Managing the Zoom Sessions Meeting & Webinar tab

The Meeting & Webinar tab in the Zoom Sessions event setup allows you to set advanced options for the session.

When you change a setting that impacts the session experience while a session is in progress, the setting change will only impact a session once it's closed and reopened.

Learn more about creating a single-session full event or recurring sessions event.

Notes:

• When account owners and admins disable and lock web portal settings that affect core features in Zoom Events (i.e., polls, webinar resources, etc.), those features will be greyed out and display the lock icon . The host can hover their mouse over the locked feature and view the message that they cannot use that feature because it has been disabled and locked by an admin.
• Once a webinar or meeting session has started, changes to settings that impact in-session experiences will not take effect immediately. When a session is running, and the host makes a change to a setting that impacts the in-session experience, they will receive a notification that alerts them that they must restart any running sessions to apply the setting to the session.

This article covers:

• How to access the Meeting & Webinar tab for Zoom Sessions
• How to manage the Meeting & Webinar tab for Zoom Sessions
  • Manage in-session settings
  • Manage session audio types
• How to manage the Waiting Room tab
  • Manage webinar Waiting Room settings
  • Manage meeting Waiting Room settings

Prerequisites for managing the Meeting & Webinar tab for Zoom Sessions

• Pro, Business, Enterprise, or Education account
• Zoom Sessions Unlimited license or Zoom Sessions Pay Per Attendee license
• Stripe or PayPal Business account is required to create paid events

Note: For access to the latest Zoom Events and Webinar features, we strongly recommend hosts to update to the latest version of the Zoom desktop client/mobile application.

How to access the Meeting & Webinar tab for Zoom Sessions

1. Create a single-session event or recurring sessions event.
   You can also edit an upcoming event to access event setup.
2. In the navigation menu, click Meeting & Webinar.
   The Meeting & Webinar page will appear.

How to manage the Meeting & Webinar tab for Zoom Sessions

Manage in-session settings

1. In the Meeting & Webinar tab, select the in-session settings you want:
   • Use Zoom web settings: When you select this, all settings listed below will be changed to reflect what has been already set on the Zoom web portal. Click Check Zoom Web Portal Settings to view your web portal settings on your Zoom account.
     Notes:
     • After you select Use Zoom web settings, all changed settings will reflect what has been already set on the Zoom web portal. When options are updated on the Zoom web portal, the Zoom Events platform will immediately respond to those updates. Changes that are made to web portal settings apply to all published and drafted Zoom Events.
     • If the option is grayed out, it has been locked at either the group or account level. You need to contact your Zoom admin.
   • Customize settings below: Changes made to the settings listed below will apply only to this event.
2. Customize the following settings (specific settings will be available, depending on the meeting or webinar event type):
   
   • Allow attendees access to Resources during a webinar: Enabling this toggle allows attendees to access the webinar resources. Disabling this toggle does not allow attendees to access webinar resources.
   • Meeting - Q&A: The Q&A settings configured are for the default settings when you start the meeting session. You can change the settings in the meeting session. Select the sub-options that you want to enable or disable:
     • Attendees can submit questions
       • Allow anonymous questions
     • Allow attendees to view
       • answered questions only
       • all questions
   • Webinar Q&A: The Q&A settings configure the default settings for when you start this webinar session. You can change the settings in this webinar session. Select the sub-options that you want to enable or disable:
     • Allow anonymous questions
     • Allow attendees to view
       • answered questions only
       • all questions
   • Meeting - HD Video Quality: Enable higher quality video for meeting hosts and participants. This setting will use more bandwidth. Select from the following HD video settings:
     
     • Standard HD (720P)
     • Full HD (1080P)
   • Webinar - HD Video Quality: Activate higher quality video for webinar hosts and panelists. This will use more bandwidth. Select from the following HD video settings:
     
