Optimising Zoom for the Music Lesson

Optimizing Zoom for music lessons is essential for musicians and teachers alike. As online learning continues to be a significant part of our lives, getting the best audio quality from Zoom is crucial for a seamless experience. In this updated guide for 2023, I will provide you with the latest information on how to optimize Zoom for music lessons and introduce the “High Fidelity Mode” to enhance your music experience.

High Fidelity Mode in Zoom (Updated September 2020)

In September 2020, Zoom introduced “High Fidelity Mode,” a feature that significantly enhances the audio quality for music lessons. This mode allows you to disable Zoom’s dynamic compression, ensuring you can experience your music lessons with maximum fidelity.

To enable High Fidelity Mode in Zoom, follow these steps:

1. Open Zoom and click on your profile picture in the top-right corner.
2. Select “Settings.”
3. In the left sidebar, click on “Audio.”
4. Under “Advanced,” check the option that says “Show in-meeting option to ‘Enable Original Sound’ from microphone.”

With High Fidelity Mode enabled, Zoom will no longer aggressively compress your audio, and you can enjoy a higher quality data compression for better sound.

Optimizing Zoom for PC/Laptop:

For the best audio quality during your music lessons on a PC or laptop, follow these steps:

1. Download and install the Zoom app if you haven’t already. The app offers more functionality than the web version.
2. Access the Settings window before or during a call:
3. Before the call: Click the cog at the top-right of the Zoom app.
4. During a call: Click the up-arrow next to the mute button in the bottom-left of the window.
5.Under “Audio,” uncheck “Automatically adjust audio.”
6. Position yourself about 2 meters away from your microphone and adjust the slider until the Input Level bar reaches around 80-95%.
7. Click “Advanced” at the bottom right and ensure that “Enable Original Sound” is checked. Disable “Suppress Persistent Background Noise” and “Suppress Intermittent Background Noise.”

During your conversation, make sure “Enable Original Sound” is checked. This setting is not enabled by default.

Return to the meeting screen and ensure that the “Turn off Original Sound” bar is blue.

Optimizing Zoom for Phone/Tablet:

While the mobile app has fewer options, you can still enhance your audio quality for music lessons:

1. Open the Zoom app and click on “Meet & Chat” if you are not already in that window.
2. Click on the Settings cog at the bottom right.
3. Under “Meeting,” enable “Use Original Sound.”
4. During the lesson, click the “More” icon at the bottom right, and select “Enable Original Sound.”

High Fidelity Mode for Music Lessons (Zoom 5.2.2):

The latest Zoom version (5.2.2) introduced High Fidelity Mode, which further enhances your music experience. To enable this feature, navigate to Zoom Settings > Audio > Advanced > Show in-meeting option to “Enable Original Sound” from microphone > High fidelity music mode.

With High Fidelity Mode, you can eliminate aggressive dynamic compression, resulting in improved sound quality, especially beneficial for music lessons and performances. It also allows for higher quality data compression.

To dive deeper into how High Fidelity Music Mode can enhance your Zoom setup, consider reading David MacDonald’s article on Scoring Notes blog: [Better music experiences come to Zoom with high fidelity audio](Scoring Notes blog).

In conclusion, optimizing Zoom for music lessons and taking advantage of the High Fidelity Mode can greatly enhance your online music education experience. Embrace these settings and enjoy the best possible audio quality in your virtual music lessons.