Help: Not recording the active speaker

[dvscarr]

When I record meetings, Zoom is only recording the video of the person who has joined the meeting, not my video. It used to switch back and forth depending on the active speaker, but now that has changed. I'm a coach and having both sides of the conversation is essential for my business. It will record both videos in Gallery Mode, but not Speaker Mode.

I have tried "See myself as active speaker," but that's an untenable solution. I need to see my client's facial expression while I am speaking to do my job, and it's very jarring/unpleasant to see myself speaking. 

Is this happening to anyone else? is there a known fix for it? If I don't get this fixed, I'll have to leave Zoom and find another solution because this is an essential part of my business. 

[marcellcoppens]

Check your Recording settings via your Zoom portal in Account Settings, Recording. Check if Record active speaker with shared screen is enabled. You can select multiple options too; Record active speaker, gallery view and shared screen separately is very useful if you want to compose a training video yourself afterwards. You can even Record a separate audio file of each participant if you want.

[dvscarr]

Unfortunately, those solutions aren't relevant to my situation. I already have Record active speaker with shared screen enabled. My problem is how it records the video when my screen is NOT shared. I do not want separate video files of the active speaker, gallery view, etc., as I do not want to create a training video after. Recording separate audio files also doesn't help me either. I need to be able to record both my client AND myself in the sessions. 

[meagen]

I don't have a solution yet, but I wanted to express my solidarity in frustration! I've recorded hundreds of zoom meetings in the last nine months, and last night for the first time, the recording only recorded my guest's video, not mine. Extremely irritating to say the least. I don't have a solution yet, but I wanted to express my solidarity in frustration! I've recorded hundreds of zoom meetings in the last nine months, and last night for the first time, the recording only recorded my guest's video, not mine. Extremely irritating to say the least. 

[smartestartist]

I am having the same issue. 

[dvscarr]

Someone on Twitter suggested going back to a previous version of Zoom. They downgraded to 5.8.6 (2879) and said that it works. I haven't tested it yet but will report back on how it goes. 

Pretty terrible to have to go down several versions just to regain essential functionality. I'm so frustrated with Zoom and am looking for alternatives. What's the point in paying hundreds of dollars when it can't do the one thing I need?! 

[amkaplan]

I have to say, it's relieving to see that others are having a similar issue.  I take guitar lessons over Zoom and sometimes record my teacher playing passages.  Typically, I mute myself and then start the video, and it defaults to recording him, as he's the active speaker.  Recently, it records me being quiet and watching him, which is obviously of no use.  This has now happened with two subsequent lessons.  One would think that Zoom would have figured this out by now...

Thanks for sharing the workaround of downgrading; I'll try finding the previous version.

[queenemma]

I am having the same issue. Zoom support is telling me its because of my wifi which is actually fine and the same speeds it always is. I have no issues with video or audio quality in the call.

Here is their response:

---

@dvscarr wrote:

When I record meetings, Zoom is only recording the video of the person who has joined the meeting, not my video. It used to switch back and forth depending on the active speaker, but now that has changed. I'm a coach and having both sides of the conversation is essential for my business. It will record both videos in Gallery Mode, but not Speaker Mode.

I have tried "See myself as active speaker," but that's an untenable solution. I need to see my client's facial expression while I am speaking to do my job, and it's very jarring/unpleasant to see myself speaking. 

Is this happening to anyone else? is there a known fix for it? If I don't get this fixed, I'll have to leave Zoom and find another solution because this is an essential part of my business. 

---

Zoom is pretty much unusable if it doesnt record switching the active speaker back and forth.

If anyone has any result where it works I would love to hear too. Thanks for posting this and zoom I hope you are listening and can help return it to how it used to work!

[amkaplan]

I'm not seeing Zoom's response, only a clip from a previous posting.

[mreedm]

This just happened to me, too. VERY frustrating. Has anyone managed to resolve this issue or get clarification from Zoom about what's going on here?

[amkaplan]

It appears as though this was fixed in version 5.10.0 (5714),  a couple of weeks ago:  

• "Resolved an issue regarding local recordings not capturing speaker view"

I have Zoom set to auto-update, which, of course, it had not.

[amkaplan]

Well,  after my update, I am still having the same problem.  Any ideas?

Thanks,

Allan

[Bucketsluke]

I am having the same problem. Sometimes it records just me and sometimes it records a guest. No one is spotlighted. 

[Pops]

Same with me.  My only solution takes a long time - work with gallery and edit screen shots in Premiere to stay fixed on the speaker during the time of speaking.  Manual operation takes about the same length of time as the recording.