How to record Google Hangouts conversations

There are many reasons why you might want to record a Google Hangout conversation. You may be talking to a client or client on the Hangout, and you want to have access later to everything that was said and decided. Or you may be having a Hangout with distant friends and family and want to keep a record of the call so you can view it later. Personally, I do a lot of phone interviews as part of my job, and although I write quickly, I can never remember all the details of the conversations. That’s why I record calls, not for training and quality purposes, but to remember details and answers to questions that I may have missed or can no longer remember.

Although Google has made Google Meet and Google Chat available to all users for free, since they are the replacements for Google Hangouts, it is still available to users with a standard Google account. If you want to record Google Hangouts conversations, read on to find out how.

Things to consider before recording conversations

Please note that laws regarding whether or not you can record a Google Hangout conversation vary from state to state. In the United States, in some states, all parties to a conversation must be aware that a recording is taking place. In other states, only the party (which may be you) needs to be aware. In any case, be sure to follow the applicable laws in your state or other jurisdiction. To be completely ethical, it’s probably best to always inform everyone in a conversation that there will be a recording and make sure you have their permission to record them.

Record Google Hangouts conversations

There are many ways to record a Google Hangout, but in my opinion, the two best ways for users who are not G Suite Enterprise or G Suite Enterprise Education users are to use YouTube Live or Snagit. Both work very well and offer decent voice and video recording quality. That makes them ideal for recording conversations for any reason. We’ll still cover how to record Google Hangouts conversations using the app itself; again, only users with paid subscriptions can do this.

Record Google Hangouts conversations with the app

If you have a paid subscription, the easiest way is to record the conversation on Google Hangouts.

1. Join or start a video conference.
2. Now, click on the menu near the bottom right corner of the window, it’s three vertical dots.
3. Then click Record meeting.
4. A notification will appear indicating that the conversation is being recorded.
5. When you’re done, click the menu again and select Stop recording.
6. The file containing the recording will be generated after a few minutes.

It’s that easy to record a conversation with the app, but you have to pay for it.

Record Google Hangouts conversations with YouTube Live

While your initial reaction may be one of horror when having a Hangout conversation on YouTube, you can make the video completely private and allow only people you authorize to view it. The advantage of YouTube Live is that it is browser-based and will work on any device. which has a camera and microphone. So whether you use a desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone, recording works exactly the same way.

1. Login in Youtube and select your portrait at the top right.
2. Select Creative studio and wait for the new window to appear. If you haven’t created a channel yet, you will be prompted to do so at this time.
3. From here, select Live broadcast in the left menu and then Events.
4. Click on Enable live streaming and then Create live event. In the next menu, you’ll need to set a time and description, if you want.
5. Select any Public in the radio box or Private, if you only want to keep a recording of the video without sharing it publicly on YouTube. Unlisted will allow you to share it with others, but it will not be available for public search.
6. Make sure Guy is set to Google Hangouts Live.
7. Select blue Go live now button at the bottom right. You will see another confirmation window telling you that it is about to go live.
8. After that select Start Hangouts Live in the next window.
9. Once you hit Start Hangouts Live, you should see the usual YouTube window with a comments section on the right. You and the other party will be in the center window and a variety of settings options below it.
10. When finished, select finish and your video will be available in the Events window for you to view or share as you see fit.

At the moment, YouTube Live uses extensions, which means you’ll need a browser that supports them for it to work. Currently, that means Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and Safari.

Record Google Hangouts conversations with Snagit

Snagit is a great tool for taking screenshots, but in addition to capturing photos, Snagit can also capture video and audio. That makes it useful for recording calls, interviews or whatever. If you don’t like the idea of ​​having a recording on YouTube even if it’s theoretically private (we’ve all seen horror stories about data hacking), this is an option you should consider. Snagit is available for both Windows and Mac.

1. Download and install Snagit. It’s free for 15 days and then you need a license.
2. Open Snagit and select Video.
3. Make sure Share is set to None and Record system audio It is activated.
4. Select red Capture Select the screen where you want to record and start recording.
5. Once the recording is complete, save the file to your device.
6. Open and edit the recording in Snagit as you see fit.

Once installed, Snagit makes it easy to record Google Hangouts conversations. The downside is that after the free trial is over, Snagit is a premium product that costs $49.99 for a single-user license. An educational version is available for $29.99, and government or nonprofit users can obtain a license for $42.99. If you want to take things to a higher level, camtasia from the same company is a professional-grade video recording app, but it costs a hefty $274.99.

Settings to record Google Hangouts conversations

Now that you know what tools to use to record Google Hangouts conversations, how about setting the right conditions to create a great recording? Whether you’re recording a call between friends, a complaint call to a company, or a phone interview, setting the stage and making sure you’re in the right space can make all the difference in the quality of the recorded call.

Turning on

If you use video in addition to audio, setting up proper lighting is essential. Webcams and phone cameras don’t always cope very well with rapid changes in light, so it’s best to stay still if you can and have predictable lighting that illuminates your face, but not too much. You don’t have to be in a professional studio or a dark room, but for best results, the space should be somewhere where the light doesn’t change too much or too quickly. I tend to record in my office, but a coffee shop or outdoor location can work as long as you record in a shady location.

Sound

Webcams and smartphones can also have very sensitive microphones that will pick up all types of ambient noise. You’ll want to minimize it as much as possible. While you can record a conversation in a coffee shop, keep in mind that the noise of cups, spoons, and coffee machines could be distracting. We are not always aware of it because we are very used to it in our daily lives, but on camera those noises can be very noticeable. You’ll need to be aware of this if you set up a recording.

Framed

Finally, if you’re shooting a video, using the rule of thirds when framing the interview will make for a much better production. Ideally, if you’re interviewing someone for a broadcast or stream, you want them in one-third of the frame with the other two-thirds as the background. Whenever possible, you want a static background so as not to be distracting. Moving backgrounds are fine as long as they are not exciting or moving too fast. You want the subject to be the star of the show, not what’s going on behind it!

Carry

This is how you can record Google Hangouts conversations. Do you have any other apps we can use to record Hangouts? You know what to do – let us know below!