Kolab can record your session to the cloud and hand you a downloadable MP4 when you're done. Recording follows one person's point of view—so you capture the canvas, video, and proximity audio exactly as they experienced them. You can follow yourself or another host or facilitator.
Note: Recording is available to hosts and facilitators. All participants are notified automatically when a recording starts.
How It Works
Recording and transcription both live in the Session Capture panel. Recording runs a behind-the-scenes "recorder" that joins your session, follows a participant you choose, and captures everything they see and hear.
- A facilitator opens Session Capture and starts a recording
- Kolab dispatches a recorder that follows the host or facilitator you choose
- All participants see a notice that the space is being recorded
- When you stop, the video is processed and made available to download as an MP4
Starting a Recording
- Click the three-dot menu (⋯) in the bottom control bar
- Click Session Capture
- Choose Record video (leave Transcribe audio on too if you also want a transcript)
- Use Follow participant to pick who the recording follows—yourself or another host or facilitator
- Click Start Recording
Everyone in the space sees a notice: "This space is now being recorded." A red REC pill appears at the top-center while recording is active.
Tip: The start button reflects your choices—it reads Start Recording for video only, or Start Capture when you're recording and transcribing together. If you pick someone other than yourself, they're asked to approve first, so the button becomes Request to Record.
Tip: Follow the host or facilitator who's driving the session, or follow yourself, so the recording tracks the main action.
What Gets Recorded
Because the recorder follows one person, it captures their full experience:
| Captured | Not captured |
|---|---|
| The canvas and what the followed user sees | Chat messages and DMs |
| Video and proximity audio | Agenda and private session notes |
| Breakout rooms the followed user joins | Kola AI conversations |
Maximum length: A single recording can run up to 3 hours. You can stop and start a new one at any time.
Following a Participant
Recording is "view-following": it shows the canvas from the perspective of one host or facilitator, panning and zooming as they move. This keeps the recording focused on the action instead of a fixed, lifeless frame.
- Change who you follow mid-recording with Change Target in the Session Capture panel
- If the person you're following leaves for more than a couple of minutes, the recorder stops automatically
- If the space empties out (one or fewer people for about five minutes), the recorder stops on its own
Stopping a Recording
- Open the three-dot menu (⋯) → Session Capture
- Click Stop Recording
If you're recording and transcribing, the buttons read Stop Recording Only (ends just the video) and Stop Everything (ends both at once).
After you stop, the recording enters a Processing state while the video is finalized. This can take a few minutes depending on length.
Downloading Recordings
Once processing finishes, your recordings appear in the Past sessions list inside Session Capture:
- Open the three-dot menu (⋯) → Session Capture
- Find the session in Past sessions (labeled by number, time, and duration)
- Click MP4 to download the video
If a session also has a transcript, you'll see a DOCX button next to it.
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Processing video… | Still being finalized—check back shortly |
| MP4 button appears | Done—click it to download |
| Error | Something went wrong (details shown) |
Recording and Transcription Together
You can run both at once. They share the Session Capture panel but capture different things:
| Recording | Transcription | |
|---|---|---|
| Output | MP4 video | DOCX transcript |
| Captures | One participant's canvas + audio + video | Speaker-attributed text of all room audio |
| Audio modes | Follows the participant anywhere | Global audio only |
Learn more: Live Transcription
Tips for Great Recordings
- Pick the right person to follow before you start—switching mid-session is fine, but a steady view reads better.
- Tell participants at the top: "Heads up, I'm recording this session—the video will be available afterward."
- Mind the modes. The recording follows your chosen participant through spatial, zoned, and breakout audio—what they hear is what the recording captures.
- Keep it under 3 hours. For longer events, stop and start a fresh recording between segments.
Troubleshooting
"I can't find Session Capture"
- Only hosts and facilitators see Session Capture in the three-dot menu
- Confirm you have host or facilitator permissions for the space
"The recording stopped on its own"
- The person you were following may have left for more than a couple of minutes
- The recorder also stops when the space sits at one or fewer people for about five minutes
"My recording is stuck on Processing"
- Processing can take several minutes for longer sessions
- If it's been much longer, check for an Error status in Past sessions
Related Guides
- Live Transcription - Speaker-attributed text transcripts
- Screen Sharing - Share your screen into the canvas
- Sharing & Permissions - Who can record
- System Check - Verify your setup