How to Record a Presentation on Google Slides in 6 Simple Steps

Can you record a presentation on Google Slides?

No, you can’t record a presentation just using Google Slides. You’ll need to use a webcam or screen recording software to capture video and audio while presenting with Google Slides. Using an app or browser-based program will allow you to record your voice, face, or both with your slide deck. 

What do you need to record a Google Slides presentation?

In order to record a Google Slides presentation, you’ll need to use screen recorder software at the same time. A Google account and recording platform are essential, but you may also need a webcam or microphone depending on the device you’re using and the quality you’re seeking. Learn more below. 

Google account: Sign up for a free Google account to be able to make a presentation in Google Slides. Slides features a lot of great options for making decks, making it very comparable to Microsoft Powerpoint. If you click Slide in the top menu bar and then Change Theme, you can access a variety of formats for your presentations with colors, fonts, and headings pre-selected. Themes range from professional to fun to quirky. 

You can also search for and insert photos directly from Google and videos directly from YouTube within your slides. Vídeos will play automatically in presentation mode. You can also choose if you’d like the YouTube video to start at a specific time.

Web recorder software: You’ll need to sign up for or download web recorder software to capture the video or audio during the taping of your presentation. Not sure where to start? Check out our guide for tips on 15 of the best web recorder software options. Note that each screen recording platform or capturing software has different settings and features, including editing abilities for audio video files, and whether the webcam can also be captured. Some need to be installed, while others will run within your browser. 

Riverside offers free and affordable plans with unlimited video and audio recordings. With Riverside, your video and audio tracks are recorded separately, so you can choose to record your voice and face if you’d like to be on camera. 

Other good options include:

• Clipchamp (free and paid options)
• Yawcam (free, but only available on Windows)
• ManyCam (free and paid)
• VLC Media Player (free)

Mac computers come with QuickTime Player which can also record your screen for a presentation and with narration. Those PCs with Windows 10 have the Windows Camera app which can record your desktop screen and webcam at the same time. The above are two basic free options to begin recording a presentation with video and audio. But they are not suitable for presentations that you would like to do live online with guests and participants.

External mic (optional): If your computer or device doesn’t have an internal mic or you’d like to record higher-quality sound, consider acquiring an external computer mic to use during your presentation. 

Webcam (optional): Similar to above, if you’re in need of video quality not available through your device, you may need to purchase an external webcam. Or connect a DSLR camera for superior video footage.  

How to record a presentation on Google Slides with audio and your face in 6 Easy Steps

While you can’t record your audio and video within Google Slides, you can use a webcam and screen recording platform to save the presentation. 

We suggest getting started with Riverside for recording Google Slides, on many devices, including Mac and Windows computers. It’s free to start out and allows for unlimited recordings. You can record up to 4k video resolution and uncompressed 48kHz WAV audio. Riverside allows you to record a live presentation with up to seven guests plus a host. Video and audio files are saved locally on each person’s device so no internet connection interferes with resolution. 

Below we’ll outline how to record a presentation in six easy steps using the Riverside with your Google Slides deck.

Step 1: Get started on Riverside

Create a free account on Riverside.fm or choose from a paid plan with more features. Click Get Started and create an account instantly by signing into a Google or Apple ID account, or just enter in your name, email, and preferred password. No need to install anything. 

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Step 2: Set up your recording studio

In Riverside, click New Studio  – this is where you will record your presentation. Enter a name for your studio and choose whether you’d like to record audio only or both audio and video. 

Step 3: Schedule your presentation and Invite people 

You can invite participants to your presentation before entering the studio or once inside the studio. If you'd like to invite before entering the studio, select Continue set up studio, and you'll find a tab where you can add participants. Alternatively, in the studio you'll have the option to invite people.

There are different types of roles you can choose to assign invitees to control their access to your studio: 

• Producer: Producers can change most of the recording and studio settings, but their audio and video feeds are not recorded. 
• Guest: Guests will be recorded, so only send the guest link to people you want to appear on video. 
• Audience: Those with the Audience link will just be able to watch your presentation. Their audio and video won’t be recorded unless granted permission during a Live Call-In by the Host or Producer. 

You can also record your presentation on your own without any guests or audience members and share the video and audio afterwards!

