Recording

What is Recording?

Recording in video conferencing is the ability to capture audio, video, screen sharing, and other meeting content and save it to a file for later viewing, sharing, or archival purposes. Recordings allow participants who couldn't attend to catch up, enable review of important discussions, and serve as documentation for training, compliance, or legal purposes.

Modern video conferencing platforms offer both local recording (saved to user's device) and cloud recording (saved to servers), with various quality options, transcription features, and automated processing capabilities.

Types of Recording

Local Recording

Recording saved directly to the user's computer:

Client-Side Processing: Uses device CPU and storage
Full Control: User has immediate access to files
No Upload Delays: No need to wait for cloud processing
Storage Limits: Limited by device storage capacity
Privacy: Data never leaves user's device
Quality: Can record at original quality without compression

Cloud Recording

Recording processed and stored on remote servers:

Server-Side Processing: No impact on client device performance
Automatic Storage: Saved to cloud account, accessible from anywhere
Transcription: Automated speech-to-text transcription
Processing: Automatic trimming, chapters, speaker identification
Sharing: Easy sharing with links, no large file transfers
Retention Policies: Automated deletion based on organizational rules

Recording Modes

Gallery View Recording

Records all participants in a grid layout:

Equal Visibility: All participants visible throughout
Large Files: Recording file size larger due to multiple video streams
Best For: Small meetings, panel discussions, classrooms

Speaker View Recording

Records active speaker in main view with thumbnails of others:

Dynamic Layout: Focus follows active speaker
Smaller Files: Emphasizes one large stream, reduces file size
Best For: Presentations, lectures, webinars

Separate Stream Recording

Records each participant as individual file:

Post-Production Flexibility: Edit and mix in video editing software
Highest Quality: Each stream at original quality
Storage Intensive: Multiple large files
Best For: Professional productions, podcasts

Implementation with MediaRecorder API

Local Recording Implementation

The MediaRecorder API enables browser-based recording:

// Initialize MediaRecorder
let mediaRecorder;
let recordedChunks = [];

function startRecording(stream) {
  // Create MediaRecorder instance
  const options = {
    mimeType: 'video/webm;codecs=vp9,opus',
    videoBitsPerSecond: 2500000 // 2.5 Mbps
  };
  
  mediaRecorder = new MediaRecorder(stream, options);
  
  // Collect data chunks
  mediaRecorder.ondataavailable = (event) => {
    if (event.data.size > 0) {
      recordedChunks.push(event.data);
    }
  };
  
  // Handle recording stop
  mediaRecorder.onstop = () => {
    const blob = new Blob(recordedChunks, { type: 'video/webm' });
    const url = URL.createObjectURL(blob);
    
    // Download file
    const a = document.createElement('a');
    a.href = url;
    a.download = `recording-${Date.now()}.webm`;
    a.click();
    
    // Cleanup
    recordedChunks = [];
  };
  
  // Start recording
  mediaRecorder.start(1000); // Collect data every 1 second
  console.log('Recording started');
}

function stopRecording() {
  if (mediaRecorder && mediaRecorder.state !== 'inactive') {
    mediaRecorder.stop();
    console.log('Recording stopped');
  }
}

Recording Combined Streams

To record both camera and screen sharing:

// Combine multiple streams
function combineStreams(cameraStream, screenStream) {
  const combinedStream = new MediaStream();
  
  // Add camera video or screen video (whichever is active)
  const videoTrack = screenStream?.getVideoTracks()[0] || 
                     cameraStream?.getVideoTracks()[0];
  if (videoTrack) combinedStream.addTrack(videoTrack);
  
  // Add audio from camera
  const audioTrack = cameraStream?.getAudioTracks()[0];
  if (audioTrack) combinedStream.addTrack(audioTrack);
  
  // Add system audio from screen (if available)
  const systemAudio = screenStream?.getAudioTracks()[0];
  if (systemAudio) combinedStream.addTrack(systemAudio);
  
  return combinedStream;
}

const recordStream = combineStreams(cameraStream, screenShareStream);
startRecording(recordStream);

Cloud Recording Architecture

Server-side recording uses media server to capture streams:

// Server-side: Initialize recording session
function startCloudRecording(meetingId, layout) {
  const recorder = {
    id: generateId(),
    meetingId: meetingId,
    layout: layout, // 'gallery', 'speaker', 'separate'
    startTime: Date.now(),
    status: 'recording',
    outputPath: `/recordings/${meetingId}/${Date.now()}.mp4`
  };
  
  // Create media server recording session
  const mediaServerRecording = mediaServer.startRecording({
    meetingId: meetingId,
    streams: getMeetingStreams(meetingId),
    layout: layout,
    output: recorder.outputPath,
    codec: 'h264',
    resolution: '1920x1080',
    framerate: 30
  });
  
