Starting & Stopping Recordings
Moderators can record entire meetings in BigBlueButton. Recordings capture audio, video, presentations, chat, and whiteboard content for later review.
Prerequisites
Before you can record a meeting, the following conditions must be met:
- The recording feature must be enabled by the server administrator.
- The recording option must be activated for the specific room in the management interface (e.g., bbbserver admin panel, Greenlight, or your learning management system).
For bbbserver customers, the recording feature is available by default. Recordings appear in the admin panel under the "Recordings" tab of the conference room shortly after the meeting ends. The recording feature can be conveniently disabled in the customer account if needed.
Starting a Recording
Click the "Start recording" button at the top center of the screen.
Confirm the recording in the dialog that appears.
A red, pulsing circle (recording indicator) appears at the top of the screen, confirming that the recording is active.
Pausing and Resuming
You can pause and resume the recording at any time during the meeting:
- Click the recording button once to pause the recording.
- Click it again to resume recording.
Paused segments are automatically removed from the final recording. Use this feature to skip breaks or off-topic discussions.
Stopping a Recording
The recording stops and is saved automatically when the meeting ends. There is no separate "stop recording" button — simply end the conference, and the recording will be processed.
Recording Visibility
After the meeting ends, you can configure the visibility of the recording (depending on your frontend):
| Visibility | Description |
|---|---|
| Public | Accessible to anyone with the conference room link. |
| Unlisted | Only accessible to people who have the direct recording link. |
| Not available | The recording exists but is not accessible to anyone. |
Accessing Recordings After the Meeting
After the meeting ends, the recording is processed on the server. This may take some time depending on the length and complexity of the meeting.
Once processing is complete, recordings can be accessed through:
- The bbbserver admin panel
- Greenlight (room overview)
- Your learning management system (if applicable)
Recordings include: presentations, webcam videos, chat messages, and shared notes.
Recordings are automatically deleted after a retention period (e.g., 6 months after the semester). Download important recordings before the retention period expires.
Privacy notice: Obtain consent from all participants before recording a meeting. Depending on your institution and jurisdiction, a formal consent declaration may be required.