piece of browser software with the best team I've ever seen. Veed allows for subtitling, editing, effect/text encoding, and many more advanced features that other editors just can't compete with. The free version is wonderful, but the Pro version is beyond perfect. Keep in mind that this a browser editor we're talking about and the level of quality that Veed allows is stunning and a complete game changer at worst.

I love using VEED as the speech to subtitles transcription is the most accurate I've seen on the market. It has enabled me to edit my videos in just a few minutes and bring my video content to the next level

Laura Haleydt - Brand Marketing Manager, Carlsberg Importers

The Best & Most Easy to Use Simple Video Editing Software! I had tried tons of other online editors on the market and been disappointed. With VEED I haven't experienced any issues with the videos I create on there. It has everything I need in one place such as the progress bar for my 1-minute clips, auto transcriptions for all my video content, and custom fonts for consistency in my visual branding.

Diana B - Social Media Strategist, Self Employed

More than a PowerPoint recorder

VEED is a complete browser-based tool that lets you do so much more than just record and share your Microsoft PowerPoint presentations. You can annotate your videos to make your presentation more informative. Edit your recording to add images, subtitles, and more. It is a professional all-in-one video-creation and editing software that’s great for beginners and pros alike. Create professional-looking videos in just a few clicks. You don’t need any video editing experience. Create stunning videos that you can share on social media in just minutes. Try VEED to create professional PowerPoint recordings today!

How To Narrate A PowerPoint

Narrating a PowerPoint presentation can be a powerful way to engage your audience and deliver your message effectively.

Adding narration to your presentation provides context, highlights important points, and conveys emotion.

Whether you are a student, a business professional, or a teacher, the ability to narrate a PowerPoint presentation can help you communicate your ideas effectively and leave a lasting impression on your audience. Here’s how:

How To Narrate A PowerPoint 🗣️

Frequently asked questions 🤔.

Important disclosure: we're proud affiliates of some tools mentioned in this guide. If you click an affiliate link and subsequently make a purchase, we will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you (you pay nothing extra). For more information, read our affiliate disclosure .

To narrate a PowerPoint presentation, you can follow these steps:

• Open your PowerPoint presentation and click on the "Slide Show" tab in the top menu.
• Click on the "Record Slide Show" option from the drop-down menu.
• In the "Record Slide Show" dialog box, select whether you want to record from the beginning of the presentation or the current slide.
• If you want to record narration, check the "Narrations, ink, and laser pointer" box and click "Start Recording."
• As you review your presentation, speak into your microphone to record your narration.

6. To advance to the next slide, either click the mouse or press the right arrow key on your keyboard.

7. To pause or stop the recording, click on the appropriate button in the Recording toolbar.

8. Once you have recorded your narration, save your PowerPoint presentation.

That's it! You have now narrated your PowerPoint presentation. When you play the slideshow, your narration will play automatically along with the slides.

How do I add audio to PowerPoint instead of narrating myself? Check out this guide to easily add audio to PowerPoint.

What type of microphone should I use to record my narration in PowerPoint? Any microphone that connects to your computer should work, including a built-in microphone on your laptop or a headset with a microphone. Choose a high-quality microphone that will produce clear and crisp audio for the best results.

Can I pause and resume recording during the narration of a PowerPoint presentation? Yes, you can pause and resume recording while narrating a PowerPoint presentation. Click on the appropriate button in the Recording toolbar to pause or stop the recording, and then click on the button again to resume recording.

Can I edit my narration after recording it in PowerPoint? Select the slide you want to edit, then click on the "Audio" icon in the speaker notes. You can trim the audio clip, adjust the volume, or delete the narration. Keep in mind that PowerPoint offers limited audio editing capabilities.

Can I add music or other sound effects to my PowerPoint presentation? Yes, you can. To do this, click on the "Insert" tab in the top menu, and select "Audio" from the ribbon. You can choose to insert an audio file from your computer or an online source.

