How to record both sides of a video meeting without a bot

Capture both sides without adding a meeting bot.

Record your voice and the people in a video meeting from your computer, without adding a participant bot to the call.

This setup is useful when you need a note from a Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or another call app while keeping the meeting attendee list unchanged. When it is working, HoldSay captures your microphone and the computer audio playing through your call, then saves the completed note in History.

The call stays a normal call — the card in the corner records both sides, no bot in the room.

Understand what HoldSay records

A video meeting reaches your computer through two separate sound paths. Your own voice enters through your microphone. Other participants are heard through computer audio. HoldSay needs both paths to create a note that includes the full conversation.

HoldSay records your microphone for your voice and computer audio for the voices heard through the call.

HoldSay records on the Mac or Windows PC you are using. It does not join the meeting as a guest, so no HoldSay participant appears in the attendee list.

For the demonstration, keep the call app visible first. Then open HoldSay beside it so viewers can see that the meeting continues in its normal app while HoldSay handles the recording.

Set up a short test before the meeting

Run a short test using the same headphones, speakers, microphone, and call app you plan to use for the real meeting. A one minute test gives you time to confirm both sound paths before the conversation matters.

Choose the microphone you are actually speaking into before the real recording.

1. Open your call app and join a test meeting. Use your normal headphones or speakers so the test matches the real setup.
2. Open HoldSay Settings and choose your microphone. Speak a sentence and confirm that the input meter responds to your voice.
3. Select the recording source. Choose 🎤 + 🎧 Recording Microphone + Computer Audio so HoldSay records your microphone and the audio playing through the computer.
4. Play another voice through the meeting. Ask another person to join the test or play a short test clip through the meeting app.
5. Record the test in HoldSay. Start a brief recording, finish it, and replay it from the completed note.

The visible success state is simple: you can hear your own voice and the other voice when you replay the test. If only one side is present, fix that before joining the important meeting.

Start recording while the meeting stays in its call app

Once the test includes both voices, move to the real meeting. Join the call in Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or your usual call app. Keep using the call as you normally would.

The running timer confirms that HoldSay is recording while the meeting continues in its usual call app.

1. Open HoldSay and check the source label. Confirm it shows 🎤 + 🎧 Recording Microphone + Computer Audio.
2. Click REC when the meeting is ready to record. Watch for the timer to begin on the HoldSay card.
3. Return attention to the meeting. HoldSay can remain in the background while the card shows that recording is active.
4. Use Pause only for a break you do not want in the recording. When the meeting resumes, click Continue and confirm the recording is active again.
5. Click REC again when the conversation ends. Keep HoldSay open while it finishes the transcript and creates the note.

For a video demonstration, pause after clicking REC and point out the running timer. This is the clearest on screen confirmation that HoldSay is recording while the meeting remains unchanged in the call app.

Check the completed note after the call

After HoldSay finishes processing, open History and select the completed note. Replay a few passages from different parts of the conversation, including a moment when you spoke and a moment when another participant spoke.

• Your voice is present. This confirms the selected microphone captured your side.
• Other participants are present. This confirms computer audio was captured from the call.
• The conversation is usable throughout. Check a later passage as well as the opening minute, especially if you changed devices during the call.

Raw shows the continuous transcript without invented speaker names or formatting.

If you want a summary, create it after you have confirmed the recording contains both sides. Open Speakers to name recurring people and use timecode chips to jump to moments in the note.

The finished result is a completed note in History with both sides of the meeting available for replay. That is the final success state to show before moving on from the recording flow.

Fix missing or quiet audio before trying again

If the test or completed note contains only one side, identify which sound path is missing. Make another short test after each change so you can tell whether the change worked.

The source label confirms that HoldSay is recording your microphone and the sound from the computer.

• Your voice is missing. Recheck the microphone selected in HoldSay Settings. Then check the operating system microphone permission and speak again to confirm the input meter responds.
• Other people are missing. Confirm that computer audio capture is available and that the call app is playing through the output device you expect.
• A Bluetooth device changed during the call. Reconnect it, confirm both the microphone input and audio output, then run another short test.
• The recording is very quiet. Raise the call volume to a comfortable level instead of moving your microphone close to speakers.

If the problem continues, follow the full diagnostic sequence in Fix common HoldSay problems.

Common questions

Can HoldSay record both sides of a Zoom or Teams call?

Yes. HoldSay records your microphone for your voice and computer audio for voices playing through the call app. Make a short test before an important meeting to confirm both paths are present.

Does HoldSay join the meeting as a bot?

No. HoldSay records on the Mac or Windows PC you are using, so it does not appear as a meeting participant. The attendee list stays unchanged.

Why can I hear only my own voice in the completed note?

Your microphone was captured, but computer audio from the call was not. Check that computer audio capture is available and that the call app is using the expected output device, then make another short test.

If a label on this page does not match the app, email support@holdsay.com. Include Mac or Windows and the HoldSay version shown in Settings.