Using an external speaker while sharing music via Zoom

[klemone42]

I teach an exercise class via music Sharing Music. Recently, we tried to hold the class in a gym with additional live folks. We needed an external speaker for the folks in the gym to hear. But, whether we plugged it in or used Bluetooth, the Zoomers could no  hear well. I think the music may not have been Shared when we plugged in the speaker. How can I use the music over Zoom and with a Mic? 

[Alex_PFT]

Hi,

If you mean that you were trying to play music with a speaker, and you want that audio to be captured by your mic so the participants can hear it, it is not going to work well. Zoom will see the music as background noise and will try to cancel it. You should try to share the audio to your participants in the meeting ,from computer, and from that same computer select your bluetooth speakers for your audio. 

Sharing computer sound in a screen share – Zoom Support

Alex

zoom@pft 

[klemone42]

Not sure I was clear. I do share the  music from my computer to my (virtual) class. Works well.

But, I wanted  to add some live students in a large gym at the same time. The sound from my computer’s speakers was too soft in the big space. So we plugged in (tried both wire and Bluetooth) an external  speaker. Worked great for those in the gym. But the Shared music over Zoom degraded too much for them to hear. 

[Alex_PFT]

You could use Original sound, that way the music you will play in the gym wont be cancel by Zoom's echo cancellation and audio-enhancing features. So you wont need to share your audio, just play it in the room and your mic will pick up the music and your participants will be able to hear it that way.

Using and preserving original sound in a meeting – Zoom Support

Alex

zoom@pft 

[klemone42]

Just thought I'd get back on this. Original sound does not really broadcast. It seems to cut out frequencies. It might be set for "voice". Music needs wider frequency. The virtual folks really could not hear the music well. I have noticed this myself in Zoom yoga classes where instructors play music for those in the studio. Often it is horrendous.

[msiyengar]

I am facing a similar issue since two weeks. I teach dance. I have both in person and Zoom participants. I prefer not to upload the music to my computer. Most of my music is original commissioned scores and I am not able to let others download. So I had been playing using Boombox/Amplifier in my studio and it worked great for in person and the Zoom participants could hear it very well. All of a sudden, my Zoom participants are not able to hear any music since two weeks that I a playing in my studio. I  have tried working with all settings and it still did not work. 

[RussellRowe]

Hi Klemone42.  I'm a group fitness instructor as well.  I don't know if you've solved your problem yet or not.  If not, I've solved it.  I had the same problem as you when I started teaching group fitness classes live again after the pandemic had subsided.  By that time I had a sizable online group via Zoom from all over the world and wanted to be able to accommodate both Zoomers and live class participants at the same time.  I solved the problem by using an iPod Touch with an external speaker, playing music via Spotify from my iPod Touch AND playing music via Spotify on my laptop at the same time.  You could use any two devices that can play Spotify.  One of the devices also has to have the Zoom app on it.  I have a Spotify Premium subscription ($9.99 per month) so that I can play songs without having to be online.  That is key for using my method because I put my iPod Touch in airplane mode (or you can simply make sure that bluetooth capability is OFF).  Again, you could use any device that plays Spotify.  I need my iPod Touch to play the songs in Spotify offline because I'm going to be using Spotify on my laptop online at the same time!  I take my laptop with me to class and put it on a chair in front of me.  I don't even bring a power cord.  My laptop battery works just fine.  Fortunately, the location where I teach has wi-fi but you could use your phone as a personal hotspot if you have a data plan that can accommodate that.  I attach my HD Pro Webcam C920 on my laptop for a much better camera with a wider angle.  Then I put my Powerbeats Pro Wireless Earbuds in my ears and connect them to my laptop via bluetooth.  I'm sure any earbuds with microphone capability will do but the Powerbeats Pro Wireless Earbuds work great according to my Zoomers!  Then I open the Spotify app and Zoom app on my laptop.  I start the Zoom meeting (group fitness class).  Make sure that your earbuds are being used as BOTH the microphone and speaker in the Zoom app by clicking on the little upward pointing arrow next to the mute/unmute icon and choosing your earbuds as the microphone and speaker.  Your earbuds will serve as the microphone for your voice (instructions) for Zoomers and you'll hear the same Spotify music as your Zoomers by choosing them as your speaker.  You'll need to adjust the volume in both Spotify and Zoom to get the volume just right so that the Spotify music isn't too loud over your voice when giving instructions.  I turn the volume all the way up in the Zoom app for both my microphone and speaker but I lower the volume a little in the Spotify app.  You'll have to ask your Zoomers what volume settings work best for them to hear the music and your voice well.  Once the volume is set in the Spotify app on your laptop, don't change it.  Then I click on the Share Screen icon in Zoom.  Then I choose the Advanced tab at the top of the pop-up box and then click on Computer Audio.  Then I click the Share button in the bottom right-hand corner of the pop-up box to share Spotify on my laptop for the Zoomers.  Just to be on the safe side, I play a song in my Spotify app on my laptop for a few seconds just to make sure that Zoomers can hear it.  I ask them.  Once all of that is done I spotlight my video in Zoom and move my webcam into the right position for teaching.  Then I mute all of the class participants in Zoom and then start the music in Spotify on both my iPod Touch and laptop at the exact same time by pressing the play button on both my iPod Touch and laptop at the same time (using two hands of course).  As I start the class, I lower the volume all the way down on my Powerbeats earbuds so that I can't hear the music playing from my laptop but my Zoomers can.  They can also hear my voice perfectly fine if I turn the volume all the way down on my Powerbeats earbuds because I'm just turning down my speaker, not my microphone.  I hope I haven't forgotten anything but if I have and you can't get the setup to work then feel free to reply to this message with any problem you're having and I'll try to help!