How do I play my narrated PowerPoint presentation? Click on the "Slide Show" tab in the top menu, and then click on "From Beginning" or "From Current Slide" to start the slideshow. Your narration will play automatically along with the slides.

Narrating a PowerPoint presentation is a simple process that can greatly enhance your presentation skills.

By following the steps outlined above, you can easily record and edit your narration to create a powerful and engaging presentation .

So next time you create a PowerPoint presentation, consider adding narration to take your presentation to the next level.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Subscribe to be notified of new content on marketsplash..

How to Record Customized Camera Feeds With Cameo in PowerPoint

T he widespread adoption of remote work and virtual meetings has led many people and organizations to realize they don't have to be physically present in the same conference room to make presentations. In fact, you don't even need to conduct them live.

However, recording your PowerPoint slides with your face on them requires technical know-how and third-party apps like OBS. This makes recording presentations a bit difficult and discourages people from doing it.

Thankfully, Microsoft has addressed this issue in PowerPoint 365 with the Cameo feature. Here's what it is and how to use it.

What Is Cameo in PowerPoint?

Cameo is a PowerPoint feature that lets you add your webcam or any other camera feed into your presentation. This makes it easier to present virtually, as your audience can see you from within your slides.

Previously, you needed a third-party app like OBS to overlay yourself on your presentation. You can also use a green screen overlay in Capcut or other similar apps to achieve the same effect. However, this takes a lot of effort and know-how.

But with this feature, you can do it from inside PowerPoint with just a few clicks. Here's how to insert a cameo into your slides.

• Go to Insert > Cameo .
• After clicking on Cameo, PowerPoint will insert a placeholder object on your current slide and open the Camera Format tab.
• You can edit the object as you wish, much like any other shape on PowerPoint. You can also click on the options in the Designer pane on the right side of the screen to help you work faster.
• Once you're happy with its placement on your slide, click on the Preview button to see your live video.

With that, you can start presenting your PowerPoint slides via screen sharing while still keeping yourself on the screen.

How to Record Your PowerPoint Presentation With Cameo

You can also insert a cameo from Record > Cameo . Clicking on this will bring you to the same menu tab and insert a placeholder object for your video. However, even if you didn't set up Cameo beforehand, you can insert it directly while recording your presentation. Here's how:

• Go to Record > From Beginning or Record > From Current Slide .
• In the recording screen, click on the Camera icon at the top. This will insert a round object containing your video in your slides' lower-right-hand section.
• Click on the Red icon to start recording your presentation.
• Go through your presentation as usual. For more information, check out our guide on turning your presentations into videos .
• Once you've finished, click the Red icon again to stop recording.
• Click Export to go to the Export to video screen .
• Change the File Name as needed, then click Browse to select the location where you will save your recorded video.
• Once done, click Export Video .

With that, you don't have to spend much effort to add your video feed to your PowerPoint presentation recording. However, the app only places your video at one location across every slide; it might cover some of your content. That's why it's better to use the Cameo feature when you're building or editing your PowerPoint presentation.

If you're unhappy with your recording, press the Retake Video on the left of the record icon. You can pick between On Current Slide or On All Slides .

What You Need to Record Customized Camera Feeds

You need a webcam and a Microsoft 365 account to record your customized camera feed. Furthermore, you cannot use Cameo or record presentations in the PowerPoint web app. You need to download and install it on your computer to use these features.

The Cameo feature is already available on Microsoft PowerPoint 365 in Windows and Mac. However, recording your presentation with Cameo is only available on Windows. As of the time of writing, this feature isn't available for the main PowerPoint 365 for Mac version.

If you're running macOS, you must be a Microsoft 365 Insider to get this feature. However, since the Cameo recording feature is already announced in the Microsoft 365 Insider blog , we hope it will be available in the mainstream PowerPoint for Mac version in a few months.

Recording Your Presentations Is Now Much Easier

The Cameo feature has made presenting PowerPoint slides in video calls easier. And with the recording function, you no longer need a third-party app to put your video over your presentation.

