How to Add Voice Narration to a PowerPoint

When creating a PowerPoint presentation, voice narration can help bring your content to life and make it more engaging. This is especially true if you are sending your presentation via email or when your audience is not in the same location as you.

In this article, we’ll show you how to add voice narration to your PowerPoint presentation.

What is voice narration in PowerPoint?

PowerPoint voice narration is a feature that allows you to record and embed audio clips in your slide deck. You can then attach a narration icon to your slide, which plays when toggled. You can also set the audio to play automatically while the rest of the content is projected.

Preparation

Every successful and experienced PowerPoint enthusiast will tell you that the secret to creating engaging and informative content lies in proper preparation. To make sure your presentation stands out, here are some tips:

Carefully Assemble Your Slide Deck

You should aim for a consistent presentation, where the content is presented in chronological order. You don’t want to end up with a disorganized presentation because that will make it difficult for your audience to follow. You’ll need to ensure that the audio clips you embed in your slide are not only in sync with the rest of the content, but also form a clear, logical sequence of ideas in the audience’s mind.

Mental preparation is key

After gathering all the necessary resources, make sure you are completely familiar with the content. Only then can you project confidence in your voice narration. A good way to prepare is to write down well in advance the things you want to include in your narrative. This will help you create a mind map of the key points of your presentation.

Test the microphone

Obviously, you need a microphone to record audio clips. Fortunately, most modern computers come with a built-in microphone that requires minimal preparation. However, you’ll still want to make sure you’re audible enough. You can adjust things like the volume by opening your computer’s settings and clicking “Sound” in the menu on the left of the screen.

Quiet environment

Non-ambient sounds can ruin even the best presentation. Make sure your room is almost soundproof before recording begins. You should turn off things like fans and air conditioners.

How to Add Voice Narration to a PowerPoint Presentation

If you’re using any Microsoft package other than Office 365, here’s how you can add voice narration to your presentation:

1. Open your Microsoft PowerPoint file and click “Slide Show” in the menu bar. Then, select “Record Slideshow.” You will have the option to start recording from the beginning or from the current slide.
   
2. A slideshow box will then appear allowing you to select what you want to record before the process begins. Check the boxes if you want to record slide timings and animations, as well as narration, ink, and a laser pointer. At this point, Microsoft will automatically start slideshow mode.
   
3. In the upper right corner, you will see the recording toolbar. This allows you to move to the next slide, stop recording, or re-record the current slide.
   
4. If you want to use the laser pointer, pen, highlighter, or eraser, simply right-click on the current slide, select “Pointer Options,” and then select the tool you want.
   
5. Once you’re done recording, right-click on the last slide and select “End Presentation.”
   

PowerPoint automatically places a sound icon below each slide that has voice narration. You’ll also notice that the time needed to record the slide is also included.

Once you’re done recording, it’s always a good idea to preview your slideshow. To do this, click “Slide Show” on the Home tab in the menu bar. To listen to the audio you recorded for a particular slide, simply go to “Normal View” and click the sound icon.

How to Add Voice Narration to PowerPoint Slides

Voice narration can make the difference between a presentation that impresses and one that really stands out. Voice narration turns your presentation into a self-contained utility and provides your audience with a complete, self-learning asset.

Here are the steps you need to follow to add voice narration to PowerPoint slides:

1. Gather the necessary tools. These include an external microphone if you need it and a sound card.
   
2. Before you begin, it may be important to save the new PowerPoint file you are about to create with a different name in a different folder. Adding voice narration means that audio clips will be generated as part of the presentation and it would be best to have them all in an organized folder.
   
3. Open the PowerPoint file and click “Slide Show” in the menu bar.
   
4. You will be asked to decide whether you want to start recording from the current slide or from the beginning. After that, PowerPoint will automatically start slideshow mode.
   
5. Click the red button in the upper right corner to start recording. By default, PowerPoint will provide you with a three-second countdown to help you prepare for the task ahead.
   
