In short. To record a meeting on a Mac or a Windows PC you have three routes: the video-call app's built-in recording (Zoom, Meet, Teams), a bot that joins the call, or recording from your own computer, capturing system audio (the others' voices) and microphone (yours) together. The first is simplest but depends on permissions and plan; the third asks nothing of other participants, but you need a tool that can capture system audio, and Mac and Windows handle it differently. Either way, tell participants before recording.
Why recording computer audio is not trivial
Neither the Mac nor Windows has a "record what I hear" button. The microphone captures only what enters the microphone: if the call is on speaker, you will also record the room's echo; with headphones, you will not record the others at all. To capture participants' voices you must intercept the computer's outgoing audio, so-called system audio. macOS asks for a specific permission for that; Windows does not, but each app has to know how to do it.
On the Mac several approaches appeared over time: third-party virtual audio devices, screen recordings with audio, features Apple introduced in more recent macOS versions. On Windows, apps can capture all audio leaving a device (so-called loopback) and, on recent versions, the audio of a single app only; some sound cards also offer a "Stereo Mix" input, often disabled. In practice the choice depends on the system, its version and the tool. What follows is a general picture: always check your version's features.
The three routes
1. The app's built-in recording
Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams all offer a recording feature, with different rules.
- Zoom lets you record locally on the computer or in the cloud, if the host allows it. Participants see an ongoing-recording notice.
- Google Meet has recording among some Google Workspace plans' features; it usually starts from the host or whoever has permission, and the file ends up in Drive.
- Microsoft Teams records on request from whoever has permission, and the file is saved in the organisation's cloud service (OneDrive or SharePoint).
Pros: no extra software, automatic notice to attendees, often a transcript too. Cons: if you are not the host you may be unable to record; the file lives on the host's platform, with its retention rules; it works only for that app; no in-person meetings.
2. A bot that joins the call
Many automatic note services join the meeting as a guest (the "bot") and record from there. Pros: they work even if you are not on your computer. Cons: everyone sees the bot, the host may have to admit it, some companies forbid it, and audio passes through the vendor's servers.
3. Recording from your own computer
A tool on your computer captures two sources: system audio, where the others' voices come out, and the microphone, where you come in. Pros: works with any app that plays sound on the computer, needs no host authorisation for the technical part, and has no visible guest. Cons: you must grant the system's permissions (more than one on Mac), and on the ethical and legal side the fact that nobody sees a notice makes telling people aloud even more important (see below).
Two tracks are better than one
If you can choose, record microphone and system audio on separate tracks. At least three advantages:
- your voice and the others' do not overlap in the recording;
- transcription and speaker recognition are simpler, because "you" and "the others" are already distinct;
- if the microphone picks up some echo, it can be reduced without ruining the other voices.
Headphones make the difference
Without headphones, the microphone picks the other speakers' voice back up from the loudspeakers, with a delay: in the recording the same sentences appear twice. With headphones the problem disappears at the root. If you cannot use them, choose a tool with echo cancellation, but know it is a remedy, not a solution.
Permissions: what to expect
On Mac, on first use the system asks you to authorise the app. Look in System Settings → Privacy & Security for microphone and screen-recording or system-audio entries; exact names change between versions. After granting a permission you may need to restart the app.
On Windows system audio needs no permission, the microphone does: in Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone (on Windows 10: Privacy → Microphone) both microphone access and "Let desktop apps access your microphone" must be on. On company PCs an administrator policy can lock this choice.
If a recording comes out mute, the first check is always there.
Other useful checks when audio is missing:
- is the output device the one you think (headphones, speakers, Bluetooth device)?
- is the microphone selected in the call app the same one the tool records?
- is the call audio really coming from the computer and not another device?
- did you switch headphones during the meeting? Some tools re-attach by themselves, others do not.
Zoom, Meet and Teams compared
| Built-in recording | From your computer | |
|---|---|---|
| Needs the host's permission | Often yes | Not technically |
| Notice to attendees | Automatic | Depends on the tool: do it yourself, aloud |
| Where the file ends up | On the platform | On your computer |
| Works in the room | No | Yes, with microphone only |
| Varies app to app | Yes | No, any app with audio |
In-person meetings
In a room there is no system audio: you record from the microphone only, and placement counts. Put the device in the middle of the table, away from fans and projectors, and have participants introduce themselves at the start, so it is easier to tell who speaks. With a single source, telling voices apart is harder and must always be double-checked.
Always tell people
Recording a meeting affects participants' confidentiality and personal data. General good practices:
- say it at the start and get explicit agreement, better if spoken;
- explain why you record, how long you keep the file, and who will see it;
- if someone disagrees, do not record, or do not record that part;
- do not share the recording outside the group it was declared for.
This is general information, not legal advice: in doubtful cases, or in a corporate setting, ask a professional. More in recording a meeting and the GDPR.
Frequently asked questions
Can I record Zoom without being the host?
Only if the host grants you recording permission, or if you record from your computer with a tool outside the app. In the latter case, tell attendees anyway.
Why can't the others be heard in the recording?
Almost always the system-audio recording permission is missing, or you are recording from the microphone only while wearing headphones. Check permissions and the output device.
Can QuickTime or the Windows tools record a call's audio?
On Mac, QuickTime records the microphone, not system audio, unless you add a third-party virtual audio device. On Windows, the Xbox Game Bar records an app's window with its audio (the microphone is a separate toggle) and on Windows 11 the Snipping Tool records the screen: these are video recordings, with no separate tracks and no transcript. Check your system version's features.
Do I need everyone's consent to record?
As a rule of thumb always have it, and in work settings rules and notices can make it necessary. The specific case must be assessed with a professional.
How do I keep the file safe?
Save it in a folder with limited access, use the encrypted disk (FileVault on Mac, BitLocker or Device encryption on Windows), and delete it when you no longer need it. If you share it, only with those entitled to have it.