How to record a PowerPoint presentation with audio for sharing

Wondering how to make a video with PowerPoint? If you want to create a video presentation from your PowerPoint slides, you can use PowerPoint's in-built recording feature. The feature allows you to narrate your slides, add annotations, and insert webcam video. You can then export your recording as a video file that you can share with your audience.

This article explains how to record your PowerPoint slideshow and how to share the recorded presentation via Teams or Zoom. We'll also give you some tips on how to avoid common pitfalls and glitches that you might encounter.

Here's our step by step guide to record a PowerPoint slide show:

1. Open your PowerPoint presentation and click on the Slide Show tab.

1. From the PowerPoint Set Up group, click on Record Slide Show button. You can choose to record from the beginning, or from the current slide.

1. A new window will open with your PowerPoint presentation in full screen mode. You will see a Recording toolbar at the top left corner of your PowerPoint screen if you are on a single monitor, or at the top of your main monitor if you are working on dual screens (as pictured in the screenshot below). You can use this toolbar to control your recording in PowerPoint, such as start, pause, stop, rewind, and forward. You can also use the pen, highlighter, and eraser tools to annotate your slides.

1. To start recording your PowerPoint presentation, click on the Record button (the red circle). You will see a countdown from 3 to 1 before the recording begins.
2. As you record, you can speak into your microphone to narrate your PowerPoint slides. You can also click on the Camera button (the camera icon) to turn on your webcam and insert a video of yourself in the corner of your slide.
3. To move to the next or previous slide, you can use the arrow keys on your keyboard or click the Next or Previous buttons on the Recording toolbar.
4. When you get to the end of your PowerPoint slideshow, you can export the video immediately by selecting export and following the prompts, or you can end your recording to review, before exporting to video format. To end your recording in PowerPoint, click the Stop button (the square icon) or press Esc on your keyboard.
5. You will be taken back to the normal view of your PowerPoint presentation. You will see a speaker icon and a camera icon on each slide that has audio or video recording. You can click on these icons to preview, edit, or delete your PowerPoint recordings.

1. To export your PowerPoint recording as a video file, click the File tab and select Export.
2. In the Export window, choose Create a Video from the menu on the left.

1. In the Create a Video panel, you can adjust the video quality, resolution, and file size. You can also choose whether to use recorded timings and narrations or not.
2. Click on Create Video and choose a location and a file name for your video.
3. Wait for PowerPoint to create your video. You can see the progress bar at the bottom of your screen.
4. Once your PowerPoint video is ready, you can play it with any media player or upload it to any online platform.

Troubleshooting issues that may arise when recording a PowerPoint presentation

If you want to record a PowerPoint presentation with narration, annotations, or video, you may encounter some issues depending on your device, software, and settings. Here are some common problems and how to fix them:

• If your microphone is not working, make sure it is plugged in, turned on, and selected as the default recording device in your system settings (for example sometimes your monitor or webcam can also have a microphone, and the wrong device has been selected). You can test your microphone in PowerPoint by going to Slide Show > Record Slide Show > Settings > Microphone.
• If your video camera is not working, make sure it is plugged in, turned on, and selected as the default camera in your system settings. You can also test your camera in the PowerPoint app by going to Slide Show > Record Slide Show > Settings > Camera.
• If your annotations are not showing up in your PowerPoint recording, make sure you have enabled the pen and laser pointer tools in the PowerPoint app. You can do this by going to Slide Show > Record Slide Show > Settings > Pen and Laser Pointer Tools.
• If your PowerPoint recording is not saving or playing back correctly, make sure you have enough disk space and memory on your device. You can also try saving your PowerPoint presentation as a video file by going to File > Export > Create a Video.

Can I share my recorded PowerPoint presentation via Zoom or Microsoft Teams?

If you have recorded a PowerPoint presentation, you can share it with your audience via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Here's how to share your recorded PowerPoint presentation in both platforms.

How to share recorded PowerPoint Presentations via Zoom
To share your recorded PowerPoint presentation on Zoom, you need to have the Zoom app installed on your computer and the PowerPoint file saved on your device or on OneDrive. Here are the steps to follow:

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1. Start or join a Zoom meeting and click Share Screen in the meeting controls.
2. Select your primary monitor then click Share. If you are not sure which monitor is your primary, select the one that PowerPoint opens in.
3. Switch back to PowerPoint and click the Slide Show tab. Begin playing the recorded PowerPoint presentation by selecting the Play from Start or Play from Current Slide options.

1. If you have recorded narration or video for your PowerPoint presentation, make sure to check the Play Narrations and Use Timings option in the Set Up group on the Slide Show tab.
2. Your participants will see your PowerPoint presentation in slide show view with your narration and video playing along.
3. To stop sharing your recorded PowerPoint presentation, click Stop Share on the Zoom toolbar.

How to share recorded PowerPoint Presentations via Microsoft Teams
To share your recorded PowerPoint presentation on Teams, you need to have the Microsoft Teams app installed on your computer and the PowerPoint file saved either on OneDrive or your local computer. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Start or join a Teams meeting and click Share content in the meeting controls.
2. In the share content menu ensure 'include computer sound' is turn on

1. Select Browse OneDrive or Browse my computer at the bottom of the 'share content' menu.

1. Navigate to the folder where you have saved your PowerPoint presentation file and select it.
2. Your participants will see your PowerPoint presentation in slide show view with your narration and video playing along.

1. To stop sharing, click Stop presenting on the Teams toolbar.

Troubleshooting issues when sharing recorded PowerPoint presentations via Teams or Zoom

If you want to share a recorded PowerPoint presentation with your audience via Zoom or Teams, you may encounter some issues that can affect the quality or the delivery of your presentation. Here are some common problems and how to solve them:

• If your recorded PowerPoint presentation has audio or video embedded, make sure you check the option to share computer sound when you start sharing your screen. Otherwise, your audience will not hear the sound from your presentation.
• If your recorded PowerPoint presentation has animations or transitions, make sure you play it in slideshow mode and not in editing mode. Otherwise, your audience will see the editing tools and the slides will not advance automatically.
• If your PowerPoint presentation has hyperlinks or action buttons, make sure you click on them during the presentation and not before. Otherwise, your audience will not see the linked content or the action result.
• If your PowerPoint presentation is too large or has high-resolution images or videos, make sure you compress it before sharing it. Otherwise, your presentation may lag or freeze during the presentation due to bandwidth limitations.

Lee-Ann

Chief Productivity Officer Lee-Ann has been working with PowerPoint for more than 18 years. Lee-Ann was initially an office manager and assistant, then a Production Specialist at Boston Consulting Group. Lee-Ann is now Chief Productivity Officer at PPT Productivity. Lee-Ann nominates PPT Productivity's Remember/Set Size & Position feature as one of her favorite

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