How to Record Meetings in Google Meet: Your Complete Guide

views

8 min read

Posted:

June 16, 2024

Updated:

August 27, 2024

It’s now pretty standard for workers to be based remotely or to work virtually with others in different locations. And it’s become essential to record meetings. Google Meet, Google’s video conferencing platform, comes with an incredibly convenient built-in recording feature that lets you capture and save your meetings for future reference, training, or sharing. So, you might naturally want to take advantage of this cool feature and learn how to record meetings in Google Meet.

‍

No matter if you're the meeting host or a participant, this comprehensive guide will walk you through the ins and outs of recording meetings on Google Meet, including how to start and stop the recording and address common questions and concerns.

Record Meetings on Google Meet: Setting Everything Up

Enabling Recording for Your Organization

Before you can start recording meetings on Google Meet, your organization's Google Workspace admin has to enable the recording feature.

‍

Here's how to allow recording in Google Meet:

Sign in to the Google Admin console.
Navigate to Apps > Google Workspace > Google Meet.
Click on "Meet video settings."
Check or uncheck the "Let people record their meetings" box.
Click "Save", and the changes will be applied.

Checking Recording Availability

Can’t seem to figure out how to enable recording in Google Meet?

‍

Just a heads up: not all Google Workspace editions support meeting recording. So, to make sure that your organization has recording available, just verify that you have one of these editions:

Google Workspace Essentials
Google Workspace Business Standard or higher
Google Workspace Enterprise Starter or higher
Google Workspace Education Plus
Teaching and Learning Upgrade
Workspace Individual Subscriber
Google One subscribers with 2 TB or more storage space

If you're not sure about which Google Workspace edition your organization has or have any questions, just get in touch with your company's IT department or the person who manages your Google Workspace account.

If you are the Google Workspace admin, simply log into the business account and navigate to Billing > Subscriptions. Google Workspace will be listed on the page together with the edition that you’re currently using.

How to Record Meetings in Google Meet

Recording as a Meeting Host

If you're running the meeting or have been given recording permissions through the settings, you can easily record your Google Meet sessions without having to learn how to allow recording in Google Meet.

‍

Simply:

Start or join the meeting you want to record.
Click on the "Activities" icon (three dots) in the bottom-right corner of the meeting window.
Select "Recording" from the menu.
This is an optional step, but just bear in mind that if you want to include captions in your recording, you will have to choose the desired language.
Click "Start recording". That’s, basically, the whole answer to the question “How do you record a Google Meet?”.

When the recording starts, you'll see a red dot in the top-left corner of the screen, which means the meeting is being recorded. Everyone in attendance will get a heads-up about the recording.

Recording as a Meeting Participant

How to enable recording in Google Meet if you're a meeting attendee without recording permissions? Just let the meeting host know you'd like to record the session so that the person can tweak the settings. It's that easy!

Join the Google Meet meeting.
Ask the meeting host for permission to record.
If the host grants permission, follow the steps that we have already mentioned above to start recording.

Stopping the Recording

Click on the "Activities" icon (three dots) again.
Select "Recording" from the menu.
Click "Stop recording".

If everyone leaves the meeting, the recording will automatically stop. Remember that you can’t automatically record Google Meet, so you would have to initiate the process manually in any case.

Accessing and Sharing Google Meet Recordings

Finding Your Recordings

After a meeting is recorded, the video file will be automatically saved to the meeting organizer's Google Drive, in the "Meet Recordings" folder. The organizer and the person who initiated the recording will also get an email with a link to the recording.

Sharing Recordings

You can share your Google Meet recordings in a few different ways.

Google Drive: Right-click on the file in Google Drive, and you'll see a "Share" option. Click on it, and you'll be able to generate a link that others can use to access the file or add specific people to the sharing list.
Email Link: If you received an email with the link, just share it with anyone you think might need it.
Google Calendar: As long as the recording is set to start at the scheduled meeting time, it’ll be automatically added to the Google Calendar event, so anyone in the same organization as the organizer can see it. Does Google Meet record automatically then? No, you would still have to manually switch it on.

Downloading and Playing Recordings

If you'd like to play or download a Google Meet recording, here are the steps:

Open the recording file in Google Drive.
To download the file, click More > Download and pick the format you want.
To play the recording directly in Google Drive, click the "Play" button (if available).

