PowerPoint: Exporting a Video/Audio Narration as an MP4 File (Windows and MacOS)

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Overview

For educational/instructional purposes, it’s recommended to save the narrated presentation as a .PPT file first, and then export the presentation as an .MP4 file. This article details considerations when saving video/audio narrations in PowerPoint and provides step-by-step instructions for Windows 11 and MacOS users. 

Considerations: 

  • MP4 files are preferred; however, MOV files are also accepted within My Media. 
  • This will process any narrated audio and video added to a presentation, but will not include any embedded media files, such as embedded YouTube videos. 
  • For most uses, keep the video quality as a presentation or internet quality. 
  • Several transitions play differently in a movie than they do in a presentation. Animation effects don’t play in a movie at all. 
  • Save the video in a memorable location, such as a OneDrive folder (recommended) or your desktop. 
  • Video files are large, so be sure to erase the video from your saved location on your computer once it is uploaded to My Media. Keep the original PowerPoint for future use. 
  • It is essential to have the Office 365 Desktop version of PowerPoint to export as a video. The following instructions should cover PowerPoint for Microsoft and Mac 365, Mac PowerPoint 2021, and Mac PowerPoint 2019.
 

Process: 

1. From the File tab, select Export. 
TIP: On some older versions of PowerPoint, select Save As and change the file format to MP4. 
2. Select the video quality: presentation quality, internet quality, or low quality. 
Note: The higher the video quality, the larger the file size. 
  • Presentation quality (Full HD 1080p) saves space while maintaining the overall quality of the audio and video. Recommended for sharing a video in class or an online course. 
  • Internet quality (HD 720p) is comparable to the quality of videos streamed over the internet. Recommended for sharing a video in an online course. 
  • Low quality (Standard 480p) uses the least amount of space, but the quality may be degraded. Recommended for sharing a video in an email. 
3. Select Use Recorded Timings and Narrations.
4. Select Create a Video or Export.
5. The export progress bar will appear below the slides. 
Note: PowerPoint does not indicate how long the video will take to export or a notification that it is done.
The progress bar will appear under the slides. It will disappear when the export process is complete.
The progress bar will appear under the slides. It will disappear when the export process is complete.


6. Once the video is exported, upload your mp4 video to My Media found in Canvas to share it. 
7.  Embed the video from My Media into Canvas using the My Media integration found in the Rich Content Editor (instructors). The Kaltura video player can be embedded into Canvas Pages, Assignments, Announcements, Discussions, and Quizzes.