You can integrate it into each slide, allowing you to control where you are on your screen. And you also save a lot of time and effort, as you can record and save your presentation as a video from within Microsoft PowerPoint.

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

Ask a new question

How do I record myself in powerpoint while recording my presentation?

I have watched all the how to videos on how to record yourself and your presentation on powerpoint. Every how to says "just hit record" I do not even have a record button. I have tried switching computers and nothing changes.

• Subscribe to RSS feed

Report abuse

If you re using the free PowerPoint Online web app it has no recording capability. That & Cameo are supported in the desktop software only.

1 person found this reply helpful

Was this reply helpful? Yes No

Sorry this didn't help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

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

Thanks for your feedback.

Replies (3) 

Question info.

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

Small Business Trends

How to do a voiceover on powerpoint.

If you want to create engaging PowerPoint presentations, you should think about adding a voiceover narration to your slides. A slide show accompanied by a supporting voiceover can make your PowerPoint presentation lively. In this article, you will learn how to do a voiceover on PowerPoint step-by-step.

But first, let’s explore the advantages of recording a slide show or adding recorded audio to your presentation.

Why You Should Add a Voiceover to Your PowerPoint Presentation

The following are the key benefits of adding a voiceover to your PowerPoint presentations

• If you record narration, it will make your PowerPoint slide more engaging
• Your audience will comprehend your presentation quickly as audio narration makes the content of the slide easy to understand
• Recorded sound or voice in a slide makes your audience feel connected with your presentation
• If you’re not giving a presentation yourself, adding your voice to a PowerPoint presentation can make up for your absence

Voice and sound improve storytelling significantly. So if you’re using a slide show to tell a story, adding audio can maximize the success of your story.

How do you Record a Voiceover on PowerPoint?

There are two methods to record a voiceover on PowerPoint. We will explore both methods in this post.

This method is quick and easy. The following are simple steps that will help you record your voice for your presentation.

1. Click on the specific slide you want to record audio for. Go to the Record tab in the ribbon and click on the audio icon

2. As you click on the Audio button, the recording window will open as below. Click on the record button to begin recording.

Once you have recorded the slide, you can click the Play button from the recording window to check if everything is good.

If not, you can re-record the slide again. It will overwrite the previous recording.

3. Click the Ok button when you’re satisfied with the recording. Your voiceover will be added to the slide. You have to repeat this process for all the slides to record the slide show.

The second method is useful if you want to record a slide show with an option to annotate or use a laser pointer.

Here are quick steps to record your slide show:

1- Go to the Record tab and click on the From the Current Slide if you want to record the current slide.

2- As you click on the From the Current Slide, a recording window will open. Turn off the camera and start recording the slide. You can also re-record the slide if you’re not satisfied with the quality. Rerecording your slide will clear recordings of earlier versions.

Also, you have an option to annotate your slide or use a laser pointer to make your presentation interesting.

Once you have finished recording your slide show, export your PowerPoint file as a video. Make sure you keep the Internet quality in mind while considering the quality of the video.

Learn more about how to make a PowerPoint presentation into a video in this helpful article.

How to Add a Voiceover to PowerPoint Slides

If you already have audio files, you can easily add them to your PowerPoint slides.

The following is the step-by-step process to add a recorded voiceover to PowerPoint slides:

1- Open the Chosen Slide

Go to the presentation file and open the slide to which you want to add audio.

2. Add the Audio File

Click on the Insert button, and then select the audio tab. You will have two options to add audio – one is Audio on My PC and another is Record Audio. Click on Audio on My PC from the drop-down menu.

Locate your audio file and click on the Insert tab to add the audio to your presentation slide.

3. Customize Playback

When you click on the speaker image in your slide, two new tabs will appear in the ribbon:

• Audio format

When you click on the Playback tab, you will see various options to customize playback. You can add a bookmark, trim audio, set fade duration, and much more. If you want your audio to start automatically or when clicked on, you can easily pick your desired option from this section.

