Zoom in Music Mode (NB! Changes since the release: Now you can Enable Original Sound on devices too) 

Thanks for the helpful video Jim! Here are Berklee we are suddenly online with our ear training classes which rely on a lot of real-time interaction. We're trying to come up with alternatives for singing together, and we obviously can't all be hearing each other at once. In the second half of your video, specifically the class scenes at 5:20 and 5:45, it looks like the instructor is muting all students (perhaps un-muting one at a time? but then all students will just hear that one student). I would love to hear what else these great instructors have come up with. I like Peder Karlsson's suggestion below. Thank you so much for this gift to the community.

Good video with one error. It is not the codecs which are causing the problems. A computer has to use codecs to get the analog sound into the computer and they are not the problem. Rather it is the software which is trying to automatically optimise the signals for noise, echo cancellation, maintenance of levels etc. It is this software that is switched off when the original sound option is selected.

YES! Thank you! I have looked all over for a solution to the horrible audio on Zoom. I teach Sax, flute and clarinet and the sound when my students play long tones especially, the note gets clipped and I can't hear anything but weird noises. So, thanks for this tip, it's going to make my life a bit better.

If you are having problem with bandwidth for audio or lag, it can also help to turn off video

Thank you! Extremely useful. If you don't have an audio interface or don't want such a complicated setup, a USB mic would also be a vast improvement over the built-in. That's what I'm using.

Thank you so much from Somerset, UK! I am now teaching all my private one-to-one pupils online using Zoom but this will make a big difference!

Thank you soooooo much, that solved a problem for me, well not only one! It is incredible how musicians round the world stand together in these days! It brings out the best in people - together we will make it! Viva la Musica!

I did this but it made a horrible buzzing sound on the student end. When I turned it off the buzzing went away. Do both the student and the teacher have to change the setting on both sides?

Thanks. Appreciate the info. But.... the major flaw here is computer is necessary. As he stated, the phone/tablet app software does not have a way to turn off AGC when using the phone/tablets built-in mic. There is probably a work around using something like a Rode VideoMic going into your phone, whereby Auto levels might be circumvented. But on phone/tablet alone I see no way to get anything close to ideal sound. Currently my wife is teaching a piano lesson where the student is on ipad, and the sound she hears from him is unusable, with this tunnelling affect Jim speaks of. She is using a MacBook 2016 with its built in mic, and stereo speakers via the laptops headphone jack plugged into household stereo. Quick tip: We are finding it efficient in leaving the teacher's "meeting" going, and then send the back to back students the URL copied from the circle-i info button on top left of screen via messenger. Thank you Zoom for doing away with the 40min limit during this time. Now if we could just get local music stores to lend unused keyboards to students without pianos at home we'd REALLY be grateful. Someone get on that, plz. :-) Greetings from the Royal Conservatory in Antwerp.

Thank you for your kindness to share your knowledge so frankly with everyone. It's higly appreciated! Made my first steps in Zoom last week :-) (- harpteacher from the Netherlands)

Thank you so much ... very clear and at the right speed to see what you are doing!! I will definitely give it a go for my choirs. Good Luck to you!

I'VE WORKED OUT HOW TO TURN ON ORIGINAL SOUND FOR THOSE THAT CAN'T DO IT THIS WAY. GO TO THE WEBSITE. GO TO YOUR ACCOUNT. THEN GO TO SETTINGS. AND NEARLY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST IS SAYS: 'Allow users to select original sound in their client settings Allow users to select original sound during a meeting'

Thank you so much for creating this tutorial! Just what is needed in these times.

When using MAC, definitely ensure you have a new version. Old versions have a security issue.

Super helpful. Thanks so much !!!

Thanks for your sound hint from the mdw - University of Music and perfomring art Vienna, Austria

So great ! I already used Zoom since quite a while, but you made me discover new stuff, Jim ! Thx a million for your spirit sharing this, much appreciated !!

I know this was posted almost a year ago, but I am an Assistant Director for a Barbershop chorus and we have gone back to zoom chapter meetings/rehearsals due to the influx of this newest variant of the coronavirus. I am excited to try out this “original sound” you speak of because we have had issues with one person singing and it sounding very choppy. I believe switching over to original sound will fix this and other issues we’ve been having with sound. Thank you so much for posting this video!

Brilliant. Such a helpful presentation Jim. So many thanks.

Very Helpful! Thank You Jim!!!

