How to Video Record Yourself Presenting a PowerPoint: 7 Ways

Recording yourself presenting a PowerPoint can be challenging, especially getting the technical aspects right. You need to capture your screen, webcam, and audio seamlessly while delivering your content naturally and avoiding awkward transitions between slides.

Finding a tool that integrates all these components can seem daunting. However, recording yourself presenting a PowerPoint doesn't have to be reserved for the tech-savvy or professional speakers.

Whether you're a teacher creating online lessons, a marketer producing a product demo, or someone looking to improve their presentation skills, this guide will walk you through user-friendly tools and strategies that will teach you how to video record yourself presenting a PowerPoint.

TL;DR:

Recording yourself presenting a PowerPoint can be challenging, but it doesn't have to be reserved for experts.
Video recording offers unlimited reach, repurposing opportunities, and a more engaging experience.
Use PowerPoint's built-in recording feature or tools like Descript for a polished presentation.
Other tools like Zoom, Loom, OBS Studio, Clipchamp, and Quick Time Player can also be used for recording.
Tips include practicing your script, using slide notes, ensuring high-quality audio and lighting, and incorporating storytelling techniques.

Why video record yourself presenting a PowerPoint?

Video recording your PowerPoint presentations offers several advantages:

Unlimited reach: Unlike in-person presentations confined to a specific time and location, recorded videos allow your message to reach audiences globally at their convenience.
Repurposing opportunities: Recorded presentations can be repurposed as evergreen content across multiple platforms, such as social media, online courses, webinars, and internal training materials, maximizing their value.
Personal and engaging: Recording yourself narrating a presentation adds a personal touch and dynamic element that static slides alone cannot replicate. Your viewers can see and hear you deliver the content, creating a more immersive and engaging experience.

How to record your presentation with the PowerPoint app

Built-in recording feature in PowerPoint

1. Open the PowerPoint slide you want to record.

2. Click on the Record tab of the top toolbar.

PowerPoint screenshot — Record tab in PowerPoint

3. Click on the Record button and choose from any of the following options:

From Current Slide
From Beginning

4. You'll see the PowerPoint screen recording window.

5. Select the microphone and camera from the icon on the top-right.

6. Click the Stop and Replay buttons to end or replay your recording.

7. To export your presentation's recording, click Export to Video within the Recording tab.

Screenshot of user exporting PowerPoint recording to video — Export your PPT recording to video

Benefits: Easy to use, no external tools needed

Limitations: Limited editing capabilities.

How to make a more polished recording of your presentation with Descript

While PowerPoint's built-in recording features are helpful, they may not produce the refined result you want for your presentation. That's where Descript comes in handy.

It’s a whole production studio at your fingertips, with video recording, transcription, and editing capabilities, ready to transform dull PowerPoint slides into an engaging experience for your audience. Descript also has a built-in screen recorder.

You can use Descript on Windows, Mac, or even straight from your web browser.

Here's step-by-step guide to recording your PowerPoint presentation with Descript.

Set up your screen recording

1. Install and open Descript. At the top of the editor, click and open the Record panel.

2. Select Screen.

3. Set Recorder settings:

Adjust the default recording settings to your liking, including the transcription language, the maximum recording resolution, and more.

4. Set recording options. Choose which audio and video sources to record (e.g., microphone, computer audio, camera). Remember to turn the camera on to capture your talking head video alongside your PowerPoint presentation.

5. Click the Additional Settings icon for

Studio Sound (Optional): Enhance audio quality with noise reduction and background removal
Transcription (Optional): Enable automatic transcription for easier editing
Recording separate audio tracks

6. Add (optional) Speaker labels for each audio track (e.g., "Narrator," "Expert") by typing them in the text box next to your audio inputs.