6. To start recording a new slide, simply move the arrow on the right side of the window. To return to the previous slide, move the left arrow.
   
7. When you’re done recording, click the middle square button in the top left corner.
   

How to insert sound effects in PowerPoint

Sound effects are a good way to make your slides more interesting to your audience. PowerPoint allows you to add a variety of sounds to animations. Additionally, you have the option to play sounds every time you open a new slide during your presentation.

Before adding a sound, you must first create the animation effect. This is how you can add a sound effect to an animation:

1. Open the slide that contains the animation effect.
   
2. Click the “Animations” tab in the top bar menu, and then click “Animations Panel” in the Advanced Animation section.
   
3. Select the effect you want in the Animation Panel.
   
4. Click the down arrow next to the effect and then select “Effect Options.” This will launch a new menu.
   
5. From the resulting menu, select the sound effect you want to insert. Alternatively, you can import your own sounds by clicking “Other Sound.”
   
6. Click “OK.”
   

How to insert music in PowerPoint

There can hardly be a better way to spice up your presentation than by adding music. To play music on slides, here’s what you do:

1. Click the “Insert” tab in the menu bar.
   
2. Click “Audio” and then select “Audio on my PC.”
   
3. Locate the music file you want to insert and then click “Insert.”
   
4. Select the audio icon.
   
5. Select “Playback.”
   
6. Click “Play in background.”
   

And just like that, your music will start playing as soon as the slide opens.

How to Add Voice Narration to PowerPoint on a Mac

If you own a Mac, adding voice narration to your PowerPoint presentation is easy.

1. Click “Slide Show” in the top menu.
2. Select “Record Narration.” This will open a new window.
3. In the new window, specify the sound input device and input source.
4. Click “Record” to start recording. This starts full screen presentation mode.
5. When you’re done, press the Escape key.
6. Click “Yes” when asked if you want to save slide times.
7. PowerPoint automatically adds the speaker icon below each slide. To play the narration automatically every time the slide opens, right-click the speaker and select “Start automatically.”

How to Add Voice Narration to PowerPoint on an iPad

You can add voice narration to a PowerPoint presentation on your iPad. That is how:

1. Open the first slide of your presentation.
2. Tap “Play.”
3. Swipe down from the top right corner of your screen. This starts the Control Center. You will be able to see all the recording options if you press and hold the “Record” button.
4. Tap the microphone button to turn it on.
5. Select “Start Recording.” Now you will have three seconds to prepare.
6. Return to the control center by tapping “Background.”
7. Return to your presentation by tapping “Control Center Background.”
8. Continue navigating your slide deck while adding voice narration.
9. When you’re done, swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to launch Control Center. Then, tap the “Record” button.

Your recording will appear in the Photos app.

Additional FAQs

How do I add narration to PowerPoint 365?

• Select “Slide Show”.

• You will be asked to decide whether you want to start recording from the current slide or from the beginning. For best results, always start from the beginning. At this point, PowerPoint should automatically start slideshow mode.

• In slideshow mode, you’ll see a series of buttons in the upper right corner. The first, which appears in red, allows you to record. The second stops recording, while the third allows you to play the recorded audio.

• The slide involving recording is always in the main window pane. To start recording a new slide, simply move the arrow on the right side of the window. To return to the previous slide, move the left arrow. It’s important to note that PowerPoint automatically records the time spent on each slide.

• Use the buttons in the lower right corner to toggle the microphone and camera. If for some reason you want to repeat part or all of the recording, PowerPoint will automatically delete the previous recording and start from scratch. When you’re done recording, click the middle square button in the top left corner.

How do I make a voiceover in PowerPoint?

• Open the presentation and click the “Slide Show” tab.

• Click “Record Slide Show.”

• A drop-down menu will appear asking you to choose whether to start recording from the beginning or from the current slide.

Create engaging content with voice narration

Voice narration may not be the most popular PowerPoint tool, but it presents a sure way to add an extra layer of quality to your presentations to make them more interesting and engaging. What is your experience with the voice narration feature?