Zoom has become an integral tool for real-time communications in our business and personal lives and has loads of features you can utilize beyond just video chat.
If you rely on Zoom and its products like Video Webinar to run your business, being able to record your sessions is another great way to make use of the platform.
How do you record on Zoom?
Zoom offers the chance for hosts to record meetings on both free and paid subscriptions, but with varying capabilities. You must enable the recording function first in either the user, account, or group settings, and this will turn on local or cloud recording.
Having access to previous webinars and meetings on-demand can be a godsend and it’s easy enough to do with Zoom.
We’ll walk you through the simple steps to get it done and what permissions might be required, so you’ll be able to re-watch past sessions and learn something new from them.
Can You Record on Zoom?
Zoom allows users to record their meetings and webinars, with paid plans having access to cloud and local recording, and free users only being able to utilize the local recording option.
This function is automatically enabled for paid plans but is easy enough to switch on and off as needed. iOS and Android users can also turn cloud recording on from their devices if they’re hosting a meeting from there.
There are many different viewing layouts available for recording as well, giving you either a look at just the active speaker, or options like shared screen and gallery view. If you’re only on a free plan and want to record a particular meeting, the option to do so can be enabled through your settings.
Once you’ve recorded a meeting, you’ll be able to watch it back and also get access to the video, audio, and chat text that took place at the same time.
All of these files will be stored on the cloud if you chose that option, and then you can download them to your device or stream them from a separate browser if you want to share the meeting elsewhere, but you’re not allowed to embed them on a website due to protective controls.
Zoom Video Webinars and Recording
One of the most common reasons for recording a session on Zoom is during a webinar, and there are many reasons why you’d want to keep a record of this specific type of meeting, including:
- Being able to share the link to the webinar through social media channels and other marketing platforms.
- Watching over your performance and making adjustments or improvements for future webinars based on what you’ve seen.
- You’ll have an archive of any sessions or webinars you hosted which can be helpful when looking at the history of a business and what was covered.
- Not all of the people who want to attend your webinar will be able to, so having a downloadable file that you can share enables them to watch at their earliest convenience.
The two options for recording webinars on Zoom are in audio format or with audio and video, so for webinars, it would make sense to use video recording. Cloud-based recording comes standard with the Zoom Video Webinars product and there’s no need to enable this as it works automatically, but can also be disabled if needed.
When it comes to safety, Zoom has security measures in place that keep these cloud recordings safe so only you can access them.
Once the video has been processed, it’s stored in Zoom’s cloud and then protected with a passcode that’s only available to users that have been given access by the account manager.
Otherwise, local storage on a desktop or removable device can be protected with the usual methods you use to keep files safe.
Host vs Non-Host Permissions
During a Zoom meeting, there will be titles designated to participants that enable different permissions.
In some cases, there may only be a host, but if you want to offer co-hosts and others, here’s a bit about how they differ:
- Host: The person that scheduled the meeting is the host, and they have full control over the meeting and its management.
- Co-host: A co-host has some of the same controls of meeting that allows them to do the administrative tasks while the host presents, but they can’t start a meeting.
- Alternative host: These hosts can start a meeting, assign other people as alternative hosts, and have the other controls that co-hosts have.
In regards to recording, only a host or co-host can schedule a cloud recording, and the finished product will turn up in the host’s recordings found in the Zoom portal.
Otherwise, participants can record locally. To give access to other participants to record on the cloud as well, you’ll need to grant them co-host status.
How To Record A Zoom Webinar
There are two main options for recording a Zoom meeting or webinar, depending on the type of account you have and whether you want cloud or local storage.
We’ll run through the steps for both options so you can see how easy they are.
Zoom Local Recording
- Sign in to your Zoom account as the administrator and then enter the Account Settings tab in Account Management.
- Go to the Recording tab and look to see if the Local Recording option has been turned on or off.
- If it’s disabled, click the button to enable it, and then click Turn On when prompted with the change.
- To turn on local recording for all other users on the account, select the lock icon to do so.
Zoom Cloud Recording
- Sign in to Zoom as the administration and then open the Account Settings tab, under Account Management.
- Click on Recording and check that the Cloud Recording setting is turned on.
- If not, click the toggle, and confirm it by pressing Enable when the dialogue pops up.
Recording on Demand
Another option you can give to people is to offer your webinar recordings on-demand, and this is a service that can be set up through Zoom.
An on-demand recording of a Zoom meeting can be accessed with a registration process and approval from the host, which can be either automatic or manual, depending on your preference.
The steps to set up this service are as follows:
- Log in to your Zoom account through the portal and open the Recordings tab.
- Find the meeting that you’ve already recorded and would like to share, click on it, and then press Share.
- Turn on the On-Demand (Registration Required) toggle and exit settings. When someone goes to access the link that you give them for the recording, they’ll need to register first before they can watch it.
A Handy Tool for Webinar Storage
If one of your main requirements for a webinar platform is to have access to recording, Zoom is proud to offer that service.
Whether it’s a standard business meeting or a detailed webinar you’ve been planning, local and cloud-based recording options are easy to use and make it simple to keep your most important presentations on hand.
Related Questions
Enabling the recording function on Zoom is easy to do and gives you access to previous webinars and meetings you’ve hosted.
If you want to learn more about recording these virtual presentations, check out these commonly asked questions and our expert answers to get the lowdown.
Do You Need Consent To Record a Webinar?
With most webinar platforms, a consent disclaimer is provided by the software for participants when they register or sign up for a web conference.
This enables the host to record the meeting as well as other features like audio and live chat from participants, so they can use the session later for purposes like marketing and reporting.
Does Zoom Know If You Record Meetings?
When you have the recording function enabled within the software, Zoom will let the other participants know that it’s now being recorded so they’re made aware.
However, using a third-party screen recorder or recording from other devices won’t send any such notifications to participants, however, there may be legal issues that arise when recording others without their consent.
Can I Record a Webinar For Free?
The host of a webinar will usually give access to recorded copies of a webinar for registered users after it’s finished, and sometimes for a fee.
If you’re the host, you’ll be able to record these either locally or through the cloud depending on the platform you use. Otherwise, using free third-party software like screen recorders to record is possible, but not always legal.
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