PowerPoint is very versatile and easy-to-use software that lets users put together multimedia presentations, but few people know that such presentations can easily be recorded with video and audio. This can be useful in many situations. For example, when you quickly need to make a video about a topic you already made a PowerPoint on or you want to video record yourself presenting a PowerPoint.

Now that you understand why it matters, the logical next step is learning how to record PowerPoint presentation with audio and turn a discontinuous medium into a streaming one. It is easy to record screen on your computer, also, it is not very hard to record the PowerPoint Presentation. especially since PowerPoint already has a tool that allows for this type of conversion and there are lots of third-party products that can be trusted with this task.

Transforming a slide show presentation into a video clip for the first time can be tricky, so we’ll walk you through the procedure with several different methods. This should help you become comfortable with this task and complete it all by yourself whenever a need arises.

Also read: Fix！PowerPoint Not Recording Audio 2023 >

Record PowerPoint Presentation with its Record Slide Show Feature

When the entire presentation is played as a slide show, the impact on the viewer is almost the same as with a recorded multimedia clip. The engagement level could be even higher with a video, as this medium grabs the user’s attention and drives home key messages very effectively.

To make things even better, PowerPoint allows you to directly record any slide show, providing a quick and effortless way to make useful videos on your computer. With the Record Slide Show feature that is a part of the software package, you can play your presentation and record it along with the sound from the microphone and laser pointer on the screen.

This tool is very simple to use, yet it provides users with a lot of useful options for screen recording without the need to search for external apps. In other words, with the Record slide show, you can create very decent-looking videos right from the start.

Here is how to record your presentation with audio using the built-in recorder or how to stop PowerPoint recording:

Step 1. Run PowerPoint and open the presentation you need to record.

Step 2. Open the Slide show tab, and choose the Record slide show option.

Step 3. In the dialogue box that opens, choose whether to include slide timings and highlighting elements (i.e. laser pointer).

Step 4. Click on the Start recording button to commence capturing.

Step 5. Record your narrations for each slide and/or use the selected highlighting method.

Step 6. Use the toolbar at the top of the screen to skip a slide, return to a previous one, or to temporarily pause the recording.

Further Reading: How to Turn a PowerPoint into a Video >

Top 7 Screen Recording Tools to Record PowerPoint Presentation with Audio and Video

While PowerPoint lets you make a video presentation, it’s not really made to be screen recording software and it consequently lacks some of the more advanced tools that are commonly included in apps specialized for this task. Any user who is not content with the level of control afforded by the Record slide show feature in PowerPoint should look into some popular alternatives.

We reviewed six of the most commonly used screen recorders that can be used to make a video out of your presentation and listed their significant features and main limitations.

1. Gemoo Recorder

As a professional screen recorder, Gemoo Recorder can help you record everything you need, even recording the PowerPoint Presentation with audio and video.

Equipped with 4 recording modes, Gemoo Recorder allows you to record your screen, camera, and sound or microphone freely. You can choose to record “Screen & Camera”, “Camera Only”, “Screen Only” and “Audio Only”.

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Key features:

• The recording is always smooth even when you are recording 4K videos.
• You can add virtual background when record your camera to hide your real loction. Make sure your privacy is not compromised while recording the camera.
• You can insert shapes, text, memes, or other notes during recording. Express your thoughts more clearly.
• You can catch your audience’s attention and keep them entertained with all the popular GIFs in Gemoo Recorder.

Compatibility: Available for Windows, macOS and Web

Price: free

Customer Ratings:

• Capterra: N/A
• G2 : N/A

How to Record PowerPoint presentation with Gemoo Recorder

Step 1. Free download Gemoo Recorder and open it on your computer > Enter your account and password to log in Gemoo Recorder.

Step 2. You can choose the Screen only mode to record your PowerPoint presentation > Click on the Start Recording button to initiate recording.

Step 3. You can control your recording process by tapping on the control panel in the left sidebar. To access the editing options, you just need to click the “Add Annotation” button directly.

2. CamStudio

Everything is simple with CamStudio and you don’t have to search for the screen recording function. This simple app lets you quickly record any content from your screen, enhance and edit it with various tools, and save it as AVI or SWF file. This is an open-source application that comes with no ads, and it’s possible to use various extensions with it and gain additional functionalities. Overall, this is a solid choice if you are using a Windows computer and would like to have a reliable recording tool installed and ready to roll very quickly.

Key features:

• Very user-friendly app that practically anyone can use with little need for training
• It can capture content from the screen or the webcam
• Recording audio or adding captions to your presentation is very easy
• There is no time limit for the recordings
• Solid editing and video compression tools are included

Main limitations:

• Significant CPU and memory requirements
• Unwanted software may be installed while you are downloading CamStudio
• Just two different file formats are supported

Compatibility: Available for Windows

Price: free

Customer Ratings:

• Capterra: N/A
• G2 : N/A

How to record PowerPoint presentation with CamStudio?

