• Overview
• Learning Materials
  • Creating a PowerPoint File
    • Open A New Document
    • Choose and Apply a Design
    • Add New Slides
    • Select and Apply Slide Templates
    • Add Text To Slides
    • Use Text Effectively
    • Insert Objects Onto a Slide
    • Insert a Picture Onto a Slide
    • Add A Chart To A Slide
    • Add A Table To A Slide
    • Use Content Effectively
    • Draw On Slides
    • Add Notes To A Slide
    • Add Slide Transitions
    • Add Animation to Text and Objects
    • Use Movement Effectively
    • Add Hyperlinks to a Slide
    • Add Action Buttons
    • Use Links Effectively
    • Add Narration to a Presentation
  • Delivering a Presentation
  • Distributing a Presentation
• What's Next
• Index

Add Narration to a Presentation

Adding narration to a PowerPoint file allows you to create a stand-alone presentation that can be displayed kiosk-style from a computer or through a web browser.

First, you need to make sure that your computer is equipped with a sound card and speakers. You�ll also need to purchase a microphone.

Before you begin

Recording narration is a fairly simple procedure, but you need to consider a couple of points before you begin.

• Embed or link? PowerPoint will ask you whether you want to embed recorded audio in the PowerPoint file, or save the narration for each slide as a separate, linked file. Embedding results in a large file size, but you only have to keep track of one file. Linked audio files are more flexible in terms of storage, but if you move the PowerPoint file, you must be sure to also move the audio files.
• Consider file size. If your intention to deliver your presentation over the Internet, you will want to minimize your file size. Consider breaking your presentation into several smaller pieces, and limiting the amount of time you speak on each slide to a minute or less.

Recording

Follow these steps to record narration:

1. Open your PowerPoint file in Normal view.
2. From the Slide Show menu, choose Record Narration. The Record Narration dialog box appears.
3. Click Set Microphone Level� to test if your microphone is working.
4. If you want to save your narration as linked audio files, click the checkbox for Link narration in� and click the browse location to choose the directory where you will save the files.
5. Click OK. PowerPoint launches your presentation in Slide Show view.
6. Begin speaking into the microphone. Click the mouse to advance to the next slide, and continue recording through the presenation
7. When you are finished recording, end the presentation using the presentation menu or by right clicking.
8. PowerPoint asks whether or not you want to save the narration. Click Save.