4. Customize Audio Format

When you click on the Audio Format in the ribbon, you will see multiple options to change the look, feel, and size of the speaker icon in your slide.

You can easily pick the color of the speaker icon to complement the content of your slide. What’s more, you can also replace the icon with the image of the presenter or any other image you want.

How to Turn Audio or Video Narration Off in Microsoft PowerPoint

Now you know how to add a voiceover to PowerPoint. But if you want to turn audio or video narration off in your presentation, you won’t have to spend much time figuring out how to do it. The process is simple and straightforward.

Go to the Slide Show tab and uncheck Play Narrations.

There is another way to turn narration off in your presentation. Go to the Setup Slide Show tab and select the Show without narration box.

Remember, turning off a narration doesn’t delete the narration.

Final thoughts,

When it comes to organizing presentation ideas and showing them to an audience, PowerPoint is often the first choice. But one of the common PowerPoint mistakes that many business owners commit is not making their presentations engaging enough to keep their audiences hooked. Knowing how to do a voiceover in PowerPoint can help you make your presentations appealing to wow your audience.

If you like using PowerPoint, You will love learning how to make a poster in PowerPoint, how to create a roadmap in PowerPoint, and how to make a Venn Diagram in PowerPoint.

Image: Depositphotos

Comments are closed.

© Copyright 2003 - 2024, Small Business Trends LLC. All rights reserved. "Small Business Trends" is a registered trademark.

Apr 4, 2024

Trim videos in PowerPoint for the web

Aparna Jethani

Rishabh Singh

• Add our blog to your RSS feed reader" href="/rss/blog.xml" data-bi-name="RSS Subscription" data-bi-id="rss_feed" data-bi-bhvr="120" data-bi-socchn="RSSSubscription" title="Microsoft 365 Insider Blog RSS" target="blank" class="d-inline-block">

Hey there, Microsoft 365 Insiders! We are Aparna Jethani, a Product Manager, and Rishabh Singh, a Product Designer, on the PowerPoint team. We are excited to let you know that you can now trim videos you inserted in your presentations in PowerPoint for the web.

Trim video in PowerPoint for the web

Using the new Trim Video command, you can edit the videos you inserted in your presentation to show only the most important and engaging parts, and keep your audience focused on what is relevant. You can trim videos using frame or timestamp level accuracy, and preview them and fine-tune them until you achieve the perfect and precise outcome.

To make it easier to access the feature, we have also added a dedicated Video tab in the   ribbon. Th e tab contains all the commands related to adjusting and formatting your videos, such as changing the video style, arrangement and more.

How it works

• Open an existing presentation or create a new one, and then insert a video.
• To begin trimming, select the video,  and then either select Video > Trim Video on the new Video tab or right-click the video and select Trim Video .

      3. To trim a video, drag and slide the end markers to set the start and end point for trimmed video segment marked by colored frames.

      4. To preview the trimmed video, click the Play button.

      5. When you’re done, click the Trim button to apply the trim selections.

Tips and Tricks

• Use a mouse cursor or keyboard shortcuts, to easily set the trim start and end points within the video frame timeline.
• Once you have dragged the markers to the desired frame, use the arrow keys to adjust timestamps (with standard HH:MM:SS:FF format) to trim and fine tune at precise points. Trimmed range duration is also displayed on the dialog for assistance.
• Use Play, Pause and Seek Bar time stamps to preview while you iterate. Additionally, use the Forward and Backward buttons for playback and forward. 

Availability

The Trim Video feature is available to all PowerPoint for the web users.

NOTE: The Trim Video feature is only available for local and stock videos.  

Feedback 

We want to hear from you! Please click  Help  >  Feedback  to submit your thoughts about this feature. 

Sorry, JavaScript must be enabled to use this app.