Super helpful. I had given up on using Zoom for music. Now the world is no longer safe from my mediocre singing and mediocre guitar playing. Thanks!

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us! It helped me so much already in preparation of my choir rehearsal online!

Very helpful, thank you! Will go ahead now with my first group class on Saturday!

Thank you, Jim! Tag, I'm it- here's a quick primer on microphones, since it's just as important... And by quick, I mean quick- you can Google all of this stuff for a deeper dive. Here's a good link for the differences between microphone designs (most commonly dynamic and condenser mics) and Phantom power (AKA +48V since it sends 48 volts along that mic cable to power the mic- just be aware that switching the little Phantom power button on and off while a mic is plugged in and the system is on is never a good idea because the initial on sends a wicked spike down the line and can damage sensitive microphones. Always turn Phantom power on when the mic is plugged in but the system is off): musicianshq.com/whats-the-difference-between.../ Now a word about microphone patterns and this is supremely important when it comes to computer setups where you have speakers in close proximity to mics: Here are all the mic patterns, some common, others less so. Think of a mic pattern as a flashlight, a spotlight or a garden hose (you can have a narrow focus to diffuse). It's a mic's "field of vision," if you will: Here's a link to a good article about podcasting that isn't too technical: hookeaudio.com/.../how-to-pick-a-microphone-for.../ Most mics that you'll be dealing with are cardidoid and that's a good thing because you don't want your Zoom microphone to pick up sound BEHIND it (especially if you're listening to your speakers which are, you guessed it, BEHIND the mic). I won't get into room reflections and sound treatment here but if you want to get serious, room treatment is a good idea. Omnidirectional picks up sound equally in 360 degrees (good for applications where you want to hear everything equally but probably not for webcasting) Figure Eight picks up front and back equally and rejects sound from the sides (this is good if you're doing an interview and only have one mic- never thought of that, didja?) Hypercaridoid- you may THINK you want think for webcasting. Hey, it's a tighter pattern right in front of the mic and that's a good thing, right? NO, in fact, hypercardioid IS a tighter pattern in front BUT, you'll notice that it also picks up a small node directly in back (like a lopsided figure eight) and that's BAD, especially when your damn mic is right in front of your speaker (catch my drift? Some mics do all patterns and that's pretty useful but most are fixed. Which brings me to another topic- STEREO MICS! Definitely fun and I won't get into stereo mic techniques (XY coincident vs. ORTF- look em up if you're interested). But nowadays, you'll find stereo mics that have two mic capsules fixed at 90 degrees (this is a built-in XY coincident technique- very good when it sums to mono). If you want to pick up a stereo field (something represented in terms of left-to-right (or right-to-left, if you're in Israel), a stereo mic's a good way to do it without making yourself crazy. For some next level audio voodoo, try using a stereo mic to capture your room and mix in a close mic (or spot mic) on vocals, an instrument, whatever. Voila! Now you have something that sounds like a real room with a nice representation of that voice (or instrument) and it doesn't sound like a microphone has been jammed down your throat (unless that's your sound pref, I'm not one to judge). OK, it's 6am and I have to home school my kids in a few hours, not to mention feed them, do the laundry, clean the kitchen, hoard some food and toilet paper... what was next? Oh right, my ACTUAL job! You all know the drill these days... Catch ya on the flipside of this blight and Godspeed, Dan

Thanks Jim. Great advice.

Thanks for sharing, I was aware of original audio, but not share computer sound. This is going to help for my online lessons+playalong. Thanks, stay safe.

Beat boxing you spit a lot lol

Thank you very much, Jim!

Thank you very mich

You definitely CAN use Enable Original Sound from cell phones. It's by the mute button/3 dots/arrow. Click on "Mute", & Enable Original Sound. From Laptops, Click Mute arrow, audio settings, advanced settings, & Enable Original Sound!! Also you can disable other settings for better audio. Eg - disable background supression, etc. :-)

Thank you so much! Excellent video. So helpful.

Thank you - your video was the great reminder that the only thing more powerful than experience, is the power of shared experience. That we are all ONE!

Hi Jim, impressive stuff, and very timely!

Thank you so much! This video is now doing the rounds among music teachers in the UK - and may well go viral! Before it does, can I ask three questions: 1) Will selecting "Original Sound" affect both the sound I hear and that heard by my student? I noticed a big difference, but in a trial run tonight my student didn't. 2) What is an 'Audio Interface'? Is it hardware or software? Can you recommend one? 3) Does my student have to have a Zoom account in order to access the same controls, and does he/she need to do this? Thanks in advance!