Step 1. Open CamStudio, open the Region menu, and select Full Screen option

Step 2. Adjust video and audio settings before you start recording

Step 3. Open your PowerPoint presentation and move through the slides while commenting

Step 4. Manually stop the recording when the presentation is over

Step 5. Save the file to your hard drive in the selected format

3. FreeCam

Using FreeCam to record your PowerPoint presentation with video and audio can spare you some trouble and provide you with a few additional options. This software works well on both major OS platforms and can create high-resolution recordings of screen activity. If you want to record directly from a particular app (such as PowerPoint) you can limit the recording to a single window and ignore the rest of the screen. All functions are easy to find and activate, so it doesn’t take long to become a proficient video maker with FreeCam.

Key features:

• User can choose the region or window to record from
• This app supports 760p resolution for video recording
• It’s capable of capturing both system audio and microphone input
• Volume control and trimming tools are provided in the editor
• Clean and logical graphic interface shortens the learning curve

Main limitations:

• Some important features are available only to paid users
• Trim function allows only rough cuts (approximately 2 seconds)
• Lack of advanced video editing tools limits the quality of finished videos

Compatibility: Available for Windows and Mac

Price: free (basic version), $277 per year (full version)

Customer Ratings:

• Capterra: N/A
• G2: 4.0/5 (16 reviews)

How to record a PowerPoint presentation with FreeCam?

Step 1. Run FreeCam on the same computer where your PowerPoint presentation is located

Step 2. Click on New Recording in the main menu

Step 2. Use the toolbar options to set up resolution, audio settings, and mouse cursor capture

Step 3. Press the red button to start recording content from your screen

Step 4. Open your presentation and run through the slides

Step 5. Save your screencast as video and edit it before sharing

4. Debut

If you are wondering how to video record yourself presenting a PowerPoint slide show with a minimum of effort, you should consider installing Debut software to your computer. You can accomplish many different tasks with this simple app, without the need to watch tutorials or search for instructions online. It has an impressive collection of advanced video capturing and editing tools for a free app, and it can be easily customized to fit your requirements even better. You won’t go wrong if you pick Debut to be your primary screen capturing tool.

Key features:

• It can capture content from the entire screen, selected region, or a webcam
• Recordings can be scheduled in advance and started automatically
• Several popular video formats are supported
• Keyboard shortcuts greatly simplify and accelerate work
• Picture-in-picture functionality is enabled, which is very useful for PowerPoint presentations

Main limitations:

• User interface doesn’t look great
• This app isn’t suitable for recording very complex or highly dynamic visual content

Compatibility: Available for Windows and Mac

Price: Free for home use

Customer Ratings:

• Capterra: 4.6 (9 reviews)
• G2: 3.6 (5 reviews)

How to record your PowerPoint presentation with Debut software?

Step 1. Start Debut screen recorder while having your presentation open

Step 2. Select from which window you want to record

Step 3. Choose whether to include microphone audio and webcam overlay in your recording

Step 4. Click on the record button and run the slide show in PowerPoint

5. Capto

Capto is another software product available on the internet that could serve as your go-to screen recorder if you own an Apple computer with MacOS or even an iPhone. It has lots of smartly designed features you might find useful when trying to turn a PowerPoint presentation into a fully-fledged video with sound and text comments. In addition to several screen capturing options, it can also be used for editing the video and adding captions and other visual enhancers. All things considered, Capto could be the solution you were looking for and it won’t cost you anything to try it out.

Key features:

• Several screen recording modes allow capturing from virtually anywhere
• Excellent annotation tools to make your presentation clearer and highlight key messages
• Possibility to hide the desktop while recording from a particular window
• Solid editor with the capacity to process images, video, or audio
• Well-organized menu system that can be learned quickly

Main limitations:

• There are occasional issues when importing external media
• Windows or Linux versions of this software are not currently available
• Audio editing features are not as advanced as in some competing apps

Compatibility: Available for Mac

Price: free (trial version), $29.99 (full version)

Customer Ratings:

• Capterra: 5.0 (1 review)
• G2: N/A

How to record video from PowerPoint presentation using Capto?

Step 1. Open Capto on your Mac and click on the Video tab

Step 2. Click on the Window button to enable capturing from an active window

Step 3. Select the correct audio source and decide whether to include mouse cursor

Step 4. Press the Record button when you are ready

Step 5. Switch to the window with the PowerPoint presentation and start narrating

6. Monosnap

Thanks to a combination of simple commands and robust features, Monosnap is attracting some attention as a screen grabbing solution. Taking snapshots of your screen or recording a PowerPoint slide show can be done with just a few clicks, and you can save your work directly to the cloud. With broad compatibility, simple commands, and a number of unique features, Monosnap has all that’s required from a modern screen recorder for Mac and Windows.

