Zoom Recording How-tos

Alma Elliott
2023-08-25 21:06:27 • Filed to: Creative Video Effects

Video calling platforms like Zoom have gained popularity in recent times as more and more people are forced to or choose to work from home. One of the best things about attending a virtual meeting on a platform zoom, as opposed to a physical meeting is the fact that you can easily record the virtual meeting to have a reference point later on.

As one of the most widely popular recording tools, zoom makes recording a meeting very easy. You can then save the recorded meeting on your computer and refer to it later when you need clarity on some of the topics discussed in the meeting. In this guide, we look at the various ways you can record and save a zoom call.

How to Record Zoom Calls

The process of recording calls on zoom is a simple one. But it is important to keep in mind that there are some limitations imposed on the recording process to make sure that the feature is not unnecessarily abused. For example, free users can only record a zoom call locally and save it on their computer and are not permitted to share the recorded call. This feature is also only available on the zoom desktop client for Windows, Linux and macOS.

That said, here's how to record zoom calls;

Step 1: If you haven't already, download and install the latest version of the zoom meeting desktop client on to your computer. Launch it and then log in.

Step 2: Host a new meeting or join an existing meeting.

Step 3: Once you are in the meeting, you should see the record button at the top left corner of the screen. Click on it to start the recording.

If you would like to stop the recording during the call, just click on the "Pause/stop" button at the bottom of the screen.

Step 4: When the meeting is over, Zoom will save the file and open the folder where it is saved.

record zoom calls

How to Record Yourself on Zoom

If you would like to record yourself during the zoom meeting, you have the option to use the built-in zoom recording feature as detailed above. But there is a second option that allows you to record the zoom meeting even if you are not the host and that is to use Wondershare DemoCreator to record the screen as the meeting progresses.

This screen recorder is an ideal solution because it will record both video and audio, allowing to capture everything that is happening on the screen and everything that everyone in the meeting says.

It is also very easy to use; just follow these simple steps to use DemoCreator to record a zoom meeting;

record face on zoom

Step 1: Begin by downloading and installing the program on to your computer. Once the program is correctly installed, open it and then click on "Capture" in the main window.

Step 2: In the next window, you will see 4 tabs that you can use to customize the recording process and settings.

Click on the "Screen" tab and here you can select whether you want to record the full screen or just a section of the screen. You will also be able to choose the frame rate and indicate if you are recording a game or not.

Next, click on the "Audio" tab and here you can decide if you would like capture the "Computer Audio", the "Microphone" or both.

If you would like to capture both the screen and the webcam, click on the "Camera" to enable "Capture" and customize the frame rate as well as the frame rate.

Step 3: When all the settings are just as you want them to be, click on "Start Capturing" or hit "F10" on your keyboard to begin recording.

Step 4: When the recording is complete, hit "F10" again to stop the recording and the video of the zoom meeting will be saved in a specified folder on your computer.

How to Save Zoom Recordings

To save a zoom recording on your computer, you will have to record the call. If you can't find the record button as described in part 1 above, then it is likely that you don't have the recording privileges you need to record the zoom meeting. In this case, you will need to ask your zoom administrator to provide you with the necessary privileges to record the meeting.

Keep in mind that some administrators may deny recoding privileges for a particular reason and may therefore not be inclined to share these privileges with you. But if you can record the zoom meeting, Zoom will automatically save the recording on your computer and open the folder soon after the recording is complete.

How to Find Zoom Recordings

If you have successfully recorded a zoom meeting, it will be stored in one of two places; on the zoom cloud or on your computer. Free account holders do not have access to the zoom cloud and therefore their recordings can only be found on the computer. Paid account holders can choose to save the recording on the cloud or on their computer.

Here's how to find your zoom recordings either way;

How to Find Zoom Recordings on the Cloud

Step 1: Log in to your Zoom account on any browser

Step 2: Click on the "Recordings" section in the left sidebar

Step 3:  If you have any recordings in the cloud, they will appear under the "Cloud Recordings" tab and any recordings in the local storage on your computer will appear under the "Local Recordings" tab.

How to Find Zoom Recordings on a Computer 

Step 1: Open the computer's documents folder or if you are using a Mac, open Finder.

Step 2: Type in "Zoom" in the search function

Step 3: You should see a folder marked "Zoom Meeting" appear in the search results. Click on the folder to open it and you should find your recordings in MP4 format for video and audio meetings as well as VTT for chat files and transcripts of the meeting.

Related FAQs about Zoom Meeting

  1. How Do I Schedule a Zoom Meeting?

Scheduling a Zoom meeting is very easy and can be done in one of many ways. You can schedule a meeting on the Zoom web portal, using the Zoom desktop or from one of Zoom's many integrations.

  1. How Do I Share my Screen?

You have the ability to share your screen during a zoom meeting. To do it, click on the "Share" button in the meeting and then choose the screen that you would like to share.

  1. What do I do if there is an Echo in the Meeting?

An echo in the meeting can be caused by numerous things. The most common is a participant connected to the meeting audio on more than one device or two participants joining the meeting from the same local. In this case, you can simply ask the participants to leave the meeting and then try joining again, this often fixes the issue.

  1. Must I have a webcam to Join a Zoom Meeting?

No. It is not a requirement to have a webcam to join the zoom meeting or webinar. But keep in mind that it will be very difficult to transmit video of your self to other participants if you don't have a webcam. But you can still be able to listen or speak in the meeting, or even share your screen and see the webcam footage of other participants even without a webcam.

  1. How Do I Record a Zoom Meeting without Permission?

If you find that you are unable to record a zoom meeting because you don't have the necessary permission, but you still want a record of the meeting, your best option is to use a Zoom meeting recorder like DemoCreator to record the screen while the meeting is in progress. When used correctly, a screen recorder can give you a copy of the meeting just as you would have had if you'd been able to record the meeting. Just ensure that the audio recording option in DemoCreator is enabled to avoid recording a muted version of the recording.

Recording a Zoom call can be beneficial if the call included an important aspect that you would want to go over again. Now you know how to record the Zoom meeting, where to find the recorded meetings as well as what to do when you don't have the permission to record the meeting. If you have additional questions about recording Zoom meetings or any other related topic, we would love to hear from you. Post your questions below and we'll do our best to provide satisfactory answers.