Creating Narrated PowerPoint

Presentations
If you need to deliver a virtual presentation. One way to do that is to create a narrated
PowerPoint. You can record yourself talking over your slides within PowerPoint, without any
need for additional software. The narration can be recorded per slide, so it’s easy to re-
record sections without having to re-do the whole thing. It’s also easy to collaborate on the
narration, as different people can record narration for different slides. When you’re finished,
you can save and share the presentation as a PowerPoint file or export it as a video.

Creating your presentation

1. Create your PowerPoint presentation. You will need an up-to-date (.pptx) version of
PowerPoint. You can get PowerPoint for free through the University, follow this link to
find out how to download PowerPoint.
2. At the top, click Slide Show and Record Slide Show.
3. Click Record from the Beginning. A narration view will appear: if not, make sure you
don’t have a second monitor plugged in to your computer, as this can confuse things.
4. You will need a microphone which works with your device (most modern devices have
mics built in). Check that it’s close enough to pick up the sound; if you’re using a
headset, make sure the mic is pulled down to be near your mouth. Ensure the
microphone icon in the bottom right of the narration view is turned on, so is not crossed
out (muted).
Top tip: You can also record a video of yourself narrating with your webcam, but only
do so when it’s necessary, as it will make the file much larger, and more difficult to
share.
5. Test everything is working:
a. Click Record in the top left.
b. After the countdown, say something, loudly and clearly.
c. Click Stop.
d. Press Esc on your keyboard.
e. Click Slide Show and From Beginning.
f. Check you can hear your voice.
g. Click Slide Show, Record Slide Show and Record from the Beginning.
h. Click the large cross icon and Clear recordings from all slides.
6. When you are ready, click Record.
7. Deliver your presentation by talking through each slide, navigating through the
presentation as normal. No sound is recorded during the slide changes, so leave a
couple of seconds at the beginning and end of slide narration. This will help avoid
recordings being clipped at the slide transitions.
8. You can also use the annotation tools at the bottom of the screen to draw on slides.
9. When complete, click Stop.
Troubleshooting: If you’re having problems, the first thing to check is that your
version of PowerPoint is the latest one (which you can get free from the University).
This is particularly important for Mac users.

Digital Education Office

2020
Recording narration on a specific slide
You can choose to record the narration on specific slides, by going to that slide and then
choosing Slide Show, Record Slide Show and then Record from Current Slide. If you’re
working with others, you can record your narration for specific slides, save it, and then share
the file with them. This is best done as a single, shared file in OneDrive, rather than emailing
different copies of the presentation. The others you are working with can then record on
their slides. When the narration is played as a sideshow, it will automatically play all
recordings, as if you were presenting together.

Editing your narration

If you have made a mistake, or want to re-do a narration for a specific slide:
1. Go to the slide you want to re-record.
2. At the top, choose ‘Slide Show’ and select the drop down menu under ‘Record Slide
Show’.
3. Choose ‘Clear’ and then ‘Clear Narration on Current Slide’. This will delete the
recording from that slide. You can also find the speaker icon on the bottom right of the
slide when you are in editing mode and press the delete key on your keyboard.
4. Then, follow the steps to record a narration on a specific slide to re-do the recording.
Top tip: It’s a good idea to use the ‘Notes’ section for each slide to write down what
you say in the narration. That way, anyone who is viewing your presentation and can’t
hear the sound will still be able to follow it.

Exporting your file

You can save your presentation as a PowerPoint file, and upload it as you would any other
document. However, you may have been instructed to upload your narrated PowerPoint as a
video. To export your slideshow as a video:
1. Click File
2. Click Export
3. Click Create a Video
4. Select the smallest file size that works for your presentation. The Standard (480p) option
is the one you should choose, unless you have a lot of complex graphics. The better the
quality, the bigger the file size, so the maximum quality to choose is the HD (720p)
5. Check the settings say Use Recorded Timings and Narrations, otherwise the narration
won’t be included in the video.
6. Click Create Video and choose a place to save it. Check that is will be saved as an mp4
file.
7. A status bar will appear at the bottom of your PowerPoint. Once it has filled, your video
will be ready. This may take some time, depending on how large your presentation is, so
be patient.

Uploading and submitting your presentation

To upload and submit your work as part of as assessment, see instructions on submitting
your assignment. If you are exporting your presentation as a video, or have recorded video
narration with your webcam, the file may be large. Make sure you allow enough time for the
file to save, and be uploaded. This may take longer than you imagine, so don’t wait until the
last minute!

Digital Education Office

2020