     • Standard HD (720P)
     • Full HD (1080P)
   • Webinar - Backstage: When enabled, backstage provides a place for hosts and panelists to meet privately before, during, and after a webinar.
   • Meeting - Waiting Room: When enabled, the Waiting Room feature allows the host to control when a participant joins the meeting. As the meeting host, you can admit attendees one by one, or hold all attendees in the Waiting Room and admit them all at once.
     Note: When you create and assign a speaker to a session, the speaker can bypass a meeting waiting room, and when Waiting Room is enabled for their meeting session (as long as the Users invited during the meeting by the host or co-hosts will bypass the waiting room option is selected).
   • Attendees can change screen names: When enabled, attendees can change their screen names.
   • Host video: When enabled, the host will be able to display their video during the session.
   • Speaker video: When enabled, speakers will be able to display their video during webinar session types.
     Note: This toggle appears only when the session type is a webinar.
   • Participants video: When enabled, attendees will be able to display their video during meeting session types.
     Note: This toggle appears only when the session type is a meeting.
   • Webinar - Allow webinar to be livestreamed to 3rd party platform: Enabling this feature adds the livestream button to your in-event controls. Attendees will be required to agree to be livestreamed in order to attend the event, which may affect ticket sales. Activating this feature enables the livestreaming function only. Livestreaming of the event does not automatically start; you will need to manually start the livestreaming of your event.
   • Meeting - Allow meeting to be livestreamed to 3rd party platform: Enabling this feature adds the livestream button to your in-event controls. Attendees will be required to agree to be livestreamed in order to attend the event, which may affect ticket sales. Activating this feature enables the livestreaming function only. Livestreaming of the event does not automatically start; you will need to manually start the livestreaming of your event.
   • Custom Livestreaming Service: If enabled by the account admin, you can configure custom livestreaming service settings.
     Note: This feature will be unavailable if it’s disabled and locked by a Zoom account admin.
     1. By Custom Livestreaming Service, click Configure.
        A Configure Custom Streaming Service pop-up window will appear.
     2. In the pop-up window, enter information for:
        • Stream URL
        • Stream Key
        • Livestreaming page URL
          Note: Anyone using this link can watch the livestream of the meeting.
     3. (Optional) Select the following checkboxes:
        • Custom streaming service requires authentication to broadcast
        • Configure live stream during the meeting
     4. Click Save.
        Your settings will appear in the Session Controls tab.
     5. (Optional) Click Edit to edit your custom livestreaming service settings.
     6. (Optional) Click Delete to delete your custom livestreaming service settings. If a verification dialog appears, click Delete.
     7. Click Save.
   • Add watermark that identifies the viewing participant: Each attendee sees their own email address embedded as a watermark on any shared content, participant video feeds, or both. When this feature is enabled, meeting participants and webinar attendees will need to authenticate before joining a session.
     
     • Configure the default watermark settings:
       • Single instance: Display a single instance of the watermark.
       • Repeated: Display several instances of the watermark.
       • Visible on: Select whether to display the watermark on Shared content, Video feeds, or Both.
       • Opacity level: Click and drag the circle to adjust the opacity level from 0% to 100%. Lowering opacity levels mean the watermark will be more transparent and show the underlying video or shared content.
   • Allow cloud recording: This feature is enabled by default. When enabled, you can record the event. Enabling cloud recording allows hub owners and hub managers to publish recorded sessions to the hub's on-demand recording library. The record button will appear in the event controls and you will have to start the recording manually. All participants with their video and audio enabled—including the host—will be recorded.
     Note: This feature must be enabled before the Automatically record at start time and Include complimentary access to this event's cloud recording with registration features can be enabled.
     • When you click the Allow sessions to be cloud recorded toggle to enable it, hosts can select one of two display options for recorded sessions:
       • Active Speaker with shared screen (auto-selected by default): If you are in active speaker view, the recording will only display the video of the active speaker.
       • Gallery view with shared screen: Gallery view lets you see thumbnail displays of participants, in a grid pattern, which expands and contracts as participants join and leave the meeting. The active speaker is relocated to the current page you are viewing and is highlighted, making it easier to recognize who is speaking.
     • Click Advanced cloud recording settings to select more recording settings from your account in the Zoom web portal.
     • Include access to event's cloud recording for registrants and attendees: When enabled, access to view the cloud recording of this event will be included with ticket registration. When enabled, the recording will start automatically when the event starts. All participants with their video and audio enabled—including the host—will be recorded. Once the recording of the event is available, registrants of your event can access and view the cloud recording for 7 days. When a Zoom Sessions attendee registers for the event, they will be able to view the recording from their Ticket Dashboard and Event Details pages, as well as the Host Profile page.
       • Automatically publish the recording once it's available: When enabled, the recording will be automatically published for attendees when it's available. Attendees can view the recording in the lobby or ticket manage page.
       • Countries or Regions Not Allowed to View Recording: Click the dropdown menu to select the countries or regions that are not allowed to view the event's recordings.
   • Allow local recording: When enabled, you will be able to record the event.
     Note: This enables the recording feature for use only. You will have to start the recording manually if Automatically start recording when a session starts is not enabled.
   • Automatically start recording when a session starts: When enabled, recording of the event will start automatically when the event starts.
     • Record in the cloud: Select to record the session in the Zoom cloud.
     • Record on local computer: Select to record the session to your computer.
   • Saved stream keys: A saved stream key can be re-used for different sessions scheduled for different times. You can create up to 20 stream keys.
     • Click + Create Key to create a new stream key.
       A panel will appear.
       
       1. In the panel, complete the following information:
          • Name: Enter a name.
          • (Optional) Description: Enter a description.
            Note: There is a maximum of 1024 characters.
       2. Click Save.
     • On a stream key, click the eye icon to show the stream key. Click the hide icon to hide the stream key.
     • To the right of a stream key, manage the stream key with the following actions:
       • Edit : Edit the stream key details, then click Save. You can also Reset or Copy the stream key.
       • Delete : Delete the stream key. If a confirmation window appears, click Delete to confirm.
3. Click Save.

