How to do a voice-over on Google Slides for free

Why use a voice-over on your Google Slides presentation?

You can create slides that contain text, images, videos and animation – and you can even add your own voice-over. This means that you can guide your audience through the entire presentation, just like you were physically there. This personalises your content and makes it a more engaging experience for your viewers. Some people respond well to visual communication while others respond better to audio communication. Learning how to do a voice-over on Google Slides means that your slides can speak in both languages.

Google Slides is fully cloud-based software that’s easy and free to use, so creating your visual presentation is simple. However, the software doesn’t have a built-in audio recording feature. While this is a little frustrating, it’s easy to record and add your own voice-over track to your slide presentation – and it’s still not going to cost you a penny.

Before you start recording, it’s important to remember that while some of your viewers might be willing to put up with imperfect visuals, few will forgive poor sound! Your voice-over needs to be a good quality recording. If the built-in microphone on your laptop or PC isn’t quite up to the job, take a look at our list of the best microphones for voice-over recordings.

Now, follow these easy steps on how to do a voice-over on Google Slides and start making your first audio/visual presentation straight away.

How to do a voice-over on Google Slides in easy steps:

1. Create your slides on Google Slides.
   
2. Write a separate script for each slide. Don’t simply repeat the information that’s written on the slide, your audience can already see that. Can you add some context, or explain bulleted points in more depth?
   
   Practise reading each script. Try to speak naturally and don’t read too fast. Your audience will need time to take in the visual content of your slide along with listening to your voice. Reading out loud also helps to identify any parts that don’t flow smoothly or those that sound wrong. Check how long your script takes to read. Rewrite as necessary.
   
   
3. When you’re ready, it’s time to record each script separately. You’ll need one audio file for each slide.
   
   Windows: If you’re a Windows user, you don’t need to install any extra voice recording software on your computer. Your computer comes preloaded with Voice Recorder, which is an app that can easily record your voice-over. Access this software from the Start Menu and you’re ready to record and save your first audio file.
   
   Mac: If you’re a Mac user, you can use the preloaded Voice Memo software on your device. Simply open the app and click the red Record button to start.
   
4. Upload each audio file to Google Drive. It might be easier to work on one at a time if you have quite a few files. To upload a file, log into Google Drive, select New and select File Upload. Locate your file and upload it.
   
5. Open your slides. Select the slide that you want to add your voice-over recording to. Then select Insert, then Audio from the drop-down menu. Choose your file on the list and click Select.
   
6. You’ll now see a small icon on your slide to let you know there’s an audio file embedded. There will also be a new menu on the right that gives you some audio playback options. You can use this to adjust settings, such as choosing whether your audio file plays automatically or has to be clicked by the viewer. You can also adjust the volume here.
   
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6, adding your recorded scripts to each slide in turn.

Other free voice recording software apps

If you don’t want to use Windows’ Voice Recorder or Mac’s Voice Memo recording software, there are other free alternatives online that you can use to do a voice-over on Google Slides. For example:

• Online Voice Recorder
• SpeakPipe
• Vocaroo

Professional voice-overs

Sound quality is paramount on slideshows that feature voice-overs. While using Google Slides teamed with free audio-recording software is free and quick, it won’t always produce the level of quality you need for a particular project.

We create professional-quality voice-overs in more than 200 languages for customers all over the world. If you’d like to speak to an expert today about how we can help with your voice-over project, please fill in this form and we’ll be in touch.

Get the templates

With our template, you can easily create a script that meets your specific project needs and ensures a flawless voiceover performance. No more headaches or frustration – just a smooth and efficient process from start to finish.