Kindly,

Russell

[Keepmoving]

RussellRowe

Can I use a phone directly instead of an IPOD touch?

[RussellRowe]

Yes Keepmoving, you can use your phone directly instead of an iPod touch!  I used an iPod touch only so that my phone wouldn't ring or ding (from notifications) during class and so that I wouldn't drain my phone battery.  I don't teach Zoom and in-person classes simultaneously anymore but I did during the COVID pandemic.

If you do use your phone and you don't want to have it ring during class then remember to put it in airplane mode.  That way it won't ring or ding.  At least it doesn't on the iPhone.  I don't know about other phones.  I had to use my iPhone a few times and it worked just fine (I explain why below).  I have Spotify on both and keep both of them synced.  I can play my own Spotify playlists offline because I pay Spotify the monthly fee to be able to do that.  One thing that I've gotten into the habit of doing now is to get out of the Spotify app on my iPod touch in the morning before I leave to teach classes and get back in to it again WHILE I'M CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET in my house.  Then I put my iPod touch in airplane mode so that no notification dings go off and I save battery power.  There were a few occasions where I left my house in the morning while the Spotify app was still connected to my Internet at home and then when I got to my class my Spotify app would say that I'm not connected to the Internet AND WOULDN'T WORK even though I pay to be able to play Spotify playlists offline!  Even if I got out of the Spotify app and back into it at my class it would still tell me I'm not connected to the Internet and wouldn't work!  It was so frustrating because I pay the monthly fee to Spotify so that I don't need to be connected to the Internet!  When I put my iPod touch in airplane mode BEFORE I LEAVE MY HOUSE then I never have a problem with Spotify telling me it can't connect to the Internet when I don't have an Internet connection at my class location.  If your phone can connect to the Internet where you teach then you don't have to worry about your music app not working when you get there.  Luckily, I was able to use my iPhone to teach my class (since it could connect to the Internet using 5G) on the few occasions when Spotify on my iPod touch told me I wasn't connected to the Internet and didn't work!

Kindly,

Russell

[Loogplacowden]

msiyengar - I like your method.  I am planning to do the same - playing using Boombox/Amplifier.   

Were you able to resolve it? 

Per your comment: 

"I am facing a similar issue since two weeks. I teach dance. I have both in person and Zoom participants. I prefer not to upload the music to my computer. Most of my music is original commissioned scores and I am not able to let others download. So I had been playing using Boombox/Amplifier in my studio and it worked great for in person and the Zoom participants could hear it very well. All of a sudden, my Zoom participants are not able to hear any music since two weeks that I a playing in my studio. I  have tried working with all settings and it still did not work." 

[UM1]

I was having a similar issue. This is how i resolved it. I share the computer sound for the zoom users. Join zoom meeting from another device in the live class and connect it with the speakers.