Long stretches of Zoom meetings can be pretty tiring. Playing music during a meeting is an excellent way to lift the mood and energize participants. Zoom pays special attention to the comfort and well-being of its users and makes this process pretty straightforward.
If you’re unsure how to include music in your virtual meetings, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading to learn how to play music on Zoom.
How to Play Music on Zoom While Sharing Screen
Music can be a vital factor in setting up the mood and emphasizing key moments when sharing your Zoom screen for an important presentation. Zoom allows you to send your computer’s audio to the participants while sharing the screen for a more immersive experience.
You can share either mono or stereo audio, depending on the version of your Zoom desktop client. Regardless of your operating system, you’ll need specific versions of Zoom.
- Version 5.0.0 or higher for mono audio
- Version 5.5.0 or higher for stereo audio
If you meet these requirements, here’s how to play and share music during a Zoom meeting.
- Start or join a meeting as usual.
- Tap the “Share Screen” button at the bottom of your screen.
- Select the program you’d like to share.
- Press the “Share Sound” button in the bottom-left corner.
- Optionally, tap the down arrow next to the “Share Sound” button to choose between “Mono” and “Stereo” audio options.
- Click on the “Share” button at the bottom right to start sharing your screen with the audio included.
You don’t need to start sharing the screen and the audio simultaneously. You can also start playing music later on in the meeting. In that case, do the following.
- Click “Share screen” on the sharing toolbar.
- Tap “Share Sound.”
- Optionally, select “Mono” or “Stereo” audio options under “Select sharing sound mode.”
How to Play Music on Zoom in the Waiting Room
Playing music in the waiting room can be a great way to keep participants entertained if a meeting is running late.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a method to play music directly, as you would hear on-hold music during phone calls. But you can find a YouTube video containing appropriate music, download it to your computer, and then upload it to the waiting room.
This feature is available only for paid Zoom accounts, and it requires desktop client version 5.7.3 or higher.
If this option is available and it appeals to you, you can play music in a Zoom waiting room in a few simple steps.
- Visit the Zoom web client.
- Navigate to the “Settings” tab.
- Go to the “Waiting Room Options” section under “Security.”
- Tap “Customize Waiting Room.”
- Select “A video.”
- Upload your desired video.
Participants will now be able to view the video and listen to music while waiting for you to let them into the meeting.
How to Play Music on Zoom From Phone
Unfortunately, Zoom currently only supports playing music on the desktop client. If you use the Zoom mobile app, you’ll be able to receive audio shared via computer but not share it yourself.
Suppose you’re adamant about using your smartphone for your Zoom meetings. In that case, the only workaround is to also join in using a computer. This way, you can use the phone for the meeting and the computer for playing music.
How to Play Music on Zoom Without Sharing Screen
Suppose there’s no impending presentation that requires you to share your screen. In that case, you can choose to only play music to create a pleasant atmosphere during the Zoom meeting.
You can always play a track on a device and hope your microphone picks it up. This option typically results in poor audio quality. For playing full-quality music without sharing your screen, follow these steps.
- Start your meeting as usual.
- Press the “Share Screen” button at the bottom of your screen.
- Tap the “Advanced” tab at the top of the Sharing window.
- Select the “Music or Computer Sound Only” option.
You can now choose an online or local music track or playlist. Once you play music on your computer, it will also play in the meeting. All the participants will be able to hear the music clearly without seeing your screen.
If you decide to stop playing the music, simply tap the “Stop Share” button. This will only stop the audio sharing and not end the meeting.
The Power of Music
Music can be a much-needed breath of fresh air during long and stressful Zoom meetings. Even if the meetings aren’t particularly tiring, the music element can help liven up the participants and keep them engaged. While picking the right music can be challenging, playing it during a meeting takes only a few clicks, thanks to Zoom’s intuitive interface and our guide.
Have you tried playing music during a Zoom meeting? Which method did you use? Let us know in the comments section below.
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