• Data, AI, & Machine Learning
• Managing Technology
• Social Responsibility
• Workplace, Teams, & Culture
• AI & Machine Learning
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Big ideas Research Projects
• Artificial Intelligence and Business Strategy
• Responsible AI
• Future of the Workforce
• Future of Leadership
• All Research Projects
• AI in Action
• Most Popular
• The Truth Behind the Nursing Crisis
• Work/23: The Big Shift
• Coaching for the Future-Forward Leader
• Measuring Culture

The spring 2024 issue’s special report looks at how to take advantage of market opportunities in the digital space, and provides advice on building culture and friendships at work; maximizing the benefits of LLMs, corporate venture capital initiatives, and innovation contests; and scaling automation and digital health platform.

• Past Issues
• Upcoming Events
• Video Archive
• Me, Myself, and AI
• Three Big Points

How to Create Slides That Suit Your Superiors: 11 Tips

When you’re pitching ideas or budgets to execs in your organization, you need to deliver slides that fit those particular people just right. This checklist identifies the key considerations.

• Workplace, Teams, & Culture
• Leadership Skills

Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images

I recently interviewed 20 of my customers, all in senior roles at Fortune 100 companies, and asked them their biggest pain point in presenting to higher-ups and even colleagues. What I heard consistently was that it can feel like Goldilocks bouncing from one option to the next, testing to figure out what’s “just right.” Does the audience want deep reports? Sparse slides? Something in between? Like … what?

Teams often come to presentation meetings with vast amounts of backup content just in case an exec wants to take a deep dive on any given point. There’s often a struggle to anticipate every direction attendees might want to go. It’s frustrating, and it’s not efficient.

Get Updates on Transformative Leadership

Evidence-based resources that can help you lead your team more effectively, delivered to your inbox monthly.

Please enter a valid email address

Thank you for signing up

Privacy Policy

There are many ways to build slides. I’m not just talking about crafting them well versus poorly. I’m talking about all of the important decisions regarding how to organize them, how much text to use, when to lean into a chart, the best ways to use bullets and color, and whether to include an appendix with additional information. Before you make your next proposal or request of the executive team, use this list of 11 tips for your next set of slides as a guide.

Four Things You Must Have in Every Exec’s Slides

Before we drill down into the harder aspects, the ones where your executives’ tastes may vary widely, let’s quickly cover four aspects that you can consider the building blocks — the basics you should never proceed without.

Start with an executive summary. Begin the slide deck with a tight executive summary that follows a three-act structure. First, start with stating the current realities. Second, clearly state the problem or opportunity your idea addresses and its potential impact. Third, explain how your recommendation solves the problem or exploits the opportunity and the next steps you’re proposing.

Have a logical organization. The arc of the deck — the package from beginning to end — should make sense. If your audience reads only the headline of every slide, the order should be coherent and make most of the case for you. The content below each slide’s headline must support the statement made in the title. Remove everything that doesn’t support your point; as writers will tell you, you sometimes need to “kill your darlings” when you’re editing.

Begin the slide deck with a tight executive summary that follows a three-act structure.

Make it skimmable. Help your audience to quickly grasp the point without getting bogged down in details. Create a clear visual hierarchy. Guide the reader’s eye through the content: Use bold headings, bullet points, and numbered lists to break down information into digestible pieces. Highlight key takeaways or conclusions in a different color or font size to draw attention to these critical points.

Focus on concise insights. Succinct statements with clear insights are everyone’s jam. Every slide should serve a purpose and contribute directly to the decision-making process. Distill complex information. Don’t use 100 words when 20 words will nail it. If you’re having difficulty trimming, consider using company-approved AI tools to help you take out the fluff.

Five Preferences to Confirm With the Person You Want to Reach

Now we’ll delve into what your particular audience does and does not want. If you haven’t yet, start by asking the person you’re presenting to what they generally prefer. They probably know themselves well but have not been asked to articulate how they like to receive information.

