Click here if you’re looking to set up the desktop version of Zoom.
{This post has been getting the most hits on my studio website since April of 2020. I’ve updated it a few times as Zoom settings have changed. Here is the current procedure as of August 2024. Go to the Zoom website for detailed information on using this app’s other features.}
Zoom’s M.I.Q. (Music I.Q.) has risen quite a bit since the spring of 2020 when music teachers began to widely use the Zoom app for online lesson delivery. The sound settings for transmitting music are now explicitly built in and identified. In case it’s been a few months since you last updated Zoom, or if you never got the audio settings just right, here is a quick guide to the iPad version of the app. The desktop settings are covered here.
Follow these visual steps to configure the Zoom app’s Audio settings for music lessons on an iPad.
Install or update the app.
Go to the App Store on your iPad to set up Zoom initially. If you already have Zoom installed, you can’t update it from inside the app. You need to go to the App Store, find Zoom in the list of your installed apps, and see if it is flagged as needing an update. If so, with one touch, it will be updated to the latest version.
Access the Audio Settings.
Run the Zoom app. In the startup screen, touch the SETTINGS gear.
Select the Audio Settings category.
Adjust the Audio Settings.
Here is the selection for Original Sound. “Recommended for musicians or studio environments. This will enable a toggle during meetings that will disable noise suppression.” You should select this feature before you start a meeting.
Turn on “Original Sound” in-meeting.
When you’re in a live meeting, tap the screen to view the control icons. Touch the three dots that represent “More” options. The third item down is Enable Original Sound. Touch this to turn on Original Sound during the meeting.
If you want to turn off Original Sound, go back to the “More” menu and your option will look like this:
As you can see if you compare this post to the one on the desktop Zoom app, there are a lot fewer sound-control options in the iPad app than the desktop version. That is why I only use a desktop or laptop computer during online music lessons, and encourage my students to do the same.
thanks for your tips on audio improvement for online lessons. i have been using the ipad, but am going to enhance settings on the laptop and use it instead. Much thanks!
Thanks for your feedback, Kristina! I plan to inspect all the latest Zoom settings after January 1, and will update this post if there are any changes! ~ Jane M.