How to Add Narration to a PowerPoint Presentation (Windows)

1. Plug your microphone into the appropriate socket (usually denoted by a red or pink ring, or a microphone icon). Open up a PowerPoint presentation and navigate to the slide that you want to narrate.

 

2. Select Slide Show from the top menu and click on Record Narration.

This will open the dialog box seen below. 

3. Click on Set Microphone Level. Here you can ensure that your microphone is plugged in and working, and that the volume is set at the correct level. Read the test sentence provided. The test bar fills up with green, yellow, and possibly red, as you speak, and the volume adjusts to the correct level automatically. If the microphone is not working, check again to see that it is plugged into the correct socket and turned on.

4. Once the correct level is set, click OK to return to the Record Narration dialog box

5. Make sure that the “Link narrations in:” box is unchecked. To begin recording, click OK.

6. If you are not on the first slide, PowerPoint prompts you to choose where you want to start your narration.

• If you want to start at the very beginning of your presentation, click First Slide.
• If you want to narrate the current slide, click Current Slide.

7. Narrate your slide(s). To pause the recording, right click on the slide and select Pause Narration. To resume recording, right click and select Resume Narration.

8. When you have finished narrating the current slide, press Spacebar or left click to advance to the next slide. Continue narrating your presentation. Press Esc to exit recording mode at any time.

9. When you exit recording mode, PowerPoint prompts if you want to save the timing of your presentation.

• If you want to save the timing, select Save.
• If you do not want to save the timing, select Don’t save.

Note: Timings can be rehearsed separately.

To re-record a narration, follow steps 2 through 9 for the slides you want to rerecord.

Previewing your Presentation

• In the Slide Show menu, click From beginning or From current slide.
• To preview the narration on each slide, click the audio icon and, in Sound Tools, click Preview.

 

Alternatively, double-click the audio icon.