Ask how dense is too dense. Some executives prefer detailed slides with comprehensive data. Others favor a more high-level approach. You’re weighing how to balance informative content with readability, ensuring that slides are not overloaded yet are sufficiently detailed to support decision-making.

Confirm the delivery format and timing. Some execs like information presented to them. Others prefer a pre-read of the material followed by a discussion. I always recommend our tool Slidedocs (I’ve written a free e-book on them), which are visual documents using both words and images. The templates help presenters organize their thoughts into a document for a pre-read or a read-along. They are designed to be skimmable and able to travel through your organization without the help of a presenter.

I’m a huge fan of pre-reads and prefer to use my time in meetings to ask questions and build alignment. If your audience didn’t review your material in advance, ask at the top of the meeting whether they would like you to present it or would prefer to read through it and then discuss it.

Find out how much data visualization they prefer. Charts, graphs, photos, and illustrations often communicate complex data more clearly than words alone. When execs can see what you’re saying, they often can better understand the impact of your idea. Does the exec want to understand exact numbers? Bar charts allow them to move their eyes across a series of specifics. Does the exec want to know the shape of a trend over time? Line charts can show the pattern. (See “Classic Charts Communicate Data Quickly.”) Some prefer charts with annotations that draw attention to what you think is the most important point. Others want to make their own conclusions from the data.

One of my clients, the CEO of a massive commercial real estate company, doesn’t want anything visualized. He prefers numbers, only in a table, and only in two colors — black and red. You might think this is archaic. But the fact that he’s clear to his teams about what he wants takes all the mystery out of how to communicate with him.

When the stakes are high, have a conceptual thinker help with diagrams and concepts. If you don’t have one on your team, and when it’s high stakes, find an internal designer to help you or hire one. You can’t afford to have the baby (your idea) thrown out with the bathwater (terrible slides).

Identify which details need spelling out. How well do the people you’re presenting to know the landscape and function of the company and products you’re talking about? For example, if your engineering team threw a slide into a deck about an issue that requires executive approval, do the execs all speak geek? Or do you need to explain the technology so that they will really understand the ask? Either eliminate internal jargon and acronyms or unpack those bits, especially if your proposal deeply involves expertise outside of the executives’ domain.

Ask whether appendices will be useful. When you’re organizing a presentation, you often troll data, read through complicated reports, and even hire external experts to figure out what’s best for the company. Do your execs want access to that supporting data? You can add a document to the end of the presentation as an appendix to show all of the data and source material. This allows the main content of the slides to remain focused and accessible while still providing comprehensive background information for those who want more.

Two Tips to Improve Your Presentation Skills

Getting materials in place is the biggest step. They will be your best tools for selling your ideas. But there are two extra areas to pay attention to as a presenter: how you handle questions and how you use every experience to improve.

Anticipate questions, and practice your answers. Before you have your meeting, gather a small team to challenge every point you make. Invite colleagues you trust to role-play as “a rapidly inquisitive exec” or “the doubting naysayer exec” so you are prepared to present your idea well. They’re gonna grill you, and practicing will help you remain unruffled when it happens.

Related Articles

Ask for feedback after the presentation. Establish a feedback loop with those you presented to. Ask what worked well and how you can improve. If attendees don’t have the time, find people who have had their ideas funded and talk to them about what they did that worked. Advice and some perspective will help you nail your performance even better next time.

Empathetically understanding your audience members and how they process information, whether it’s executives or peers, sets up your ideas for success. Clarity creates efficiency. When a presentation fits just right, you’ve given your great thinking the best chance of moving through your organization and having maximum impact.

About the Author

Nancy Duarte is CEO of Duarte Inc. , a communication company in the Silicon Valley. She’s the author of six books, including DataStory: Explain Data and Inspire Action Through Story (Ideapress Publishing, 2019).

More Like This

Add a comment cancel reply.

You must sign in to post a comment. First time here? Sign up for a free account : Comment on articles and get access to many more articles.