Recording in Zoom: locally, to the cloud, where to find it and how to transcribe it
How to start a recording on a computer and a phone, where Zoom keeps it, how much storage each plan gives and how to get a transcript.
In short
Zoom has two kinds of recording. Local recording writes the meeting to a file on the host's computer and is available on any plan, including the free one. Cloud recording saves the recording in Zoom's cloud, makes a transcript by itself and gives you a link. It is available on paid plans, 10 GB per licence.
The button is the same: "Record" in the bottom bar of the meeting. The host, a co-host and those participants the host has allowed can record. Local recordings sit in the folder "Documents → Zoom". Cloud ones are in your account on zoom.us, section "Recordings", and in the app on the tab "Meetings → Recorded".
Local or cloud: how they differ
| Local recording | Cloud recording | |
|---|---|---|
| Which plan | All, including free | Pro, Business, Enterprise |
| Where the file lives | On the computer of whoever recorded | In Zoom's cloud, access by link |
| From a phone | No | Yes |
| What you get | MP4 with video, M4A audio only, TXT with chat | The same plus separate tracks: speaker, gallery, screen, audio only |
| Transcript | No | Automatic, with timestamps |
| Sharing | Upload the file somewhere yourself | A link with a password, expiry and download ban |
| Space | Limited by the disk; an hour in HD takes about 1 GB | 10 GB per licence, extra bought in 30 GB steps |
| Readiness | The file is assembled after the meeting, a few minutes | Processed after the meeting, an email with a link |
| Who it suits | One person or a small team | A company: recordings are not lost when staff change |
The main difference is not quality, which is the same, but who owns the recording. A local file lives on an employee's laptop: it has to be found, renamed, uploaded somewhere, and when the employee leaves, the recording leaves with them. A cloud recording belongs to the company's account, the administrator sees it, retention rules apply to it, and it cannot be carried away by accident.
How to start a recording on a computer
Start the meeting
in the Zoom app for Windows, macOS or Linux. In the browser version local recording is not available, only cloud recording on a paid plan.
Click "Record"
in the bottom bar. On a paid plan Zoom will ask: "On this computer" or "To the cloud".
Participants will see a notice
that recording is on, and a red indicator in the corner. This cannot be switched off: Zoom always warns about recording.
Pause and stop
with the same buttons in the bar. Pause does not break the file; stop starts a new one.
After the meeting
a local recording is converted to MP4 and the folder with the file opens. A cloud recording is processed in the background; when it is ready, an email with a link arrives.
If there is no "Record" button, the account administrator has switched it off in the settings on zoom.us, section "Recording". The same place switches on cloud recording, automatic recording of all meetings and transcription.
Recording on a phone
In the iOS and Android app only cloud recording is available, and only on a paid plan. The button is in the "More" menu at the bottom right: "Record to the cloud". Zoom does not record locally on a phone: there is nowhere to assemble the file, and transcription and processing happen in the cloud anyway.
If you need a recording from a free account and from a phone, the only way is to ask a host with a paid licence to record to the cloud, or to record from a computer.
Who can record
always records, locally and to the cloud.
records locally and to the cloud in the same way as the host.
can record locally only if the host has allowed it in the participants list: "More → Allow record". The permission lasts for one meeting.
participants never record: cloud recording is tied to the host's licence.
Allowing participants to record deserves thought. The file will end up on their computer, and from then on you do not control where it goes. For a company it is safer to record to the cloud on behalf of the host and share a link with the right permissions.
Where to find recordings
Local
The default folder: "Documents → Zoom", inside it a subfolder with the date and the name of the meeting. In the app the path is shown under "Settings → Recording → Store my recordings at", where you can also choose a different folder, for example the company's network drive. A list of all recordings made, both local and cloud, is in the app on the tab "Meetings → Recorded".
Cloud
Your account on zoom.us, section "Recordings and transcripts". There every recording is laid out as files: video with the speaker, video with the gallery, audio only, transcript, chat. From there the recording is opened for viewing, downloaded, renamed and shared. The account administrator sees the recordings of all users under "Recording management".
How much cloud storage you get
| Plan | Cloud recording | Space |
|---|---|---|
| Basic, free | no, local only | |
| Pro | yes | 10 GB per licence |
| Business | yes | 10 GB per licence |
| Enterprise | yes | unlimited |
Space is counted for the account as a whole: ten Pro licences give 100 GB of shared storage, not 10 GB each. An hour-long meeting in the cloud takes roughly 300 MB to 1 GB depending on how many tracks you record.