Instructions on adding Speaker Labels to your recording in Descript

Capture your screen recording

1. Select the right recording option:

Recording into script: Choose this if you haven’t recorded anything yet.
Replace selection: Choose this if you already have a script and want to replace a specific section with a new recording.
Record new layer: Pick this for recording your video as a new layer on top of an existing recording.

2. Click Record at the bottom of the Record panel.

3. Drag over the area of your screen you wish to record. Click Start Recording. Press Space to start recording the full screen.

4. Click Stop to finish recording

Bonus: Descript creates separate tracks for camera, microphone, and computer audio. You can edit each track individually for more precise control.

Pro tips:

Do a short test recording to ensure everything is set up correctly.
Set your recording to transibe for easier editing.

Editing and polishing your PowerPoint recording in Descript

Descript's AI video editing tool makes it a breeze to trim, cut, and splice your video footage, ensuring a seamless flow from start to finish. You can add smooth transitions and other visual effects to make your presentation pop.

Here’s a glimpse of how to edit and polish your PowerPoint recording in Descript:

Edit your recording like a doc

Did you make a mistake during a slide transition? No problem. Just delete those sections in the text transcript (created automatically by Descript) and the video will adjust to match.

Remove filler words

Sound smoother and more confident by easily removing filler words like "um" and "uh" from the transcript.

Fix voiceover mistakes by typing

Didn't nail your delivery on a specific slide? No need to start from scratch! Descript's Overdub feature lets you simply type in the correct narration and replace the audio on that slide with AI voice cloning.

Instructions on using Overdub in Descript

Boost video quality and engagement:

Crisp up audio quality by reducing background noise and room reverb with the AI-powered Studio Sound feature.

Gif showing a user turning on Studio Sound in Descript — Turning on Studio Sound in Descript

‎Replace your background completely with the Green Screen Video Editor—look like you're presenting in a sleek studio or broadcasting from a beach.
Enable Eye Contact simulation with AI, so it appears you're making direct eye contact with viewers, even if you’re looking or reading something off-camera.

How to turn your PowerPoint presentation slides into a video

Did you know PowerPoint lets you save your presentation as a video, too?

Here's a breakdown of the two ways you can do so—keeping all the presentation elements (narration, animation, pointer movements, timings, and so on) intact in the presentation itself.

Save your PowerPoint presentation as a video

This creates a separate video file (MP4 or WMV) that anyone can play, even without PowerPoint.

Follow these steps:

Save your presentation
Go to File > Export > Create a Video
Choose the video quality (higher quality means bigger file size). Here's a quick guide:
- Ultra HD (4K): Best for large screens (if you have Windows 10+)
- Full HD (1080p): Great for computers and TVs
- HD (720p): Good for streaming online or on DVDs
- Standard (480p): Smallest size, good for phones

4. Decide on narration

If you haven't recorded yourself talking, choose "Don't Use Recorded Timings and Narrations" from the dropdown menu
If you have a recording, choose "Use Recorded Timings and Narrations." You can also set how long each slide shows for (default is 5 seconds)

5. Click Create Video

6. Name your video, pick a folder to save it in, and choose a file type (MPEG-4 or Windows Media Video)

Creating the video might take a while, especially for longer presentations. You can even leave it running overnight. Once done, find your video in the chosen folder and double-click to play it.

Save your PowerPoint presentation as a slideshow

This saves your presentation as a special file (PPSX) that starts playing automatically on full screen when opened. It only works with PowerPoint.

Here’s how it works:

Make sure your presentation is saved (regular PowerPoint file)
Go to File > Save As.
Pick a folder to save the slideshow in.
Under Save as type, choose PowerPoint Show (*.ppsx).
Click Save.

Now when someone opens the file, it will automatically play the slideshow.

Pro tips for making better video PowerPoint presentations

Practice your script

Recording a flawless PowerPoint video rarely happens in one take. The key is practice.

Record practice run-throughs and watch them back. Make notes on areas that need improvement or parts lacking clarity. The more you drill your script, the more confident and natural you'll sound in the final recording.

