Zoom includes audio filtering that works well for suppressing background noise in standard meetings. However, these same filters can significantly degrade audio quality when you’re performing or playing an instrument. This guide walks through the optimal Zoom audio settings for music performance.
These settings can be configured before joining a meeting or while already in one.
Getting Started
- Open Zoom Settings.
- Select the Audio tab.*
- Under Microphone, select your desired input source from the dropdown menu.
- Under Speaker, select your desired output source. Using headphones rather than speakers is strongly recommended when performing.
- Disable Automatically adjust microphone volume — this prevents Zoom from altering your input levels during a performance.
Microphone Modes
- Under Microphone Modes, select Original Sound for Musicians. This disables Zoom’s noise suppression and audio processing, and reveals additional options described below.
- If you are on a wired ethernet connection, enable High-Fidelity Music Mode. This provides the highest audio quality Zoom offers, but increases CPU usage and network bandwidth consumption, so it is not recommended for wireless connections.
- If you are monitoring through speakers rather than headphones — which is not ideal — enable Echo Cancellation to prevent feedback.
- Enable Stereo Audio only if you have a genuine use for it, such as using multiple microphones, performing to a backing track, or sending a processed stereo mix. Like High-Fidelity Music Mode, it increases CPU and bandwidth usage, so leave it off if you don’t need it.
*If already on a Zoom call, you can also access these settings from the Audio menu at bottom of the screen.
For more information see the original Zoom support article here.
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