Subtitles for presenter

How to Add PowerPoint Subtitles?

In professional settings, presenters must consider a wide range of audiences. Diverse audiences require them to think outside the box. For example, there might be people with hearing disabilities. You can add PowerPoint subtitles or closed captions for people with challenges.

This little effort to improve your presentation can engage a larger audience. Is your presentation in English? If you are in an international seminar, how can people from other nationalities understand your presentation? To overcome this challenge, add subtitles to your PowerPoint presentation.

How do Subtitles Work?

PowerPoint has an automated feature to transcribe the words the presenter speaks in the presentation and display them as text on the screen. Subtitles can be in the same language as the presentation, or you can choose different languages. PowerPoint supports certain languages.

The diversity of your audience defines the right way to use subtitles in the presentation. Understanding your audience is advised for the effective delivery of the idea. People who are deaf or hard of hearing and foreigners with an understanding of other languages can benefit from this feature.

There are different settings that you can apply to PowerPoint subtitles or closed captions to make the presentation easier for the audience. In simple words, subtitles transcribe what is being spoken in the presentation.

Add PowerPoint Subtitles to the Presentation

Modern tools and features make communication easier and more impactful. Not using subtitles for the larger audience will leave them in the dark about your idea or topic of the presentation. Users can make some changes to the subtitle settings, such as:

  • Choose the language that you want to speak while presenting
  • Select the language that you want to translate to
  • Specific microphone to use for the presentation
  • Position of the subtitles on the screen
  • Other display settings like font size, color, and styles

Now, let’s see how to transcribe your narration into subtitles during the slideshow. Here are the simple steps to activate subtitles for the slideshow.

1st Step: Open your PowerPoint presentation where you want to add subtitles, go to Slideshow tab >> Subtitle Settings

Slideshow settings

2nd Step: Check the “Always Use Subtitles” box if you want to activate closed captions for every presentation

always use subtitles

3rd Step: You can change settings by clicking on the “Subtitle Settings” menu and choosing the languages you speak, the language for subtitles, and other settings.

Add subtitles to ppt

Turn Off Subtitles in Slideshow

These were the simplest steps to add PowerPoint subtitles. Now, you might want to turn on or off the closed captions while presenting. Without closing the slideshow, the presenter can easily turn on or off the CC.  

Two different controls appear to turn the subtitles on or off in PowerPoint. The presenter can activate or deactivate subtitles while using these controls.

For Slideshow Controls

slideshow CC controls

For Presenter View Controls

presenter view CC controls

Tips for Adding Subtitles to PowerPoint

PowerPoint is integrated with Microsoft Speech Services to accurately transcribe the presenter’s narration. There might be some issues and glitches during the slideshow. Here are some common tips to improve the subtitles for your PowerPoint presentation.

  • Speak more deliberately if you are facing any issues with the subtitles
  • Use a better microphone, an external one, for better voice-capturing
  • Eliminate the background noise for accurate subtitles
  • Make sure your device has a strong internet connection for the subtitle feature

PowerPoint uses cloud-based technology for live captions. Slow internet will disrupt the accuracy of subtitles, and your listeners may face challenges. There are other features related to captions and subtitles that you can explore in your computer or laptop settings.

How to Insert Closed Captions into a Video in a Presentation?

The above method is for adding subtitles to your slideshow. This feature will transcribe the presenter’s speech into subtitles. How do you insert captions for the video in your presentation?

You can insert external captions by uploading the video or audio file. Ensure you have the subtitle file for your video or audio in the presentation.

First, upload a video or audio file to your slide. Then click on the video, go to the Playback tab >> Insert Captions >> Upload Captions from your device, and confirm.

add cc to video

Remove Closed Captions from the Presentation

In the Playback tab, click on the Insert Captions button and then click on the “Remove All Captions” option. All captions from your presentation will be removed.

How to Improve a PowerPoint Presentation?

A presentation is an effective tool for communicating with a larger audience. Most users like to stick with text only and end up not influencing the audience. If you want the audience to take your views and thoughts seriously, ensure you know how to engage them.

Boring text and dull colors may not suit every segment of viewers and listeners. Use AI to make presentations in PowerPoint. Would you like to try one of the best AI Presentation Makers?

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Final Words

These are the simplest steps to add PowerPoint subtitles to your presentation. To engage the audience, use Twistly as ChatGPT for PowerPoint. Closed captions can be useful for engagement, but make sure other participants also pay attention to your ideas.

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Frequently asked questions

Go to the Playback tab, choose the Insert Captions option, and upload the file with subtitles. Then, follow the same steps for the audio captions.

Check if your device has a stable internet connection. Also, try speaking more deliberately and use a good microphone for better recording.

From the Slideshow tab, go to Subtitle Settings and choose where to display the subtitles during the slideshow.