When space runs out there are three ways: delete old recordings (deleted ones stay in the trash for 30 days and can be restored), download them to your own storage, or buy more storage. An additional 30 GB costs 1,100 ₽ a month excluding VAT at the rate on 6 September 2026; expansion to several terabytes is also possible. How to calculate the price for a team is covered in Zoom pricing, and how to buy licences and storage from Russia on the page Zoom in Russia in 2026.
Transcript, captions and summaries
The transcript is made by cloud recording. In the account settings on zoom.us, section "Recording", switch on "Audio transcript". A text with timestamps will be added to every cloud recording. Russian is supported: transcription and automatic captions during the meeting work in Russian.
The finished transcript opens next to the video: clicking a line rewinds the video to it, the text can be edited, searched and downloaded as VTT. The transcript arrives in a separate email slightly later than the recording itself.
A meeting summary, a short account with decisions and tasks, is already Zoom AI. On paid plans it is made for any meeting, even without a recording, and is sent to participants after it ends.
A local recording cannot be transcribed in Zoom: uploading a file to the cloud through the "Recordings" section is not possible. Either a third-party service, or a cloud recording next time.
How to share a recording and protect it
A cloud recording has a "Share" button. Behind it are four settings; check them every time:
anyone with the link, only users signed in to Zoom, or only members of your account.
for viewing.
after it the recording stays with you, but the link stops opening.
or viewing in the browser only.
For external participants, for example customers or webinar attendees, a link with a password and an expiry is enough. For internal meetings it is safer to restrict access to account members.
A local file has nothing to protect it with: it has to be uploaded to the corporate cloud and permissions handed out there.
Recording webinars and breakout rooms
A webinar is recorded in the same way as a meeting, and its transcript is switched on by the same setting. There is one difference: only the panelists and co-hosts will be in the recording. Attendees are not in the frame, and their questions are saved in a separate file together with the chat and poll results.
Breakout rooms are not recorded to the cloud: cloud recording captures only the main room. How recording in rooms works for the host and participants is covered separately. Need a recording of a group in a room? Allow local recording to one of its participants, and they will record their room to a computer.
A recording is a document, not a video
The point of a recording is not that "it exists". A recording removes the main source of loss in meetings: distortion in retelling. Someone who was not at the meeting gets not a retelling but the original source, and can return to any point. That is the subject of our old note on recording negotiations, and in seven years it has not aged.
Frequently asked questions
How do I record a meeting in Zoom?
Click "Record" in the bottom bar of the meeting. On a paid plan choose "To the cloud" or "On this computer"; on the free plan the recording goes to the computer.
Where do I find Zoom recordings?
Local ones in the folder "Documents → Zoom", cloud ones on zoom.us under "Recordings and transcripts". The combined list is in the app: "Meetings → Recorded".
Where does Zoom save a recording by default?
To the folder "Documents → Zoom" on the host's computer. The folder can be changed in the app settings, section "Recording".
Can Zoom be recorded on a phone?
Only to the cloud and only on a paid plan. There is no local recording on a phone.
Can a participant record a meeting?
Locally, if the host has allowed them recording in the participants list. To the cloud only the host or a co-host records.
How do I record audio only in Zoom?
A local recording always creates an M4A audio-only file next to the MP4. In the cloud a separate audio track is switched on in the recording settings on zoom.us.
How do I record the screen in Zoom?
Switch on screen sharing and recording: the screen will go into the recording together with the audio and, if you wish, the speaker's window. How to start sharing is covered in a separate guide.
How do I get a transcript of a Zoom recording in Russian?
Record to the cloud and switch on "Audio transcript" in the account settings. The text with timestamps will appear next to the recording.
How long is a recording kept in Zoom's cloud?
Until you delete it or until a retention rule set by the administrator applies. Deleted recordings stay in the trash for 30 days.
How big is a Zoom recording?
An hour of local recording takes about 1 GB in HD; in the cloud 300 MB to 1 GB depending on the number of tracks.
Why is there no record button?
The account administrator switched it off in the settings on zoom.us, or you are a participant the host has not given permission to.
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