  // Store recording metadata
  recordings.set(recorder.id, recorder);
  
  return recorder;
}

Recording Permissions and Consent

Legal Requirements

Many jurisdictions require consent before recording:

One-Party Consent: Only one participant (often host) needs to know recording is happening (fewer jurisdictions)
Two-Party Consent: All participants must consent to recording (California, Florida, others)
GDPR: EU requires explicit consent and clear notification
Industry-Specific: HIPAA (healthcare), FERPA (education) have additional requirements

Consent Notifications

Best practices for notifying participants:

Pre-Meeting: Indicate in calendar invite that meeting will be recorded
Visual Indicator: Display recording icon/badge prominently during meeting
Audio Announcement: "This meeting is being recorded" when joining
Consent Dialog: Require participants to accept before joining recorded meeting
Exit Option: Allow participants to leave if they don't consent

// Show recording consent dialog
function showRecordingConsent() {
  return new Promise((resolve) => {
    showDialog({
      title: 'Meeting Recording',
      message: 'This meeting will be recorded. By joining, you consent to being recorded.',
      buttons: [
        {
          label: 'I Consent',
          action: () => resolve(true)
        },
        {
          label: 'Leave Meeting',
          action: () => {
            leaveCall();
            resolve(false);
          }
        }
      ]
    });
  });
}

Recording Features (2025)

AI-Powered Enhancements

Modern recording platforms offer intelligent features:

Auto-Transcription: Real-time speech-to-text with speaker identification
Highlight Detection: AI identifies key moments, action items, decisions
Smart Chapters: Automatically segment recording by topic
Noise Suppression: Remove background noise in post-processing
Auto-Editing: Remove silent pauses, generate summary clips
Searchable Content: Search within transcript to find specific moments

Quality and Format Options

Resolution: 720p, 1080p, or 4K recording
Frame Rate: 15fps (low bandwidth), 30fps (standard), 60fps (smooth motion)
Audio Quality: 64kbps (voice), 128kbps (music/high fidelity)
File Formats: MP4 (most compatible), WebM, MKV
Codecs: H.264 (compatibility), H.265 (efficiency), VP9 (open)

Post-Recording Processing

Trimming: Remove pre-meeting and post-meeting chat
Branding: Add intro/outro slides with company logo
Captions: Embed or attach SRT/VTT caption files
Multiple Formats: Generate video, audio-only, and transcript versions
Compression: Optimize file size for storage/sharing

Storage and Retention

Storage Options

Platform Cloud Storage: Stored by video conferencing provider (Zoom, Teams, etc.)
Custom Cloud Storage: Upload to AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob
LMS Integration: Automatically upload to Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard
Local Storage: Save to user's device or network drive

Retention Policies

Automated management of recording lifecycle:

Auto-Delete: Delete recordings after N days (30, 60, 90 common)
Archive: Move old recordings to cheaper cold storage
Legal Hold: Preserve recordings indefinitely for litigation/compliance
Permission-Based: Different retention rules based on meeting type or participants

Access Control and Sharing

Permissions

Owner Only: Only meeting host can access recording
Participants: All participants automatically receive access
Organization: Anyone in organization with link can view
Public: Anyone with link can view (for webinars, public events)
Password Protected: Require password to view recording

Sharing Methods

Direct Links: Share URL to cloud-hosted recording
Email Distribution: Automatic email with link to all participants
Embed Codes: Embed player in website or LMS
Download: Allow users to download MP4/WebM file

Common Use Cases

Education: Record lectures for absent students, create library of course content
Training: Onboarding videos, compliance training, skill development
Documentation: Meeting minutes, decision records, project reviews
Compliance: Legal depositions, financial advisory sessions, healthcare consultations
Content Creation: Podcasts, webinars, marketing content
Internal Communication: Company all-hands, quarterly business reviews

Best Practices

Before Recording

Inform Participants: Always notify before starting recording
Get Consent: Ensure compliance with local laws
Test Equipment: Verify recording works before important meetings
Choose Layout: Select appropriate view (speaker/gallery)

During Recording

Visual Indicator: Ensure recording indicator is visible
Avoid Interruptions: Don't stop/start recording multiple times
Monitor Storage: Ensure sufficient disk space (local) or quota (cloud)

After Recording

Review Quality: Quickly review to ensure audio/video captured correctly
Add Metadata: Add title, description, tags for discoverability
Share Promptly: Send to participants while content is still relevant
Manage Storage: Archive or delete old recordings regularly

Platform Examples

Zoom: Local and cloud recording, auto-transcription, separate audio files per participant
Microsoft Teams: Cloud recording to OneDrive/SharePoint, auto-transcription, Stream integration
Google Meet: Cloud recording to Google Drive (Workspace accounts), auto-save to organizer
Webex: Local and cloud recording, automatic highlights, searchable transcripts
Loom: Specialized in quick async video recording, instant sharing