Key features:

• One-click commands ley you start and stop recording at will
• Free version has solid features and can produce good videos
• 2GB of cloud storage provided for free users, up to 10GB for commercial users
• All most commonly used file formats are supported
• This software readily integrates with third-party solutions

Main limitations:

• There are no serious video editing tools in the package
• Menu system can be a bit confusing for novice users
• Better suited for screenshots than for multimedia presentations

Compatibility: Available for Windows and Mac

Price: free (trial version), $3/month (non-commercial license), $10/month (commercial license)

Customer Ratings:

• Capterra: N/A
• G2: 4.3 (2 reviews)

How to make a video from PowerPoint slide show with Monosnap software?

Step 1. Start Monosnap app on your computer

Step 2. Select Record video item from the main menu

Step 3. Select the area of the screen you want to be visible

Step 4. Choose from which source to draw audio (microphone or in-app)

Step 5. Click on the Record button in the toolbar

Step 6. Start your slide show and comment each slide while recording

7. OBS Studio

The advantages of this open-source software suite are too numerous to list here, but it’s enough to know that OBS Studio is among the most frequently downloaded screen recorders right now. You will find numerous recording and editing options in this app that will help you produce amazing videos starting from a regular PowerPoint presentation. With the possibility to include audio and add a lot of different visual elements to improve communicability and make your main messages stand out, OBS is well equipped for the role of multimedia creation software.

Key features:

• Free, open-source screen recorder that can be easily customized
• Doesn’t take up a lot of space on your computer or require too strong CPU power
• Records high-quality video and audio from a variety of sources
• Includes a reliable audio mixer and video editor
• Great for steaming your videos directly on major online platforms

Main limitations:

• It takes some time for new users to learn how to activate all important features
• Updates can sometimes create unexpected technical issues
• If you delete a scene, you can’t undo this action and it’s lost forever

Compatibility: Available for Windows and Mac’

Price: free – supported by donations

Customer Ratings:

• Capterra: 4.7 (783 reviews)
• G2: 4.6 (104 reviews)

How to use OBS Studio to record your presentation as video?

Step 1. Install and start OBS Studio, which should automatically start a new Scene

Step 2. Open the Options menu and select Capture display feature

Step 3. Click on Settings, and then Output to configure technical specifications for your video

Step 4. Select the destination where your video will be saved

Step 5. Click on the Start Recording button in the right lower corner menu

Step 6. Go to the window where your PowerPoint presentation is open and start the slide show

Frequently Asked Questions of Record PowerPoint Presentation

Is there a free screen recorder for Windows and Mac worth downloading?

Yes, there are free screen recorders both for Windows and Mac. Most of the apps recommended in this article have at least free trial version, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find one that fully suits your needs. On the other hand, if you want to create professional-level videos you might be better off purchasing a full version of one of the premium screen recorders.

How difficult is it to include my voice in the video made from PowerPoint presentation?

It’s typically very easy to include either system sound or microphone feed into the video you are making, but the exact procedure is different for each software app and needs to be learned. Make sure that you enabled audio recording before you run your presentation and start capturing content from the screen.

Can you record your face on the webcam and include it in the video made from PowerPoint?

Some of the recommended tools are capable of recording content from multiple sources, so you can easily track what’s happening on the screen while also capturing the webcam feed. If the software you are using has a Picture-in-Picture feature, you could combine two streams for greater effect.

Is it possible for the video to show mouse movements and interactions with the presentation?

Better screen recording tools allow you to interact with the presentation in various ways, and can capture mouse actions, laser pointer, etc. Effects of this kind can make your video more dynamic and allow the viewers to focus on the essential activities taking place on the computer screen.

Do I need any specialized skills to edit your video and add some graphics?

Adding simple annotations and highlights is very easy, and you don’t need a whole lot of skill to trim the video to a desired length. However, if you would like to perform more advanced editing operations such as scene transitions or moving graphic overlays, you might need to watch some tutorials before trying to edit videos on your own.

In which format can I save the video I make from my PowerPoint slide show?

Depending on the software tool you use, the video can be saved in a number of formats such as AVI, MOV, SFW, etc. Better screen recorders allow you to choose between several formats, which is a great advantage and provides some much needed flexibility when sharing the video on the web.

Final thoughts

As you can see, there are several methods for creating a video out of a PowerPoint presentation, and all of them are relatively simple to learn. The native feature in PowerPoint offers solid possibilities and should be your first choice if your goal isn’t too ambitious. A range of alternative screen recording solutions can be found online, many of them containing advanced features that can simplify your task and improve the quality of your videos. It’s prudent to carefully consider all the pros and cons of each solution before you select the app that you will install on your computer and use to record PowerPoint presentations with audio on a regular basis.