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Zoom estimates that an ordinary video recording uses about 200 MB per hour, while a screen-sharing recording uses about 20 MB per hour. These are approximate figures—not guaranteed file sizes. Resolution, recording duration, and what is shared can change the result. Zoom’s recording-format guidance gives the estimates; its recording FAQ explains why actual files vary.
How much space does a Zoom recording use?
Use Zoom’s hourly estimates as a starting point for planning. The two-hour and three-hour figures below are arithmetic projections from those approximate rates, not separate measurements published by Zoom.
| Recording content | Zoom’s approximate rate | 1 hour | 2 hours | 3 hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video recording | About 200 MB/hour | About 200 MB | About 400 MB | About 600 MB |
| Screen-sharing recording | About 20 MB/hour | About 20 MB | About 40 MB | About 60 MB |
These estimates distinguish a video recording from a screen-sharing recording; they do not establish a universal rate for a video meeting that includes shared content. Zoom says file size varies with duration, resolution, and the shared content. Its FAQ mentions files ranging from under 1 GB to several GB as examples of variation, not as a typical range or a prediction for a particular meeting.
Why can two recordings of the same length differ?
Resolution and meeting conditions
Zoom’s recorded-video resolution guidance describes possible 360p, 720p, or 1080p outcomes depending on conditions such as participant count, whether video is enabled, camera HD or Full HD settings, meeting HD settings, and layout. A shared screen can also affect the recording frame according to the largest shared-screen resolution. These resolution labels do not translate into fixed file sizes per hour: Zoom does not publish a universal size rate for each resolution. See Zoom’s recorded-video resolution guidance.
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What is being recorded
Camera video and screen-sharing recordings have different approximate rates in Zoom’s guidance. The amount and resolution of shared material can also affect a recording. A presentation with mostly static slides and a session with frequent visual changes should not be assumed to produce identical files, but Zoom’s cited guidance does not give a formula for predicting that difference.
How large is a Zoom Recording Studio file?
Zoom Recording Studio is a specialized feature available within Zoom Webinars Plus and Events, not the ordinary recording baseline. Zoom estimates approximately 2–3 GB per hour for Recording Studio at 1080p60. Treat that figure as specific to this feature and setting; it is not a general size estimate for Zoom meetings. See Zoom’s Recording Studio constraints and troubleshooting article.
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Where do Zoom recordings take up storage?
Computer recordings
Computer recordings are saved on the computer, while cloud recordings are stored in Zoom cloud. Zoom describes MP4 video and M4A audio formats for both options. For a computer recording, Zoom recommends keeping the default save location on a local drive. It warns that external drives, network storage, and cloud-sync folders may cause saving or conversion issues. You can upload completed files to services such as Dropbox or Google Drive for archiving, but that is different from recording directly into a synced folder. Details are in Zoom’s guides to computer and cloud recording and starting a computer recording.
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Cloud recording storage has plan-level allocations, and additional storage may be available. Zoom says storage is pooled at the account level. If the account reaches its storage limit during a recording, the meeting continues recording until it ends. Allocations and add-on details can change, so check the current Zoom cloud recording storage guidance and the account’s available capacity before relying on a particular amount.
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How to plan storage for a meeting
- Choose the closest recording type. For an initial estimate, use about 200 MB per hour for video or about 20 MB per hour for screen-sharing recording, as approximate Zoom figures.
- Multiply by the expected duration. Treat the result as a planning estimate, not a guaranteed file size; actual size can change with resolution and shared content.
- Check the destination. For computer recording, make sure the local drive has room and use Zoom’s recommended local save location. For cloud recording, check the account’s current pooled capacity.
- Allow for cloud processing time. Zoom says cloud recordings generally take about twice the recorded duration to process, though processing can take up to 24 hours during higher processing loads. Processing time is not a multiplier for file size. See Zoom’s cloud-recording instructions.
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