When we record meetings in Microsoft Teams, the question of where those recordings are saved comes up frequently. It’s crucial for us to understand this aspect of video conferencing, particularly for revisiting discussions, training purposes, or keeping records. The good news is that Microsoft Teams has a systematic approach to storing these video files.
The recording of a meeting is automatically stored in either OneDrive or SharePoint, depending on the type of meeting. For non-channel meetings, the recording goes to the OneDrive of the user who initiated the recording, usually the organizer. Channel meetings, on the other hand, have their recordings stored in the SharePoint folder linked to that channel.
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Understanding Microsoft Teams Recording Storage
Microsoft Teams records meetings for future reference, compliance, or training purposes. As we dive into the specifics, you’ll discover that the storage location varies depending on the type of meeting and organizational policies.
Cloud Storage Basics
Microsoft 365 provides cloud storage solutions that securely house Teams meeting recordings. These recordings are either stored in OneDrive or SharePoint, depending on the meeting type.
| Type of Meeting | Storage Location | Service Used |
| Non-channel Meetings | OneDrive of the Meeting Organizer | Microsoft Teams |
| Channel Meetings | SharePoint Document Library (Teams channel) | Microsoft Teams |
Recording Accessibility
Access to a Teams meeting recording is governed by permissions that depend largely on where the video is stored. For non-channel meetings, recordings are kept in the OneDrive of the user who initiated the recording, establishing restrictive access. Only people explicitly granted permission, generally the invitees, can view these recordings.
Recordings in either location may also be played back through Microsoft Stream, a video service under the Microsoft 365 umbrella, provided your organization’s settings allow this. It is important to note that some organizations may enforce retention policies, impacting how long recordings are available. Therefore, we should be vigilant about any such regulations within our workplace.
How to Record and Find Your Meetings
Knowing how to handle your Microsoft Teams recordings efficiently can enhance your meeting management and simplify post-meeting follow-ups. We’ll help you master the recording feature and guide you through the retrieval process for both channel and non-channel meetings.
Starting a Recording
To record a Teams meeting, you should go to the meeting controls and select More actions > Start recording. All participants get notified when the recording begins. It’s crucial to remember that simultaneous recordings for the same meeting aren’t possible.
Locating Recordings in Microsoft Teams
After concluding your meeting, Teams automatically saves the recording. For channel meetings, recordings are directly stored in the respective channel’s Files tab under a folder named Recordings. These recordings are available for all members of the channel. For non-channel meetings, we need to take a different approach.
Non-channel meeting recordings are stored in the OneDrive account of the user who initiated the recording, within a folder named Recordings. If the meeting is a part of a Teams event or larger organization, the recording is saved in a SharePoint folder associated with the site where the meeting was organized. Here, permissions can be more restrictive based on your organization’s settings.
- Recordings from non-channel meetings save to the recorder’s OneDrive account.
- Larger events or organizational meetings save recordings to SharePoint.
- Users will need appropriate permissions to access SharePoint-stored recordings.
| Location | Channel Meetings | Non-Channel Meetings |
| Stored In | Channel’s Files Tab | Recorder’s OneDrive |
| Permissions | Accessible by Channel Members | Depends on User’s OneDrive Settings |
| Share Ability | Can Be Shared Within Teams | Shareable via OneDrive Link |
When it comes to managing your recordings, always take note of the permissions set by your organization and remember that you may adjust sharing settings to control who can view or download the recordings.
Managing and Sharing Your Meeting Recordings
Ensuring effective collaboration starts with managing and sharing your Microsoft Teams recordings properly. As administrators or meeting organizers, we play a pivotal role in this regard.
Sharing Within Teams
For non-channel meetings or ones with external attendees, the recordings are stored in the organizer’s OneDrive, under the folder labeled Recordings. We have the freedom to share these recordings with team members and external participants via a shareable link, providing edit rights if necessary.
Permissions and Expiration
| Permissions | Expiration |
| We are responsible for setting permissions on who can access a recording. Admins have the ability to set overarching permissions, while meeting organizers can specify permissions on a meeting-by-meeting basis. It’s important to ensure only the right team members have access, especially for sensitive information. | Recordings also have an expiration policy applied by admins, which we must be aware of to avoid the automatic deletion of valuable meeting content. It’s essential to communicate with the admin or check the meeting options to understand the expiration timeline and act accordingly. |
We should also remember that external attendees might not have the same level of access, so it’s sometimes necessary to modify permissions explicitly for them. Additionally, some meetings may have sensitivity labels that restrict sharing further, so we must consider this when planning our sharing strategy.
Compliance and Advanced Settings
When managing recordings in Microsoft Teams, it’s essential to understand how compliance features and advanced admin settings influence where and how these recordings are stored and managed. We’ll explore the retention policies designed to meet various compliance requirements and the Teams Admin Center settings that control recording options.
Retention and Compliance Policies
In our experience, ensuring compliance within Teams begins with implementing retention policies. These guidelines dictate how long meeting recordings, transcripts, and chats are kept before being deleted. Within the Teams Admin Center, we configure these policies to align with organizational or legal requirements. Captions and closed captions generated during meetings are also subject to these policies, and it’s crucial to set them correctly to avoid accidental data loss or non-compliance with regulations.
Advanced Teams Admin Settings
| Feature | Control Access | Description |
| Call Recording | Admin/Meeting Organizer | Admins can enable or disable call recording; organizers set permissions for participants. |
| CSTeamsMeetingPolicy | Teams Admin Center | Used to manage meeting policies, including recording. |
| Recording Transcription | Teams Channel | Choose whether transcriptions are automatically recorded and stored. |
Through the Teams Admin Center, we exercise granular control over call recording settings. The CSTeamsMeetingPolicy specifically enables us to define whether meetings are auto-recorded or if recording options are left at the discretion of meeting organizers. The admin center is also the place where we ensure compliance recording is active for sensitive communication, vital in sectors with stringent regulatory demands. Notably, this high level of control ensures that we support organizational communication policies while maintaining necessary compliance standards.