For more: Riverside Participant Roles (Overview)

Step 4: Do a trial run

Once you have your Riverside studio setup, you’re almost ready to record! It’s best to do a trial run first, testing out your audio and video, without audience members, if you’ll be doing a live presentation. 

Once you’ve set up your studio, you’ll need to click Enter Studio in order to enter the lobby. Here you will be asked whether you are wearing headphones or not. You’ll also have the opportunity to choose and test your equipment.

It’s best to use headphones while recording as stops audio bleed and improves audio quality.

When you are ready, select Join Studio. We advise that if you are using video, you should center your face, make sure that there is good lighting, and the background is not distracting or messy.

Test out and record the first five or ten minutes of your slide deck presentation. You can share your presentation with the Screen share button. This will give you the option to share a window, browser tab or your full screen. 

After you feel you’ve got the hang of it, you’re ready to start your official recording.

Step 5: Record your presentation

After you’ve done a test of at least the first couple slides of your presentation, you’re ready to record your Google Slides with your face or just narration. 

Open your custom Riverside studio and click Share in the bottom toolbar. Choose Entire Screen, Window, or Chrome Tab – depending on where your Google Slides are and how much of your screen you’d like to share. If you only want to record Google Slides - choose the Window or Chrome Tab where you slides are located. 

Click the large red Record button and you’ll be given a countdown from five to one until the recording begins. From there the recording will begin, and you will be able to see the audio input for yourself and any guests in the right-hand sidebar. Echo cancellation can be turned on, if needed. 

The recording timer will run until you click Stop. You’ll see in your studio that each participants’ audio and video tracks will upload to Riverside and a percentage will be shown. Wait in the studio for all the files to upload and then select View Recordings to see your files. 

Step 6: Download your recordings

From the studio, you’ll be taken to your studio’s recordings where each participant's audio and video files can be downloaded separately. 

If you’d like to edit straight away, you can use the Riverside Text-Based Editor and Magic Clips tool to customize your video presentation or repurpose it into short shareable videos.

FAQs on How to Record a Presentation on Google Slides

Can you record narration or your screen in Google Slides?

No, you cannot record narration for a presentation within Google Slides. You’ll need to use a webcam or screen recording app to record your video and audio while sharing your screen and Google Slides. Follow the steps above on how to do this with Riverside. There are many other options for software to help you do this. Check out the following guides to learn more:

• 15 Best Webcam Recording Software for High-Quality Videos
• Top 10 Video Capture Software for All Uses in 2024 - Free & Paid
• How to Video Record Yourself Presenting a PowerPoint

Can you record a presentation with Google Slides for free?

Yes, there are many free options for screen and webcam recording platforms that can be used with Google Slides. Riverside, as mentioned above, is a great option for unlimited recordings. It also provides extra tools like Editor for post-production and Magic Clips for sharing bits of the event online. 

Other free options for recording platforms include:

• VLC
• Yawcam
• CamStudio
• Webcamera.io
• Logitech Capture

How do you record your screen on a presentation?

In order to record your screen while doing a presentation, you’ll need to make sure of a screen recording software. There are many different types of software available including web browser-based applications, like Riverside, or a program you can download, like VLC Media Player.

On Mac computers, you can use the pre-installed program Quicktime to record your screen while giving your presentation. On a PC, you can use the Xbox Game Bar. Game Bar was initially made to record video game play but it can also be used to record your screen.  

For more, you can read the steps above. 

How do you make a video on Google Slides?

You can make a video on Google Slides using a webcam recording software to record both your presentation and your face and voice as you present. Above, we go through the steps to use a free Riverside account to give a presentation and export it as a video. There are a number of free and paid others for webcam software, check out this guide to learn more about your options. 

How do you add voice to Google Slides?

To add your voice to Google Slides, first choose how you’d like to record your narration. You can use a web application such as Riverside, to record your voice. Alternatively, you can use your phone’s voice recorder. 

Once you have your recordings, upload them to Google Drive. Make sure to click Share on your recordings and change the setting from Restricted to Anyone with the link can view if you want to share this presentation with others and have them hear the audio. Within your Google Slides presentation, click Insert then Audio then choose your audio file. A speaker icon will then appear on your slide. Clicking it will play the audio.