Zoom Local Recording: How to Record Video Locally on Zoom

Zoom Local Recording: How to Record Video Locally on Zoom

Zoom local recording allows you to store recordings directly on your device. Learn more about the difference between local and cloud recording on Zoom.

Last Updated: January 8, 2024
10 min read
Reviewed by Ortal Hadad

Local recording should, in theory, give you the best quality remote recording possible. The fatal flaw of Zoom recordings is that you’re vulnerable to dodgy internet connection which can result in stuttery recordings or total disconnects. Local recording should remedy this completely. Unfortunately, Zoom’s local recording feature is not all that it might seem, and doesn’t quite fix this problem. In this article, we’ll explain why, how it works, and why you should consider alternatives such as Riverside that guarantee you proper local recording every time.

TL;DR

What does Zoom’s local recording mean?

Local recording is a feature that’s available to all Zoom users, whether you’re on a free or paid plan. Note that Zoom local recording doesn’t work on iOS, iPad, or Android devices.

But what does local recording actually mean on Zoom? According to Zoom support, local recording allows participants to record video and audio locally to their computer. A Zoom local recording reflects how you see the meeting - this means it records in the speaker view.

However, unlike local recording with Riverside, for example, your recording is only stored locally, rather than being automatically uploaded to the cloud. This means that your recordings aren’t directly captured on your device; they still are vulnerable to your internet connection. If your wifi is dodgy, your final recording will reflect this. Plus, when your recording is saved, Zoom automatically compresses your files, so you won’t be able to enjoy the full HD quality that local recording should give you.

Differences between Zoom local recording vs Zoom cloud recording

If you’re looking into local recording, it’s easy to get confused between Zoom local recording and Zoom cloud recording. Here’s a quick recap of the differences between them:

Zoom local vs cloud recording

Though they sound like different recording processes, Zoom local and cloud recording are pretty much the same. This is because ‘local recordings’ with Zoom are still recorded in the online. The only difference, and what makes them ‘local’, is that your final recording is then downloaded locally to your device.

Which is better recording quality: cloud recording or local recording?

Given that local recording with Zoom is still cloud recording and therefore is still impacted by internet connection, there won’t be much difference between the cloud and local recording Zoom quality. The biggest factor will be that cloud recording is only available on mobile devices, whereas local recording only works when you’re using Zoom from a desktop.

Can I move a local zoom recording to the cloud?

Once your local recording has been processed and converted, you can do whatever you want with it. If you want to upload it to the cloud, simply log into a cloud storage platform such as Google Drive or DropBox and upload the file.

Requirements to enable local recording on Zoom

As we mentioned earlier, local recording is available to all users on a Basic (Free) account or above who are using the Zoom desktop app for Windows, MacOS, or Linux. It’s unfortunately not possible to locally record using an iOS, iPad, or Android device.

How to use Zoom local recording

Enabling local recording

Step 1: First, log in to Zoom on your web browser. You need to be an administrator who can edit account settings.

Step 2: From the menu on the left, head to Personal>Settings

Step 3: Click on the 'Recording' tab and then enable ' Local Recording'. You may have to verify this change in your settings by hitting 'Enable' again. You can also click the Lock icon to make local recording a default setting for all the users associated with your Zoom account.

Starting a local recording

Step 1: Start a Zoom meeting and when everyone is ready, hit Record.

Step 2: If you see a menu, then click ‘Record on this Computer’. You will need to invite all your participants to do this if you want everyone to have a local recording.

Step 3: Once your meeting is finished, wait for Zoom to convert your recording.

How to find Zoom recordings

Step 1: Once your recording has been converted, Zoom should automatically open the file with your recording files.

Where are Zoom’s local recordings stored?

Once you’ve finished up with your Zoom meeting, naturally you’ll want to find your recording. Zoom places all your local recordings by default in the following directories:

Limitations of Zoom local recording

Though local recording is, in theory, a great feature, Zoom doesn’t quite pull it off. Here are some of the main drawbacks:

No progressive upload

A major drawback of Zoom local recordings is that if your meeting shuts down unexpectedly for some reason or the conversion process is interrupted, you may lose all of your recording. If this happens, the files may be non-recoverable which leaves you with no recourse but to re-record.

Not saved to the cloud

Local recordings on Zoom are only saved on the device of the person recording. This creates huge inefficiencies in the recording and editing process because you will need to ask your participants to manually send you over their recording.

No automatic multitrack (video) recording

If you want to record each participant’s audio onto a separate track, this is possible through Zoom though you’ll need to set this up manually. Separate audio tracks on Zoom is not an automatic feature.

However, multitrack video recording is not possible with Zoom. So, if you want a final recording that consists of each participant’s local video recording you will need to ask each of your guests to locally record themselves and combine each file into one. This will ultimately create a lot of work for you during post-production.

Not available on mobile or tablet

Another disadvantage is that you can’t locally record using your phone or tablet. For creators on the go, this might be frustrating - especially given that this is possible using platforms such as Riverside.

Cannot record shared screen, gallery view, or active speaker

Zoom local recording doesn’t support recording the active speaker, gallery view, or any shared screens.

Not compatible with audio transcripts

If you want a Zoom transcript when local recording, you’re going to be disappointed. Unfortunately, transcription isn’t compatible with local recording on Zoom.

Riverside: An alternative to local recording on Zoom

Local recording is a great feature, but Zoom’s version of local recording doesn’t quite cut it. Riverside, on the other hand, has specialized in local recording from day one:

Automatic local recording

Riverside automatically records each participant’s video and audio directly on their devices. This local recording is completely unaffected by dodgy internet or cut connection, so the final video and audio will be the highest-quality possible.

Progressive upload to the cloud

Unlike Zoom which only saves the ‘local recording’ to that one participant’s device, Riverside progressively uploads each participant’s local recording to the cloud during your recording session. This minimizes the risk of data loss.

High-quality recording & uncompressed files

Riverside defaults to high-quality recording. Your video can be up to 4K resolution for each participant and your audio will be crystal clear at up to 48kHz WAV, uncompressed.

Multitrack recording

In addition to locally recording all participants, Riverside also captures each person's audio on an individual separate track. This gives you invaluable control during post-production.

Available to all users

Just like Zoom, local recording is available to all Riverside users, whether you’re on a free or paid plan.

Transcriptions

You can easily create a transcript of your recording with Riverside using the automatic transcript generator.