> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mavioapp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How Recording Works

> Understand the different ways Mavio captures meeting audio and when to use each method.

Mavio offers four recording methods, each suited to different scenarios. You can use them independently or combine them depending on your workflow.

## Recording methods at a glance

| Method                   | How it works                                   | Best for                 | Requires installation |
| ------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ | --------------------- |
| **Meeting bot**          | A bot joins your call as a participant         | Zoom, Meet, Teams calls  | No                    |
| **System audio capture** | Captures all audio output from your computer   | Any desktop audio source | Desktop app           |
| **Browser extension**    | Captures tab audio from browser-based meetings | Browser meetings         | Chrome extension      |
| **Mobile recording**     | Uses your phone's microphone                   | In-person meetings       | Mobile app            |

## How each method works

### Meeting bot

The Mavio bot joins your video call as a named participant (Mavio Notetaker). It captures the mixed audio stream directly from the meeting platform, which means audio quality is consistently high regardless of your local setup. The bot records all speakers in the call and handles speaker separation server-side.

<Tip>
  The meeting bot is the easiest way to get started — no app installation required. Just connect your calendar and Mavio auto-joins your calls.
</Tip>

### System audio capture

The desktop app captures audio output from your computer using a virtual audio driver. This works with any application — not just meeting platforms. Use it for webinars, podcasts, training videos, or any scenario where audio plays through your speakers or headphones.

System audio capture records the mixed output stream. Mavio applies AI-based speaker diarization after recording to identify individual speakers.

### Browser extension capture

The Chrome extension captures audio from a specific browser tab. When you join a meeting in your browser, click the Mavio icon to start recording. This method captures only the meeting tab audio, ignoring other tabs and system sounds.

### Mobile recording

The mobile app uses your device microphone to record ambient audio. It is optimized for in-person meetings, interviews, and conferences. The app applies noise reduction and automatic gain control to improve clarity in noisy environments.

## Audio processing pipeline

Regardless of which recording method you use, all audio follows the same processing pipeline:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Capture">
    Audio is captured using the selected method and encoded as high-quality PCM audio.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload">
    The audio stream is uploaded to Mavio's processing servers over an encrypted TLS connection. With privacy mode enabled, this step is skipped and processing happens on-device.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Transcription">
    The audio is processed by Mavio's speech-to-text engine, producing a timestamped transcript with 95%+ accuracy across 40+ languages.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Speaker identification">
    AI models identify distinct speakers and label each segment of the transcript. If speakers have been previously identified, Mavio matches them automatically.
  </Step>

  <Step title="AI analysis">
    The transcript is analyzed to generate a summary, extract action items, identify key decisions, and tag topics.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Choosing the right method

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="I have a scheduled Zoom/Meet/Teams call">
    Use the **meeting bot**. Connect your calendar so it joins automatically, or paste the meeting link for a one-off recording.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I am watching a webinar or training video on my desktop">
    Use **system audio capture** via the desktop app. It works with any application.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I want to record a meeting in my browser without a bot joining">
    Use the **browser extension**. It captures tab audio silently without adding a participant to the call.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I am in a face-to-face meeting or conference">
    Use **mobile recording**. Place your phone on the table and the app captures the room audio.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I need maximum privacy">
    Enable **privacy mode** in any app. Audio is transcribed and analyzed entirely on your device — nothing leaves your machine.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Note>
  You can run multiple recording methods simultaneously. For example, use the meeting bot for a Zoom call while also capturing system audio as a backup.
</Note>

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What happens if my internet drops during recording?">
    It depends on the recording method you are using:

    * **Meeting bot** — the bot runs in the cloud, so your local internet outage does not affect it. The bot continues recording as long as the meeting is active. You can access the recording once you are back online.
    * **System audio capture and browser extension** — if you lose connectivity, audio continues to be captured and buffered locally on your device. The recording is queued for upload and will be sent to the server automatically when your connection is restored. No audio is lost.
    * **Mobile recording** — the app records to local storage regardless of connectivity. The file uploads when your device reconnects.

    In all cases, transcription and AI analysis begin after the audio reaches the server. You will receive a notification once processing is complete.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I record meetings on multiple devices simultaneously?">
    Yes. You can run different recording methods at the same time across devices. For example, you could have the meeting bot recording a Zoom call while also capturing system audio on your laptop and running a mobile recording for ambient room audio.

    Each recording is stored as a separate entry in your meeting library. You can also link related recordings together from the meeting detail page so they appear as a single meeting with multiple audio sources.

    <Warning>
      Running multiple recordings of the same meeting does consume additional storage against your plan quota. Choose the method that best fits your situation rather than recording everything by default.
    </Warning>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How much storage does each recording use?">
    Storage depends on the recording quality and duration:

    | Quality               | Storage per hour | Typical use case                   |
    | --------------------- | ---------------- | ---------------------------------- |
    | **Standard (16 kHz)** | \~30 MB          | Most meetings, adequate for speech |
    | **High (44.1 kHz)**   | \~120 MB         | Music, detailed audio, archival    |

    Transcripts, summaries, and action items add a negligible amount of storage (typically under 1 MB per meeting). Audio files are the primary storage consumer.

    You can check your current storage usage in **Settings > Data > Storage used** and configure auto-delete policies to manage space automatically.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Are recordings encrypted?">
    Yes. All recordings are encrypted both in transit and at rest:

    * **In transit** — audio streams are transmitted over TLS 1.3 encrypted connections between your device and the server.
    * **At rest** — stored audio files are encrypted using AES-256 encryption in cloud object storage.
    * **Privacy mode** — when enabled, audio never leaves your device. Transcription and analysis happen entirely on-device using local AI models.

    For more details, see the [data protection](/documentation/security/data-protection) page.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I pause and resume a recording?">
    Yes. All recording methods support pause and resume:

    * **Desktop app** — click the pause button in the menu bar or press `Cmd + Shift + P` (macOS) / `Ctrl + Shift + P` (Windows).
    * **Mobile app** — tap the pause button on the recording screen. The recording resumes seamlessly when you tap again.
    * **Meeting bot** — pause and resume from the dashboard or desktop app. Paused segments are excluded from the transcript and summary.
    * **Browser extension** — click the pause icon in the extension popup.

    Paused time is not counted toward your recording duration, and silent gaps are automatically removed from the final transcript.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>