The Global Conservatory

Zoom Settings
for Music Lessons

Get crystal-clear audio in 3 simple steps.

Get Started

Enable Original Sound for Musicians

Settings → Audio Enable Original Sound Turn on in meeting

Watch & Learn

Setup on Any Device

Music teacher Emily Norris walks through Zoom audio settings for laptops, iPads, iPhones, and Android devices.

Video by Emily Norris via Midnight Music

Choose Your Zoom Plan

What matters for music lessons—and what doesn't.

Feature Basic (Free) Pro Business Enterprise
Meeting Duration 40 min limit 30 hours 30 hours 30 hours
Participants 100 100 300 500–1000
Cloud Recording ✕ 5 GB 5 GB Unlimited
Live CaptionsAuto-transcription ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Translated Captions35 languages ✕ +$5/mo add-on +$5/mo add-on Included
Language InterpretationUp to 14 channels ✕ ✓ ✓ ✓
Original Sound for Musicians ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Admin DashboardUser management ✕ Basic Advanced Full

Pricing changes—verify current plans at zoom.us/pricing

Audio Modes Explained

Zoom's default settings destroy musical sound. Here's what to use instead.

Noise Removal

Don't Use

Zoom's default. Aggressively removes "noise"—which includes your instrument's overtones and dynamics.

When to use Never for music. Speech calls in noisy environments only.

Personalised Audio Isolation

Don't Use

AI learns your voice and removes everything else. Your piano? Gone. Your violin? Filtered out.

When to use Voice coaching or theory discussions only.

Original Sound for Musicians

Use This

Disables all processing. Full frequency range, true dynamics. Your sound, unaltered.

When to use All music lessons—instrumental and vocal.

Live Performance Audio

Professional

Highest quality stereo. All participants must wear headphones. External interface recommended but not required. Note: Recording unavailable in this mode.

When to use Masterclasses, ensemble rehearsals, professional setups.

Quick Reference: Settings by Lesson Type

Standard Lesson

Audio ModeOriginal Sound
High-FidelityON
Echo CancellationON
StereoOptional

Theory / Coaching

Audio ModeDefault
High-FidelityOFF
Echo CancellationON
StereoOFF

Loud Environment

Audio ModeOriginal Sound
High-FidelityON
Echo CancellationOFF
StereoON

Masterclass

Audio ModeLive Performance
High-FidelityON
Echo CancellationOFF
StereoON

Setup Instructions

Step-by-step configuration for desktop, mobile, and admin.

  1. Open Audio SettingsClick your profile picture → Settings → Audio → scroll to "Music and Professional Audio"
  2. Enable Original SoundCheck "Show in-meeting option to turn on Original sound"
  3. Turn On High-FidelityCheck "High-fidelity music mode" and "Echo cancellation"
  4. Disable Auto VolumeUncheck "Automatically adjust microphone volume" (in main Audio section)
  5. Test Your SetupUse "Test Speaker" and "Test Mic" to verify levels
⚡ Important

Before every lesson, click "Turn on Original Sound" in the top-left of your meeting window.

  1. Open SettingsFrom home screen: Settings → Meetings
  2. Enable Original SoundToggle ON "Use Original Sound"
  3. Lower Noise SuppressionSet to "Off" or "Low"
  4. During the MeetingTap More (•••) → "Original Sound: On"
📱 Mobile Limitations

Phone mics have limited range. For best results, use the desktop app with external audio equipment.

  1. Sign InGo to zoom.us and sign in to your account
  2. Navigate to SettingsSettings → Meeting → In Meeting (Advanced)
  3. Enable Original SoundToggle ON "Allow users to select original sound"
  4. Lock Settings (Optional)Click the lock icon to enforce for all users
🔐 For Administrators

Account-level settings apply to all users. Individual users can override unlocked settings.

Translation & Accessibility

Connect with students in any language.

Captions & Translation

  • Live Captions: Free on all plans (auto-transcription)
  • Translated Captions: 35 languages, $5/mo add-on
  • Included with Business Plus and Enterprise
  • Real-time subtitles during meetings
  • Enable: Settings → In Meeting → Automated captions

Language Interpretation

  • Human interpreters for real-time translation
  • Available on Pro, Business, and Enterprise
  • Up to 14 active language channels
  • Participants choose their audio channel
  • ⚠️ Interpreter audio is NOT recorded to cloud

Security & Privacy

Protect your lessons and your students.

  • Waiting Room: Enable to review participants before admitting
  • Passcodes: Require for all scheduled meetings
  • Authentication: Require Zoom sign-in
  • Lock Meeting: Prevent new joins after lesson starts
  • Host Only: Default screen sharing to host only
  • Annotation: Disable unless needed for teaching
  • Remote Control: Keep disabled
  • Whiteboard: Enable as needed
  • Consent: Always notify before recording
  • Cloud vs Local: Cloud is easier to share; local is more private
  • Retention: Set auto-delete policies for old recordings
  • Mute on Entry: Enable for focused lessons
  • Chat: Limit to host if needed
  • Unmute: Allow self-unmute for music lessons

Lesson Checklist

Quick reference before and during every lesson.

Before the Lesson
  • Test audio and video equipment
  • Verify Original Sound is enabled in settings
  • Check internet connection
  • Close unnecessary applications
  • Prepare sheet music for screen share
  • Silence notifications
During the Lesson
  • Click "Turn on Original Sound" (top-left)
  • Ask student to enable Original Sound
  • Confirm both parties hear clearly
  • Start recording (with consent)
  • Use Gallery View for ensembles
  • Monitor audio levels

Troubleshooting

Common problems and how to fix them.

Original Sound must be enabled in settings before it appears in meetings. Go to Settings → Audio → scroll to "Music and Professional Audio" → check "Show in-meeting option to turn on Original sound." If you're in an organization, your admin may need to enable it first.

Usually a bandwidth issue. Try: closing other apps, switching from WiFi to ethernet, lowering video quality, or asking others on your network to pause streaming. If problems persist, both parties should restart Zoom.

Echo happens when speakers feed back into the microphone. Fix it by: using headphones (both parties), enabling Echo Cancellation in Original Sound settings, lowering speaker volume, or using an external microphone.

Standard audio processing removes frequencies above speech range—cutting off violin harmonics, flute tones, and soprano voices. Fix: Make sure Original Sound is ON and High-fidelity mode is enabled. Both teacher and student need these settings.

Check: (1) AI Captions is enabled in account settings, (2) you have the required plan or add-on, (3) participants clicked "Show Captions" in meeting controls, (4) speaking language is set correctly. Host must enable captions for each meeting.

This is a Zoom limitation—interpreter channels aren't included in cloud recordings. Workaround: Use local recording on a device set to the interpreter channel, or have the interpreter join from a separate account in the main audio.

Still Have Questions?

Our team is here to help you get the best audio quality for your online lessons.

Contact Support