In PowerPoint for Windows, you can add closed captions to audio files in your presentations. Adding closed captions makes your presentation accessible to a larger audience, including people with hearing disabilities and those who speak languages other than the one used in your audio file.
To read about best practices for accessibility, see Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible to people with disabilities.
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Download and install the STAMP add-in
To add captions to an audio file in PowerPoint you need to use the STAMP add-in. For instructions, refer to the section “Download and install STAMP” in Add closed captions or subtitles to media in PowerPoint.
Note: Both the linked article and the STAMP add-in download page only discuss versions up to PowerPoint 2016. However, the latest version of the add-in also works in PowerPoint 2019 and the latest Microsoft 365 version of PowerPoint.
Create captions for your audio file
If you don’t already have captions for your audio, the STAMP add-in lets you create them. For instructions, refer to the section “Create new captions using the Caption Editor” in Add closed captions or subtitles to media in PowerPoint.
Import TTML captions
If you already have captions for your audio file in the TTML format, or if you created captions with the Caption Editor, you are ready to import them into PowerPoint.
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On the Insert tab, select the Audio menu, and then select the media type and location that you want to insert into your presentation. For more information, refer to Add or delete audio in your PowerPoint presentation.
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In Audio Tools, select the Playback tab, and select the Add Captions menu.
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Select Captions From File.
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Browse to the TTML file location, select the file you want to import, and select Open.
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Select OK.
After adding captions, it’s a good idea to check how well they work before giving your presentation. To do this, switch to the Slide Show view of your presentation, and then select the audio or video to start it.
Edit captions
You can edit captions after adding them to your audio file in PowerPoint.
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On the Playback tab, select Edit Captions.
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Click in the text area of the caption you want to edit, and make the necessary changes.
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Select Update Captions.
Delete captions
You can delete captions individually or remove them entirely.
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On the Playback tab, select Edit Options.
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Select the row of the caption you want to remove, and select Delete Caption.
Note: To remove all captions from the audio file in your presentation, select the file, and then select Remove on the Playback tab.
Technical support for customers with disabilities
Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.
If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.
