Add Voiceover to Google Slides

Google Slides is a feature-packed, browser-based presentation tool. You might use it to give in-person presentations or share slides from afar.

Learn how to do a voiceover on Google Slides to capture your speaking voice, adding thoughts to your presentation.

Importance of Voiceovers in Google Slides

Voiceovers are beneficial even if you’re presenting live. Perhaps you have a co-presenter who can’t attend. Knowing how to add voice recordings to Google Slides allows you to include their portion of the slide deck, making your presentations more accessible and engaging.

A voiceover on Google Slides helps you add audio narration to your presentation. This means that you don’t have to be available to present in real-time; instead, you can record your narration and save it right inside Google Slides. This allows your audience to play back your slide deck at their convenience.

Consider the impact of simply emailing out a copy of your slides. While your audience can review the content visually, they might miss out on your narrative delivery—the anecdotes, inflections, and details that enhance your speech. A voiceover ensures your audience receives the full experience of your presentation anytime, anywhere. This is why learning how to do a voiceover on Google Slides will set your presentation apart.

Now, let’s learn how to add voiceovers to Google Slides presentations quickly! For our tutorial, we’ll work with the beautiful LEONE Google Slides template from Envato Elements. Download it today to follow along.

Steps to Add Voiceover in Google Slides

We’ve explored the benefits of Google Slides voiceovers. Now it’s time to learn how to record voice on Google Slides to share with your audience. Let’s get started!

1. Record Audio in MP3 Format

Google Slides is part of the larger Google Drive ecosystem, but it doesn’t have the capability to record voiceovers built-in. Fortunately, it’s easy to add and edit audio files for playback during your presentation.

To do this, you need to record audio in MP3 format. MP3 files are widely used and easily recorded with many popular audio recording apps. As you learn how to record voice on Google Slides, ensure you have a means to record in MP3 format.

You have two options to record your audio:

1. Record directly in MP3 format.
2. Use an app like Apple’s Voice Memos (which saves in .m4a format) and convert it to MP3 using a platform like CloudConvert.

For this example, we’ll use the free app Audacity to record, as it allows you to save recordings in MP3 format without needing conversion.

Begin by launching your audio recorder, such as Audacity.

Tip: Use a good microphone and ensure a quiet environment to capture your voice clearly.

Next, launch your presentation in Google Slides. Record your narration while navigating through your slide deck as if you were presenting live. This helps preserve the pacing and timing of your presentation.

To keep your audience engaged, use transition phrases as you move to a new topic, such as “moving to the next slide.” This technique will help your audience stay in sync with the content.

Once you finish, save the MP3 copy of your audio and then proceed to learn how to add voice recordings to your Google Slides deck.

2. Upload Audio to Google Drive

With your voiceover recording saved in MP3 format, it’s time to upload it to Google Drive. Go to Google Drive’s homepage, where you’ll see a list of your files and folders.

To upload your MP3 audio, open your file browser, locate the saved audio file, then drag it into the open Google Drive window or use the New > File Upload option to upload it.

Just like that, you’ve uploaded audio ready for use in Google Slides!

3. Insert Audio in Google Slides

Now that your audio is uploaded to Google Drive, it’s time to add it to your presentation. Open your slide deck in Google Slides and navigate to the first slide.

To add audio, go to the Insert menu at the top of the window and select Audio from the dropdown menu.

This will open the Insert Audio menu, where you’ll see your uploaded audio file in the My Drive tab. Click on your recording’s thumbnail, then hit the blue Select button to insert it into your presentation.

4. Set Playback Settings

Once your audio appears in Google Slides, a sidebar menu called Format Options will open on the right side of your screen. Here, you can control the playback settings for your audio.

By default, audio will play only when clicked. However, since we recorded audio to sync with the slides, choose the Automatically option for playback.

Also, uncheck the Stop on Slide Change box to ensure the audio continues playing as viewers navigate through the slides. This setup is ideal for voiceovers that span the entire presentation.

5. Preview the Narrated Slides

Before sharing your presentation, it’s wise to preview your recorded audio to ensure it plays back correctly and the sound quality meets your standards.

To preview your audio, go to View > Slideshow in Google Slides. Ensure the audio starts playing automatically on the first slide, and click through to confirm that it plays across all slides as intended.

Now you have successfully learned how to add voiceovers to Google Slides! This is an effective way to engage your audience from anywhere, allowing them to experience your commentary on their schedule.

Explore Stunning Google Slides Templates

Envato Elements offers a fantastic collection of Google Slides templates. With thousands of options available, you’re sure to find the perfect design for your needs.

For a flat monthly fee, you gain unlimited access to all premium Google Slides decks, along with millions of other assets such as fonts, music, and stock photos.

When you choose a premium design from Envato Elements, you benefit from:

• Easy-to-use layouts: Pre-built designs handle the creative work for you.
• Inspirational designs: Placeholders allow for quick content drops, sparking ideas for your slides.
• Powerful graphics and charts: These tools help illustrate data and concepts beautifully.

Embrace the opportunity to enhance your presentations with Envato Elements today!

Conclusion

Now that you know how to add voiceovers to Google Slides presentations, you can enrich your content with insightful commentary, even from a distance. This skill will add a personal touch to your presentations, making them more engaging for your audience.

What are you waiting for? Get started with your microphone and practice how to record voice on Google Slides designs. Your audience will appreciate the effort!