Prerecorded presentations come with several specific advantages—do-overs, pause and rewind buttons, and the option to save.

Do-Overs. One benefit of prerecorded messages is the opportunity to do another “take” if your speech does not go well the first time. In a real-time speech, if you make a mistake (or perhaps your technology fails), there is no do-over. You need to adapt to the problem as best you can and continue the presentation. When you prerecord your speech, you have the chance to start over as many times as you like until you are pleased with the outcome. If you are adept with your equipment, you might also be tempted to edit your presentation. But be careful: your instructor may not allow editing in classroom speeches. If this is the case, it would be an ethical violation to do any editing, so be sure to check with your instructor first.

Pause and Rewind Buttons. Prerecorded speeches can provide audience members with additional opportunities to process and reflect on your message. A viewer can go back and review a section of the presentation or watch the entire speech again. Audience members may also pause the video and discuss a part of the speech before moving on to the next main idea.

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Option to Save. A final advantage is that prerecording creates a permanent record of your speech so that future audiences can view it. Suppose that you make a clear and concise training video for new employees at your job or you create an outstanding presentation about how to set up a food distribution program for a nonprofit organization where you volunteer. The company or the nonprofit organization could use your video to provide future audiences with the benefits of your good work. In addition, having recordings of your classroom speeches allows you to provide prospective employers with a sample of your public speaking skills, much as you might provide them with a writing sample.