/ How to

How To Isolate and Only Record One Participant’s Video in Zoom Meetings

Recording Zoom meetings can be useful for keeping notes, sharing information discussed in meetings with people who couldn’t attend, or creating video content. However, Zoom’s default recording settings capture all participants’ video feeds in a grid view. If you only need to record one participant’s video, here are some methods to isolate their feed:

Use Pin Video

As the meeting host, you can “pin” one participant’s video feed so only their video is shown, regardless of who is speaking.

Steps:

  1. Start the Zoom meeting
  2. Ask the participant you want to record to enable their video feed
  3. Hover over their video and click the “Pin” icon
  4. Their video will now be pinned as the main display
  5. Start recording the Zoom meeting
  6. Only the pinned participant’s video will be captured

Advantages:

  • Simple to set up
  • Works for both local and cloud recordings

Disadvantages:

  • If you speak during the meeting, your video will override the pinned feed
  • If the participant stops their video, the recording will switch to an overview of participants

Use Gallery View + Spotlight Video

Gallery View shows all participants’ videos in a grid. You can spotlight one participant’s video to make it the primary focus.

Steps:

  1. Start the Zoom meeting
  2. Ask the participant to enable their video feed
  3. Click the “Gallery View” icon in the top right
  4. Hover over the participant’s video and click “Spotlight”
  5. Their video will become highlighted and enlarged
  6. Start recording the meeting
  7. Only the spotlighted participant will be prominently captured

Advantages:

  • Participant’s video remains highlighted even if they stop video
  • Works for both local and cloud recordings

Disadvantages:

  • Your video may still appear if you speak during the meeting

Use Multi-Camera Recording

You can use software like OBS Studio to capture the participant’s video feed on one “scene” and your presentation/screenshare on another scene, then switch between them while recording.

Steps:

  1. Start the Zoom meeting
  2. Ask the participant to pin their video feed
  3. Share your screen in the Zoom meeting
  4. Open OBS Studio and add a “Window Capture” source of the Zoom window
  5. Crop the source to only show the participant’s pinned video
  6. Add your presentation as another source in OBS
  7. Switch between scenes and record in OBS

Advantages:

  • Full control over recording layout
  • Flexibility to show different “camera angles”
  • High quality local recording

Disadvantages:

  • More complex setup
  • Requires third party software (OBS Studio)
  • Participant must pin their video for best results

Use Two Computers to Record

If you have two devices available, you can connect to the Zoom meeting on both and record the participant’s video feed on one device while you present and control the meeting on the other.

Steps:

  1. Start the Zoom meeting on both devices
  2. Ask the participant to pin their video feed
  3. Share your screen on the “host” device
  4. On the second device, pin the participant’s video
  5. Start recording the meeting only on the second device
  6. The isolated participant video will be recorded separately

Advantages:

  • Simple setup
  • Separate recording ensures only participant’s video is captured

Disadvantages:

  • Requires two devices
  • Can only record one participant at a time

Use Breakout Rooms

Zoom’s breakout rooms allow you to split meeting participants into separate, smaller sessions. You can then record them individually.

Steps:

  1. Start the meeting and move the participant into their own breakout room
  2. Join the breakout room yourself
  3. Ask the participant to pin their video
  4. Start recording
  5. Only their video will be captured
  6. End breakout room to finish recording

Advantages:

  • Guarantees only the participant is recorded
  • Others won’t disrupt the recording

Disadvantages:

  • Time spent switching between rooms
  • Limited to one participant at a time

Other Tips

  • Ask the participant to frame their camera properly and adjust their lighting to ensure high video quality
  • Use a wired internet connection for stable recording
  • Make sure to get the participant’s consent before recording them
  • Be aware that Zoom recording laws and privacy regulations may apply

Isolating a single participant’s video feed during a Zoom meeting takes some extra effort but can be worth it for situations where you only need to capture one person on camera. Take the time to test these methods beforehand to find the best approach that suits your needs.

Related Posts