In this guide
A host can start an available computer or cloud recording from Zoom's meeting controls. For a desktop computer recording, enable separate participant audio files before the meeting if you need individual tracks. Wait for processing and listen to the files before editing.
To record a Zoom meeting as the host, start the meeting, open the meeting controls and choose Record. If Zoom offers a choice, select recording to your computer or the cloud. Stop the recording or end the meeting, wait for processing and play the resulting file.
Before recording, inform participants and obtain any consent required for your situation. Recording availability depends on your role, account settings, device and plan. A participant who cannot record should ask the host for permission or ask the host to start the recording.
Using Microsoft Teams instead? See how to record a Teams meeting for its account, permission and recording controls.
Choose where to record
| Method | Where it is saved | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Computer recording | On the recording computer after processing. | Desktop app, recording permission, storage and the saved files. |
| Cloud recording | In the host's Zoom recordings after processing. | Eligible plan, account settings and access to the finished recording. |
| Separate participant audio | In the computer recording's Audio Record folder when enabled. | Enable the option before recording and check each participant file. |
Record a meeting to your computer
- Prepare the desktop app. Sign in to Zoom and check Settings → Recording. Zoom says computer recording is available on supported desktop apps for free and paid accounts, subject to settings. Its computer recording guide describes requirements and storage options.
- Start the meeting and record. As host, open Record in the meeting controls and choose the computer option if prompted. Confirm that the recording indicator appears.
- Stop and wait. Use the meeting controls to stop, or end the meeting. Allow Zoom to process the recording before moving or editing files.
- Open the saved recording. Find the recording folder on the computer and play the video and audio files. Check the beginning, a quiet speaker and the end. Keep the original files before editing.
Zoom recommends using a local drive for its default computer-recording location because external, network or cloud-synced folders can cause saving or conversion issues. Confirm sufficient space before a long meeting.
Record separate audio for each participant
- Before the meeting, open the Zoom desktop app and choose profile picture → Settings → Recording.
- Enable Record a separate audio file for each participant, then start a computer recording during the meeting.
- After the meeting ends and processing finishes, open the recording folder and then Audio Record. Zoom says this folder contains a separate file for each participant when the option was enabled.
- Play each file and keep the files together with the original meeting mix. Individual participant files make independent editing easier, but they can still contain noise, room echo or another voice picked up by that participant's microphone.
Zoom's file-format guide describes MP4 video and M4A audio files. Separate participant files may include participant names, so share and store them with appropriate care.
Record to the Zoom cloud
If cloud recording is available and enabled for your account, start the meeting as host, open the Record control and choose Record to the cloud. Zoom's cloud recording guide describes the desktop workflow and says recordings started by a co-host appear in the host's recordings. Wait until processing is complete before opening or sharing the files. Cloud settings and features depend on the account and plan.
Zoom documents a separate mobile cloud-recording workflow; computer recording is a desktop workflow. If the option is missing, check your account's available recording settings and role rather than assuming every device offers the same choices.
If you are a participant
By default, the host controls computer recording. Zoom says a host can grant a participant recording privileges; cloud recording normally starts with the host or co-host. Ask the host to grant access or start and share the recording. Do not assume that a screen recorder captures all meeting audio or that host permission removes other consent requirements.
Prepare clearer audio after the meeting
Start with separate participant tracks when available, and keep the originals. For a mixed recording with a distinct competing sound, test the voice isolator on a supported file. Review quiet words and interruptions against the original; isolation can alter speech or leave background sound. AI downloads require an account and sufficient credits.
Zoom's M4A audio can be prepared as a WAV with the M4A-to-WAV converter for supported short files within its limits. A larger WAV does not restore detail missing from the source. If you only have a short compatible MP4, the video-to-audio converter decodes the mixed soundtrack locally within its stated limits. Neither converter automatically separates participants.
Common questions
Can a participant record without the host?
Computer recording normally requires privileges granted by the host. Zoom also documents specific alternative-host and automatic cloud-recording arrangements; check the meeting settings and ask the host.
Why is the recording missing?
Confirm which method was selected, wait for processing and check the recording computer or the host's cloud recording list. If processing failed, consult Zoom's recording guidance before moving files.
Does separate participant audio remove all background noise?
No. It creates separate participant files when enabled; each can still contain sounds captured by that person's microphone.