THANK YOU very much from Washington State, USA

EXCELLENT THANK YOU SO MUCH!! You solved a problem I was having. Grateful!

Nice job friend! You will help SO many people stay connected

How generous of you to create this video and share it. We will have much better Irish traditional music sessions with these guidelines :)

Wonderful, thank you for sharing this!!

Jim- Very Helpful!, in this screen recording...did you make that with Zoom? If not, what did you use? Is yes, were you using "Original Sound" for your normal speech?

Thank you so much Jim! Still have many good memories from your workshop in Barcelona, thank you for that as well!

great idea!!! thanx

Thank you so much from Ecstatic Dance Tampa Bay Florida - letting us move together once again! Love you Danish folks!

Can anyone tell me how to do this on a phone or tablet? I've got it sorted on my laptop, but I would much prefer to use a smaller device that I can set beside my music on my (upright) piano

Thanks a lot for this, very generous and helpful advice for us music teachers

What a contribution you have made! Thanks for sharing! ~ Renee - Apollo Chorus - Chicago

how is group sing, any delay and latency on the voices from different parties

Really hope that Zoom developers would add an option to choose the audio quality in '"original sound" mode. Now it's Opus codec has 128kbs and 32khz frequency. I'm delivering sound from Pro Tools with Sound-Elements Nexus plugin (inserted either in master bus or aux, and then select it as a source for audio in Zoom sound preferences), and this time Zoom seems to be the Bottle neck for good quality sound. Anyone who needs to deliver better quality streaming sound could try Sound-Elements 'Source-Connect Now', which is a free program (besides Nexus basic costs 125 dollars) has an option for 512kbs stereo sound.

Thank you for sharing this video! We tried to sing a song toghether with our vocal group via Zoom, but we didn't get the sound of the different voices simultaneously. Do you know how we can solve that?

This is so helpful, Jim; thank you! I'm not seeing the advanced button you referenced, but I just upgraded to a pro plan, so perhaps there's a lag in the accessibilty of that advanced option until my plan upgrades...? I'm both eager and apprehensive about trying out Zoom with my Singing Circle folks during the next few weeks.

very helpful - thank you

Thank you so much for this terrific video! Sharing this widely!

I'm curious to know if anyone has had any luck with instruments with very high frequency levels. I am trying some remote percussion teaching and using an audio interface with two AKG 214 mics. Marimba sounds great through zoom. However, snare drum and tambourine sound awful - much like they sound if recorded through a phone microphone. I have tried turning gains very low, and also distanced myself substantially from the mics when playing with the same result. Skype is much worse, but FaceTime has the best audio - all with the same set up. Curious if anyone has a good solution?

Thank you so much for your clear and illustrated explanation. 💛🙏💛🙏🏽💛🙏🏾💛

What would happen if e.g. Jamulus was used for sound but zoom for video (turning zoom sound off)?

Zoom has NOT implemented sending Original Sound (aka Music mode) via the Linux app or via a Zoom session in one's web browser. My source was the release notes for Zoom. I also tried them. I think the Original Sound sets the audio transmission. I think anyone can receive Original Sound.

Thank you Jim and you explain this very well. How do you enable stereo? I have shecked Use stereo audio, but it`s stil mono. Thanks, Bill (Boston)

You are adorable. Thanks!

I gather from the tutorial you will receive the best sound via an external mic. As far as I can tell, my LT ( a fairly new HP- purchased within the last 6months) only has an headset port. Is there some kind of adaptor i could purchase to use w/ an external mic w/ this LT? I'm trying to use Zoom to teach applied voice lessons (1 to 1)remotely while my school is closed; already tried a bit w/ the computer mic and the result was less than satisfactory so any audio improvement would be most welcome!! recommendations re: low-medium priced mics /adaptors would be appreciated if possible- I'm in S. California. USA. Thanks for any input you might be able to provide :):)

Thank you! I'm using Zoom with elementary music and am experiencing lots of challenges. Appreciate this video a lot!

Is Zoom better than Skype / Teams for this purpose?

Thanks a lot for the great video! My question is (as you show examples with various musicians in one window): How can make music together via Zoom, having this kind of latency of maybe half a second? I would like to play along with pupils, but it never works together.

