iPad "Original sound for musicians" not working

[mmkohl]

Dear Zoom,

I'm running Zoom meetings on my iPad (12.9-inch 3rd generation iPad Pro, iPadOS 18.7.1). Even though I've got "Original sound for musicians" activated in my settings, my participants can't hear loud musical recordings played from a nearby speaker, even though they can hear my voice very clearly while I speak in the same room as the music.

This seems to be a new phenomenon because in past years they've been able to hear those recordings played out of the same speaker without issue. Can you help me solve this? I've tried looking for other settings to change within your iPad app, but the "Original sound for musicians" toggle switch is the only one I can find.

There are other threads on this forum dealing with similar problems, but Zoom's reps so far seem to be mostly offering solutions that would pertain to Zoom on a computer, not on an iPad. Can anyone help?

[lancetlc]

Hey @mmkohl 

Here is a comprehensive two-part solution for your iPad, which addresses both the Zoom settings and a potential iOS-level issue:

Double-Check the Zoom Settings

On mobile devices, enabling "Original Sound" requires a setting change before the meeting and an explicit toggle during the meeting. You need to ensure both steps are correctly set for every meeting.

1. In the Zoom App Settings (One-Time Setup)

Make sure you have selected the right audio profile in the main settings.

1. Open the Zoom app on your iPad (not in a meeting).

2. Tap on your Profile Picture/Initials in the corner.

3. Go to Settings.

4. Tap Audio.

5. Under the "Audio Profile" or "Microphone modes" section, ensure you have Original sound for musicians selected.

Look for and tap on the High-fidelity music mode option (it might only appear after selecting "Original sound for musicians"). Turn this on. This further ensures noise suppression is disabled and increases the audio quality.

 

2. Inside the Active Zoom Meeting (Must Do Every Time)

Selecting the profile in the settings above only makes the option available during the meeting; you must explicitly enable it once you join.

1. Start or join your Zoom meeting.

2. Tap the screen to bring up the controls, then tap the "More" button (it looks like three dots ...).

3. Look for and tap "Enable Original Sound" or "Original Sound for Musicians".

Crucially, check the top-right corner of your Zoom meeting screen. It should now display: "Original Sound: On" (or similar text). If it says "Off," the music suppression is still active.

Check the iOS System Noise Suppression

Newer versions of iOS have introduced more advanced, system-wide noise suppression features that can override app-specific settings like Zoom's. This is the most likely culprit for your "new phenomenon."

You need to check the Accessibility settings on your iPad.

1. Go to your iPad's main Settings app (the gray gear icon).

2. Tap Accessibility.

3. Scroll down and tap Audio/Visual.

4. Look for the setting: Phone Noise Cancellation (The iPad is using the same audio processing components as an iPhone).

5. Toggle this setting OFF.

Even though this is labeled "Phone Noise Cancellation," it has been known to impact audio processing across other apps, including Zoom, especially when using the device's built-in microphone for high-fidelity tasks like music playback.