Things to Remember When Creating a Meet Google Recording

Recording Quality

Google Meet recordings can capture video in up to 1080p resolution, depending on the largest shared screen during the meeting. However, administrators can opt to record at different resolutions based on what their organization needs.

To get the best recording quality, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Make sure you've got a solid internet connection with sufficient bandwidth.
It'd be a good idea to close any unnecessary apps and browser tabs to give your system a little boost.
It's worth checking your video settings in Google Meet to make sure you’re using the best quality possible. The higher resolution options (up to 720p or 1080p) will give you the best possible image.

Recording Etiquette

While it can be helpful to record meetings on Google Meet, it's important to respect the privacy and consent of all participants. Before you start recording, make sure you:

Inform all participants that the meeting will be recorded.
Make sure you get explicit consent from attendees, especially if recording isn't something that's standard practice in your organization.
Let people know that they can opt-out if they're uncomfortable being recorded.

Recording Length and Limitations

Google Meet recordings are limited to 8 hours. Once the time is up, the recording stops automatically. Just to be clear, you can't edit or alter these recordings within Google Meet itself. However, you can download them and use third-party video editing software if necessary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Google Meet record automatically?

Google Meet doesn't have an automatic recording feature. You'll need to start and stop the recording manually for each meeting which means that you can’t automatically record Google Meet.

Can I record a Google Meet meeting without host's permission?

You can't record a Google Meet meeting unless the host says it's OK, or if you're in charge of the meeting. Google Meet will tell everyone who's in the meeting if someone tries to record it without permission, so you'll probably find out pretty fast.

Where is the Meet Google recording stored?

Google Meet recordings are stored in the meeting organizer's Google Drive, under the "Meet Recordings" folder.

What are the best audio settings?

If you want to go the extra mile and ensure your audio is as crisp and clear as it can be, there are a few things that you can do.

‍

In the ‘settings’ menu, navigate to the ‘audio’ submenu. Choose which device you’d be using as a mic and toggle ‘noise cancellation’ and ‘push to talk’. Do bear in mind that if you’re in a quiet place, it’s typically recommended to disable the ‘noise cancellation’ feature as it can make your voice sound funny.

Can I record Google Meet on a mobile device?

Unfortunately, the built-in recording feature in Google Meet is currently only available for desktop devices. But don't worry! You can use third-party screen recording apps or the built-in screen recording features on your mobile device for recording Google Meet sessions.

Are there any extra settings I might like?

‘Video framing’ can be a handy feature. This thing turns on if you’re not centered or too far from the camera. It simply brings you closer to the camera and helps make sure that you stay in the middle of the frame.

‍

To turn the feature on simply click the three dots before the meeting begins and navigate to Apply Visual Effects > Appearance > Framing. Move the toggle to the right to switch video framing on.

How long does it take for a Google Meet recording to be available?

Google Meet recordings take a while to process, depending on how long and good they are. It can take several hours for your video file and any extra stuff like captions or transcripts to show up in your Google Drive.

Alternative Recording Solutions

How do you record a Google Meet? Now you know that the platform has a built-in recording feature. But even though it is quite handy, it might not be the best fit for all your recording needs. If you need more advanced recording features, check out third-party recording software like Screen Story.

Screen Story: A Powerful Screen Recording Tool

If you're in the market for a more comprehensive and feature-rich screen recording tool, Screen Story is a great choice. It's designed specifically for Mac users and offers a wide range of features that make it a standout choice for recording meetings, creating tutorials, product demos, and various other types of video content.

Here are just a few key features that you will be able to take advantage of:

Automatic Zooming: Screen Story makes sure your viewers don't miss a thing by automatically zooming in on what you're doing on your screen.
Smooth Cursor Movement: Rapid cursor movements are transformed into smooth, polished glides, creating a more professional and polished look.
Record Videos and GIFs: You can capture your screen in high-quality videos or GIFs, with up to 60 frames per second and 4K resolution support.
Easy Recording: With just a few clicks, you can record your entire screen or specific windows.

‍

With Screen Story, you can start recording right away without having to go through a lengthy set-up process when recording Google Meet sessions. Just don’t forget to notify the participants that they’re being recorded, in any case ;)

‍

Create stunning videos with Screen Story

Record your screen with audio and create stunning videos without editing skills. Screen Story applies the best design patterns to the video automatically.