How To… | Meeting Recordings in Microsoft Teams

Meetings within Teams can be recorded and saved within the University of Lincoln Office 365 environment for later viewing. Previously, these were saved within Microsoft Stream but going forward they will be saved within OneDrive/Teams. 

Below, we explain how the process works and where the videos are saved.

 

Who can record meetings? 

By default, any attendee of the meeting can initiate the recording, but this can be controlled by the meeting organiser by changing the meeting options.  

Transcription can also be started by the meeting organiser/allowed user. (Some users may not be licenced for this option). 

 

Controlling who can start meeting recordings 

Open the meeting from within the Teams calendar and select “Meeting options” next to the time zone – this may be hidden under the three dots if not visible (…).

Screenshot of the "Meeting options" button highlighted in a Microsoft Teams Meeting window.

The Meeting options will open in a browser window if you are using the desktop app and you will be presented with the screen below.

Screenshot of the Microsoft Teams "Meeting Options" window with a range of options for customising attendee permissions for bypassing the lobby, presenting, unmuting, chatting and reacting.

Change the “Who can present?” options and choose “Only me” or “Specific people” to control the following options:

  • Mute participants
  • Remote participants
  • Start and stop a recording
  • Share your screen or any other content
  • Admit people from the lobby
  • Download the recording afterwards

It is worth noting that these options only apply to the specific instance of a meeting. It will need changing for each meeting based on the requirements.

 

Starting meeting recordings

Screenshot of the "Start recording" button highlighted under the "More actions" drop-down.

To start recording once you’re in a meeting, go to the meeting controls and select More Actions (…) > “Start recording”.

Note: Everyone in the meeting will be notified that you have started recording via a small pop-up at the top of the screen.

To stop recording, simply select More Actions (…) > “Stop recording”. Meeting recordings will be automatically stored within Microsoft OneDrive and can be accessed later via Office 365.

 

Teams meeting recordings

When recording is turned on in a Microsoft Teams Meeting, a message will pop up notifying all the participants. The recording will capture the audio and video that participants share. Once the recording is stopped, it is processed and then it becomes available to all the participants through a link shared in the meeting chat. By continuing to share your audio and video in a meeting that is being recorded, you are agreeing to allow your video and audio to be recorded and shared.

If it is not clear to you why the recording is being made, you can ask the meeting organiser. If you don’t want to do this while being recorded, you can so in the chat. If you want to opt-out of being recorded, your options are to:

  • Turn off your camera and microphone
  • Stop the recording using the option in the three-dot-menu
  • Leave the meeting

For students attending teaching events, participation is voluntary, and you do not need to share your camera or audio if you choose not to. However, we recommend engaging with the teaching as much as you can to make sure you get the most out of the learning experience. The videos created are made for and shared with your module cohort to benefit your studies.

 

Where are recordings stored?

Meeting recording files are saved within the OneDrive of the person who started the recording, or for a Team Channel meeting, it is saved within the Team Channel.

For an individual OneDrive recording, the file is saved in a folder called “Recordings” within the “My Files” area of the user’s OneDrive. The file is automatically shared with attendees of the meeting, but not external or guest users. These would have to be added later using the standard sharing options within OneDrive. Only the owner of the OneDrive folder can change the sharing options.

For a Team Channel recording, the file is saved in a folder called “Recordings”, located in the Channel’s file area. As with any file within a Team site, this will be automatically available to all owners/members of the Team.

A link to the file is also saved within the meeting files area and within the meeting details which can be viewed within Teams. This is where you will also find the transcription if this was started as part of the meeting. The attendance report is also saved within the meeting files area.

Screenshot of the "Recordings" folder as it appears in OneDrive, holding two recorded meeting files.

This process is a lot easier than having to manage the sharing options within Microsoft Stream and the video is available a lot sooner once the meeting has ended.

 

Uploading Videos to Microsoft Stream

You need to get permission from a person before you can upload a video to Stream that contains any identifiable information about them. Make sure that person knows what the video will be used for and who it will be shared with. You should also consider how long you will keep the recording.