THANK YOU so much...this is a game changer, and my students and I thank you!

As far as I understand there is no stereo audio or music sharing function using the Zoom app regardless of the platform you use .There is only a stereo option for stereo mics for some reason which I can not understand... Any tricks to be able to share a stereo audio file with my students ???

THANK YOU! It's a great tool!

Is this available on the android app?

Several people report having problems with not having an 'advanced' button. A friend had a similar problem. He uninstalled from his machine and downloaded a new version and it works fine

Brilliant!! I love the view at the end of what it really looks like! Excellent tips thank you.

Just a big thank you for your expertise!

I have Zoom 3.5 on a Linux machine with a separate usb webcam and mic, and I do not see the advanced button in sound options, nor the "turn off original sound" button on the meeting screen. Why is that? Is that because my machine has no built in mic?

Thank you this was really helpful

Thanks for sharing Jim, Bra!

You have inspired me. Thank you!

Thank you so much for posting this and other helpful Zoom tutorials!!! We are using it for private music teachers in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. Your generosity in sharing is GREATLY appreciated!!!

Looking for suggestions to improve student's voice cutting out after a few seconds of singing a note or scale. So, they start sustaining a tone and after 2-3 seconds it cuts out and then comes back in before they stop. Is this a microphone issue on their end? Or perhaps a proximity issue being too close to the mic? I'm in US Chicago area and working to improve online teaching as fast as possible, like everyone else! Thanks for this super helpful video!

Really helpful. Thank you! ❤️🎼🌎

Great tips and tricks, thanks Jim

Ja das ist unglaublich, ich habe lange nach einer Lösung für diese Verzerrungen des Klaviertons in unsren Zoom-Sitzungen gesucht! Obwohl ich Deutsch spreche, habe ich deine tollen Erklärungen absolut verstanden und werde sie umsetzen. Vielen vielen Dank!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Excellent - just what we needed thanks!

Thank you for this very helpful video, you solved my problem

Thanks for that! Great tip! Greetings from Brasil!

Awesome thank you Jim for the tips!! We will by trying it with our choir this weekend.

Thanks for posting this!!! This is definitely a huge help and a wonderful feature that pretty much every other video conferencing service seems to be missing.

Is it possible stream a worship team on a stage via Zoom using mics in the church as opposed to a mic plugged in to the computer?

Thank you! Unfortunate I couldn't find all the buttons you mention. I could only go online and do Allow participants to preserve their original sound.

Thank you! Just learned the basics this morning!

I love you man. You are a life saver.

Is it possible te reduce the lag enough to play together? If not, Zoom!! Get this done, the world needs it now!!

Thanks for your excellent video. I set up an audio interface using a high quality microphone on Zoom. While the sound is good, there is a lag between the video people see and the higher grade sound they hear. Is there a way to fix this?

Other question - do you think this mode could help fitness instructors doing live classes? I'm attending live group workouts, but many of them are struggling to play background music. I think they would benefit from getting headset mics, but if they hav etc use their laptop or phone built-in mics for now, is the original sound a good solution for those watching and participating to hear their music if they are playing it on another device?

Amazing! Thank you so much!

How wonderful to be sharing this information that you did! How can we help our singers to sound better as well? Would they have to go out and buy and external mic? And, would you recommend that they also get a decent pair of speakers? Thank you once again! Claude Stein, Director, www.thenaturalsinger.com

This is excellent! Thank you!

Great advice - thank you!!!

Thank you very much!! Take Care!

Thanks for the GREAT video! I appreciate you taking the time to share all of this. Why is it much, much better to use an audio interface? Please detail in what ways it improves the sound or other benefits it has.

Fantastic information - thank you from Calgary in Canada. We're using Zoom for our church gatherings and I couldn't figure out how to get the music to a useable level when being played from a different location...great job Jim!

Fantastic!! Thank you

Thank you so much! We all appreciate your kind and generous support. I have a question you could maybe help us figure out. We are trying to hold castanet classes online. As soon as the castanets start playing the sound saturates and mutes the music produced by the castanets. In one of our classes, when the castanets were silenced physically playing them with covers on one of its sides, the castanet sound was only audible if the teacher continued speaking. Please advice.

Thank you so much for your generosity and the video Jim, there are a number of us trying to set up chanting in the tradition of Kirtan (call and response) and although hearing the groups is not possible, this video will perhaps make it possible for the quality of our sound to go through much better than before, thank you so much!