Manage session audio types

Hosts can manage the audio types that attendees can use to join sessions. The available audio types will have an Enabled label next to them; unavailable audio types will have a Disabled label. You can adjust settings until registration starts.

PSTN's voice-only features and local toll calls are available for all Zoom Sessions license holders; attendees can see and use local toll numbers to call into the event. Other PSTN features (toll-free, call-me, etc.) are attached to a premium audio conference license.

Additionally, Zoom Sessions supports Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) so that more users can join events from their devices. There are 4 possible ways to use PSTN and SIP to join a Zoom Session event:

• Toll dial-in (free to use for all paid Zoom Meetings accounts)
• Premium toll dial-in
• Toll-free dial-in
• Call me

Hosts can manage the following session audio types:

• Phone audio, toll calling charges may apply: If the host has a Zoom Sessions license or Zoom Sessions Pay Per Attendee license and has Telephone audio enabled in their account settings, they can disable or disable the telephone audio toggle in the event creation flow. When the account setting for Telephone audio is disabled, the corresponding join method’s status is disabled and cannot be adjusted in the event creation flow.
  Note: The capacity of the host’s dial-in number is decided by their license.
  
  • View/Add Dial-in Countries/Regions: Select the countries' or regions' dial-in numbers that will be listed in the email invitation.
    1. Under the Phone audio, toll calling charges may apply toggle, click View/Add.
       A pop-up window will appear.
    2. In the pop-up window, select the country's or region's checkbox that you want to add. You can also search for a country or region.
       When selected, the country or region will appear under Selected Countries/Regions.
    3. (Optional) Under Selected Countries/Regions, adjust the order that the dial-in numbers will appear in the email invitation.
    4. (Optional) Select the Include toll-free numbers checkbox.
    5. Click Save.
• Computer audio: Computer audio is enabled by default for all users. If the host disables computer audio in their account settings, the event will have no audio on the client and will receive an error message.
• SIP/H.323 Room System Audio: All events will support PSTN and SIP by default, depending on the license and account setting. When creating events, hosts can disable PSTN and/or SIP. SIP availability will also be decided by the host’s plan.

How to manage the Waiting Room tab

Hosts can customize the waiting room experience for Zoom Sessions on a per-event basis. This feature allows hosts to customize the image, text, and other waiting room assets that attendees see before joining each event. The customized assets can be saved to event templates for reuse. This provides a more engaging and branded joining experience for attendees.

1. Access the Meeting & Webinar tab in the event creation flow.
2. Click the Waiting Room tab.
3. Click Customize Waiting Room.
   A pop-up window will appear.
4. In the window, customize the waiting room for your event:
   • Message from the host: Enter a message.
     Note: There is a maximum of 64 characters.
   • Participants in waiting room will see: Select from the following options to determine what attendees will see in the waiting room:
     
     • An image
       
       1. After selecting An image, under Image or GIF, select from the following options:
          • Event Image: Use the default Zoom Events image.
          • Professional: Use the professional format for your image.
          • Fun: Use the fun format for your image.
          • Inspirational: Use the inspirational format for your image.
          • Upload my own image: Click Upload image to upload an image using the content library or Zoom Events AI image generation.
            Note: You can upload up to 5 MB of JPG, PNG, or GIF files. There is a minimum width of 400px and height of 200px (ratio of width to height is suggested to be 2:1).
       2. Click Save.
     • A logo with description
       1. Click Upload logo to upload a logo using the content library or Zoom Events AI image generation.
          Note: You can upload up to 5 MB of JPG, PNG, or GIF files. There is a minimum width or height of 60px (cannot exceed 400px).
       2. Enter a description.
          Note: There is a maximum character limit of 400 characters.
       3. Click Save.
     • A video
       Note: This feature is available for version 5.7.3 or higher.
       1. After selecting A video, under Video, select from the following options:
          • Professional: Use the professional format for your video.
          • Fun: Use the fun format for your video.
          • Inspirational: Use the inspirational format for your video.
          • Upload video: Upload a video using the content library.
            Note: You can upload up to 30 MB of MP4, MOV, or M4V files. By uploading content, you acknowledge that you agree to Zoom's Terms of Service and Community Standards. Please be sure not to violate others' copyright or privacy rights.
            1. (Optional) To remove the video, click the icon.
            2. (Optional) To upload another video, click the upload icon .
       2. Click Save.
5. Click Save.
   Your customization will appear in the Waiting Room tab.

Manage webinar Waiting Room settings

Attendees, speakers, and other special roles will be in the waiting room before the host joins the webinar.

Attendees will remain in the waiting room, while practice mode is active, and automatically move to the webinar when it is started. Speakers and other special roles will join the webinar in backstage or practice mode if the host has joined.

Note: This feature is only available with version 6.0.0 or higher.

Manage meeting Waiting Room settings

1. Access the Meeting & Webinar tab in the event creation flow.
2. Click the Waiting Room tab.
3. Click the Enable Meeting Waiting Room toggle to enable or disable it.
   When the meeting waiting room is enabled, event attendees will wait in the waiting room until the host admits them individually.