Take advantage of PowerPoint's built-in Speaker Coach. The feature shows you whether your pace is too fast or slow, your use of filler words like "um," and suggestions to improve your voice modulation.

Use slide notes for coherent delivery

Wouldn’t a personal teleprompter make presentations so much easier? That’s what slide notes are for.

Having your thoughts and talking points organized within your PowerPoint file lets you have all crucial information and prompts readily available when recording.

Go ahead and add detailed notes or even a full script for each slide. This will help you stay on track and provide a handy transcript reference if you need to do any editing or voiceover work in post-production.

Use high-quality audio equipment or turn on Studio Sound

Poor audio recording quality is a surefire way to make even the most visually polished video feel amateurish. Do your presentation justice by investing in a decent external or Bluetooth microphone and audio interface to capture clear voiceover audio.

If you must use a built-in mic, record in a quiet environment to minimize background noise pickup. Or better yet, pair up with an AI-powered audio enhancement tool like Descript's Studio Sound, which reduces background noise, reverb, and other artifacts.

Ensure a clean background and even lighting

Ditch cluttered backgrounds. You want people to focus on the content of your PowerPoint and not be distracted by the funny shapes and colors in your video.

Your video lighting and framing matters, too. Position yourself facing a natural light source or bring supplemental video lighting to eliminate weird shadows and squinting-level glare.

Look directly into the camera or turn on Eye Contact

Looking directly into the camera is essential to create a sense of connection with the audience. Position your webcam or camera at eye level and imagine you're talking to a friend. If you're using Descript, enable the Eye Contact feature to auto-adjust your gaze towards the camera.

Other tips

Dress professionally and maintain a good posture to project confidence and authority.
Use visuals, animations, and multimedia elements to enhance your presentation and keep your audience engaged.
Consider adding closed captions or subtitles to your video for better accessibility and engagement, especially for those watching without sound.
Speak clearly and at a moderate pace, using vocal variety to emphasize key points and maintain interest.
Incorporate storytelling techniques, real-life examples, or personal anecdotes to make your video presentation more relatable and memorable.

Take your PowerPoint presentations from amateur to amazing

Recording yourself virtually presenting a PowerPoint allows you to distribute your message using the most engaging type of content: video. And there are many screen recording tools out there that can capture your screen and web camera footage with just a few clicks.

But how do you stand out?

By focusing on the presentation's depth, your delivery, and the video's quality. The first two are the bare minimum to communicate your message effectively.

But the right screen capture software and all-in-one video creation tool like Descript can help you with third. Use the tool to improve the quality of your recorded PPT presentations.

With Descript, it's easier than ever to record your screen, polish up the audio, and create stunning visuals all in one place. So why wait?

Sign up for Descript today and simplify your workflow while creating a PowerPoint presentation video that sticks with your audience in the long term.

FAQs

How do you make a presentation video with your face?

To create a presentation video with your face, follow these steps:

Open your presentation in PowerPoint.
Go to the Slide Show tab.
Click on Record and choose From Current Slide or From Beginning.
Choose your microphone and camera by clicking on a sound icon on the top-right.
Start recording by clicking on the record button.
Speak into your microphone to narrate the presentation.
Your webcam will capture your face during the recording.
Click Stop when you finish recording.
Export your recorded presentation by clicking on File> Export>Create a video.

How do you present yourself in PowerPoint?

To present yourself effectively in PowerPoint, follow these steps:

Determine the key information to include in your presentation.
Design and prepare your PowerPoint slides with a cohesive theme.
Craft a compelling introduction to engage your audience.
Tailor your presentation to different time constraints for flexibility.
Capture the audience's attention before you begin speaking.

How to video record yourself presenting a PowerPoint

How to video record yourself presenting a PowerPoint

What type of content do you primarily create?

What type of content do you primarily create?

TL;DR:

Why video record yourself presenting a PowerPoint?