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How do Zoom recordings work?

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8.0 - Last modified on 2025-07-07 Revised by Chad Hoefle

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1.0 - Created on 2017-02-03 Authored by Michael Ball

Question: How do Zoom recordings work?

Context: Zoom Audio and Video Conferencing

Answer: Zoom allows the host or any co-host of a meeting to record a meeting.  Participants can request that the host record a meeting.  Everyone will see a red flashing dot in the Zoom window when a recording is active.  

The meeting records the screen as the host sees it.  The host can choose from several views (gallery, speaker, highlighted specific participant) depending on their needs.

To record a meeting, press the Record button on the main control bar at the bottom of the Zoom window when in a meeting.  Once a recording has begun, whoever initiated the recording can pause and resume recording.

Zoom recordings include: 

  1. .mp4 format audio and video
  2. .mp3 format audio
  3. text format file for chat

Longer meetings may be split into multiple files of each type.

Recordings can be saved locally or to the cloud.  Saving meetings locally is the default.  Cloud recordings get moved to your Google Drive the morning following the meeting.  See KB0011849 for details.

To enable saving meetings to the cloud:

  1. Go to your Zoom settings
  2. In the Recording section, click edit
  3. Check the box next to Cloud Recording
  4. Click the blue Save Changes button