Get better audio in Zoom for online music lessons (2023)

Do you use Zoom for online music lessons or group meet-ups? If you take music lessons perhaps you are using a simple setup like an iPad or iPhone. If so, you might not realize that the default audio settings in 2023 can still result in choppy or inaudible sound. I'll show you how to change your settings so you can share better audio quality. We'll go into an actual Zoom meeting and compare the sound of my harp using different settings and devices.

0:00 Zoom for online music lessons
2:30 Zoom session begins iMac 2020
3:25 My professional studio set-up
4:15 Listen: iPhone 14 Pro - default audio
5:24 Settings: enable original sound
6:47 Listen: iPhone 14 Pro - original sound enabled
7:37 Listen: iPad Air (5th) - default audio
8:33 Settings: enable original sound
9:44 Listen: iPad Air (5th) - original sound enabled

My online teaching Zoom set-up:
• 27" iMac 2020
• Microphone: Warm WA-84
• Pickup: K&K Big Twin
• Audio Interface: MOTU M4
• Camera: Sony: ZV-1
• Software: OBS
• Lighting: Elgato Key Light Air
• Other: Stream Deck

Thanks for watching!
♫ Anne

🎶 ABOUT
My name is Anne Crosby Gaudet, I'm a music educator, composer and independent publisher from Nova Scotia, Canada. I am passionate about creative teaching and lifelong learning at the piano and harp.

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Copyright © 2023 Anne Crosby Gaudet
Created, performed and recorded by Anne Crosby Gaudet
Select photography and graphics from Canva Pro

[JohnMusicbr]

Is there a way to give this video 1000 thumbs up?! What an amazing, life-saving YT video. Thanks a thousand times.

[nicolequesnel]

I am a teacher who does not have access to Apple products. Thank you for doing this so I can share it with my students who use these devices. I am find with Android and PC or laptops but really needed this.

[ladylibra]

Thank you for illustrating this on multiple devices. This is what my Church Zoom sounds like each week. ❤👏🏾

[tychosnova]

This video is very well done, and is for musicians and music teachers. However it's quite wordy. She gets to it at 5:25

[PianoOasisMusicStudio]

Anne, thanks so much for taking the time to clearly walk us through this process. I don't teach many lessons online, but the most recent ones have been very difficult to teach because of these audio issues. One time I couldn't hear the student's piano and most times they can barely make out what I'm saying or demonstrating on my piano.

[susanstevens]

Thank you! This is exactly what I needed!

[aarizsaiyed]

You are a saviour Anne! As a ukulele teacher online I was struggling with this issue and wasn't sure about the settings. Thank you so much!

[tpatroy]

I was totally paralyzed disabled "Original sound". Thank you so much.

[quesnelbccanadadaysforgirl]

Anne, once again, this is amazing!!! Thank you again for sharing and a BIG thank you for putting together the 7 Irish tunes - I have a gig to play this Friday night for St. Patrick's Day. Thank you for all you do in the harp world!

[circleof]

Thank you! I am playing acoustic guitar for a work party, and we tested it Friday, before I had seen this video. My sound did not work, just as you demonstrated here. I think I had not enabled my original sound, even though I said "use original sound".

[cjspeckart]

Thank you so much for this very very clear video! I have been teaching singing and piano lessons online for five years. My struggle has been explaining to the students what they need to do on their end to produce a sound, and to listen to me teaching! I am going to send this to every single one of my students so they have the means to adjust their settings and we don’t have to deal with the choppiness or the cutting out of sound during the music! Thank you so much! Cynthia Speckart, St. Louis, Speckart Music Studio

[ericspianoschool]

I came across your video for the zoom quality, and realized you are the famous Anne that all of my student's are obsessed with because of your contributions to the RCM celebration series, particularly Angelfish!

[MaurenDelgado]

Hi, this video is very helpful. Do you have any other video explaining how to set up the audio equipment as a teacher with audio interface…etc? Thanks

[anitaghouser]

Very helpful video. I didn't realize phones and tablets could do these settings. Thank you!

[noorsingh]

WOW! THANKS, I'VE BEE N LOOKING ALL DAY FOR A VIDEO THAT WOULD SUPPORT ME.! I PLAY GONG AND I DIDN'T WANT THE SOUND BE CHOPPY THANKS A LOT

[Smilingharp]

This is not for students but maybe for some teachers: Another step I took as a teacher was to hook in a Blue Yeti microphone to my laptop and then select on Zoom for that to be the active mic instead of my laptop mic. If I am also on Original Sound for Musicians, this improves the quality of the sound going to my student. But I do find that when I plug the Blue Yeti in to my computer, the Original Sound goes off and I have to re-set it by hand. AND I have to go into audio settings and make sure that "USB" (Blue Yeti) is the microphone that is going to be active. I did also try several other microphones and the Blue Yeti was the best sound reproduction. And the Blue Yeti doesn't improve things at all UNLESS I have chosen Original Sound for Musicians.

[jorgetriana]

Thanks You a Lot. Very import your colaboration in this theme.I express my respect and admiration .Successes and blessings.

[sandragayle]

Wow! Anne, I heard from my daughter that this happens on zoom. She takes cello lessons with her teacher on zoom. Thanks so much for as always taking the time to help others.

[BelindaElliott-yf]

Thank you! I have been searching for help with this and I found you. PERFECTLY explained and I appreciate the directions and video examples on multiple devices. Fantastic, thank you!

[alexpecheny]

Anne you saved my BUTT!!! Thank you young lady for this amazingly helpful video. I didn't even know (neither did my roommate who teaches singing and he's been doing this for years) you could do this setting on a phone!!!