Recording Zoom meetings is an increasingly common need in today’s remote work landscape. Whether you’re conducting interviews, hosting webinars, or facilitating team meetings, having a reliable recording solution is key.
While Zoom offers built-in recording features, using dedicated software like OBS Studio can provide more control, flexibility, and higher-quality output, especially when you’re looking to do some post processing like transcription or uploading them to YouTube.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to set up OBS Studio and use it to record your Zoom meetings with ease.
OBS Studio is a powerful, free, and open-source software for video recording and live streaming. Its versatility and extensive features make it a popular choice among content creators, gamers, and professionals alike.
OBS allows you to capture audio and video from multiple sources simultaneously, including your desktop, individual windows, webcams, and microphones. This makes it an ideal tool for recording Zoom meetings, as you can capture the Zoom window along with any other relevant content or inputs.
One of the key advantages of using OBS for Zoom meeting recordings is the level of customization and control it offers. You can fine-tune your video and audio settings, arrange your scene layout, and add additional elements like text overlays or branding.
Here are all the reasons you should consider recording a Zoom meeting with OBS.
Before you start recording Zoom meetings, it’s important to know that these recordings can raise significant privacy concerns, particularly regarding legal implications.
Depending on your location, recording meetings without explicit consent may be illegal. Different jurisdictions have varying laws about recording conversations. For instance, in some areas, all parties must consent to the recording, while in others, only one party needs to be aware.
When using OBS to record meetings, participants may not be automatically notified, increasing the risk of violating privacy laws.
To mitigate these concerns, it is crucial to obtain verbal consent from all participants before starting the recording. Clearly inform everyone that the meeting will be recorded and ensure they understand the purpose and how the recording will be used.
This practice not only helps in complying with legal requirements but also fosters trust and transparency among participants, ensuring that everyone is comfortable with the recording process.
Setting up OBS for the first time can be a complicated procedure since there are a lot of details you need to fine-tune. Here’s the quickest way of configuring OBS to record your Zoom meetings.
To get started, download the latest version of OBS Studio from the official website. The software is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Once the download is complete, run the installer file and follow the on-screen instructions to install OBS Studio on your computer. The installation process is straightforward and should only take a few minutes.
After the installation is complete, launch OBS Studio to begin setting it up for recording your Zoom meetings. The first time you open the software, it may prompt you to run the Auto-Configuration Wizard, which can help optimize your settings based on your system specifications. But, you should probably ignore this since it won’t do too much to help with your use case.
After launching OBS Studio, click on “Settings” in the lower right corner of the main window. Navigate to the “Video” tab to adjust your video settings for optimal recording quality.
Set the “Base (Canvas) Resolution” to match your monitor’s resolution. This ensures that OBS captures your Zoom meeting at the highest possible quality. Common resolutions include:
If you’re not sure what resolution your monitor is, you can go with 1920×1080 since that is the most commonly used resolution.
The “Output (Scaled) Resolution” determines the final resolution of your recorded video. If you want to maintain the same resolution as your canvas, keep this setting identical to the “Base (Canvas) Resolution.”
However, if you need to reduce the file size or optimize for lower bandwidth, you can scale down the output resolution. For example, if your base resolution is 1920×1080, you might set the output resolution to 1280×720.
The “Downscale Filter” setting determines the algorithm used to resize your video if you’ve chosen to scale down the output resolution. “Lanczos” is generally recommended for the best balance between quality and performance.
This feature will be unavailable if your base and output resolution are identical.
Set the “Common FPS Values” to match your desired frame rate. Higher frame rates result in smoother video but larger file sizes. 30 FPS is a good standard for most recordings, while 60 FPS is ideal for capturing fast-paced content or creating a more fluid viewing experience.
Click “Apply” and then “OK” to save your video settings. You’re now ready to move on to configuring your audio sources in OBS Studio for recording your Zoom meeting.
To ensure high-quality audio in your Zoom meeting recording, you need to configure your audio sources in OBS Studio. Here’s how:
It’s important to note that there are two main audio sources you should always have added here: Audio Input Capture for your mic, and Audio Output Capture for your Zoom audio.
Another important note is that if you mute your microphone on Zoom during the meeting, that doesn’t mean that OBS stopped recording your audio. You have to press the volume button next to the blue volume bar under Audio Input Capture to stop your mic from being recorded.
To record your Zoom meeting, you need to add the Zoom window as a source in OBS Studio. Follow these steps:
After adding the Zoom window capture and other desired sources to your OBS Studio scene, it’s time to arrange them for a polished and professional-looking recording and add any elements you need for your recording.
Here are some tips to help you compose your scene effectively:
To give your Zoom meeting recording a unique and branded look, consider creating a custom overlay. An overlay is a static image or video that appears on top of your other sources, typically used for branding, titles, or graphics. This is a pretty basic overlay, but you can design a unique one based on your requirements.
To add an overlay:
As you compose your scene, remember to save your work regularly. To save your current scene setup, right-click in the “Scenes” box and select “Save Scene.” Give your scene a descriptive name and click “OK.”
You can create multiple scenes for different recording configurations or segments of your Zoom meeting. To add a new scene, click the “+” (plus) button in the “Scenes” box, name the scene, and click “OK.” Duplicate and modify existing scenes to quickly create variations without starting from scratch.
Remember that you will not have to do these settings frequently. OBS will remember your configurations the next time you start the app.
Now that you have OBS Studio set up and configured for recording your Zoom meetings, follow these steps to start capturing your meeting:
After recording your Zoom meeting with OBS, the best way to utilize the contents of your meeting is to transcribe it. Transcribing your recording makes it easier to review, search, and share the content with others.
For this, Sonix stands out as the best transcription software available. With an impressive 99% accuracy rate, it ensures your transcriptions are reliable and precise. Supporting over 39 languages, Sonix caters to a global audience, making it incredibly versatile. It offers enterprise-grade security, so your sensitive data remains protected at all times.
The speed of Sonix is unmatched, allowing fast transcription without compromising quality. Additionally, it provides excellent collaboration tools, making it easy for teams to work together on transcripts. Sonix even allows you to burn subtitles directly into your video, enhancing accessibility and engagement for your content.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to transcribe your Zoom meeting recording using Sonix:
Transcribing your recorded Zoom meetings with an automated service like Sonix streamlines the process of converting audio to text. By following these steps, you can create accurate and accessible transcripts that make it easier to review, search, and share the valuable content captured in your virtual meetings.
Recording Zoom meetings with OBS Studio and optimizing the settings, as mentioned, can significantly enhance the quality and effectiveness of your recordings. These recordings become invaluable resources for review, training, or content creation.
Understanding the pain points of trying to capture and review important discussion points in virtual meetings, Sonix provides an easy solution for converting your Zoom meeting recordings into searchable, editable text. With Sonix’s advanced transcription services, you can quickly transcribe your meetings, making it easy to find specific parts of the conversation or share insights with others who were unable to attend.
Try Sonix’s free trial today and get 30-minutes of free transcription. No credit card required.
Yes, you can record a Zoom meeting with OBS even if you are not the host, as long as you have permission to record the meeting.
Recording a Zoom meeting without permission may violate privacy laws or the meeting host’s preferences. Always seek permission before recording.
Yes, OBS allows you to record multiple audio sources, such as your microphone, system audio, and the Zoom meeting audio.
To record an online meeting with OBS, follow the steps outlined in this guide, which include setting up your video and audio sources, capturing the meeting window, and starting and stopping the recording.
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