Understanding where Microsoft Teams recordings are stored has become increasingly important as organizations rely more heavily on video conferencing for business communications. Whether you're searching for a missing recording, managing storage quotas, or setting up sharing permissions, knowing the ins and outs of Teams recording storage can save you time and frustration. This comprehensive guide explains exactly where your Teams recordings go and how to access, manage, and optimize their storage.
Microsoft Teams Recording Storage: The Complete Overview
Microsoft Teams recordings are stored in two primary locations within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem: OneDrive for Business and SharePoint. The specific location depends on the type of meeting you're recording, with different rules applying to channel meetings versus private meetings. Understanding this distinction is crucial for locating recordings and managing permissions effectively.
Since Microsoft transitioned away from Stream storage in 2021, all Teams recordings now integrate directly with your organization's existing OneDrive and SharePoint infrastructure. This change provides better integration with Microsoft 365 but also means recordings count toward your storage quotas and follow your organization's file management policies.
Storage Locations by Meeting Type
Private and Ad-Hoc Meetings
For meetings that aren't associated with a specific Teams channel, recordings are stored in the meeting organizer's OneDrive for Business account, regardless of who actually started the recording.
- One-on-one calls: Saved to organizer's OneDrive Recordings folder
- Group meetings: Stored in organizer's OneDrive regardless of who records
- Scheduled meetings: Goes to the person who created the meeting invitation
- Instant meetings: Saved to the person who started the meeting
- External meetings: Stored in the internal organizer's OneDrive account
Channel Meetings
When meetings are conducted within a Teams channel, recordings are automatically stored in the team's SharePoint site, making them accessible to all channel members.
- Channel location: SharePoint Teams site in the Recordings folder
- Path structure: Documents > General > Recordings
- Access rights: Available to all channel members by default
- Organization: Automatically organized by date and meeting topic
- Permissions: Inherit channel permission structure
Accessing Your Teams Recordings
Finding Recordings in OneDrive
- Open Microsoft Teams desktop or web application
- Click on 'Files' in the left sidebar
- Select 'OneDrive' from the available options
- Look for the 'Recordings' folder (created automatically when first recording)
- Browse recordings organized by date and meeting title
- Click on any recording to play, download, or share
Locating Channel Meeting Recordings
- Navigate to the specific Teams channel where the meeting occurred
- Click on the 'Files' tab at the top of the channel
- Look for the 'Recordings' folder in the file listing
- Open the folder to see all channel meeting recordings
- Use the search function to find specific recordings by date or title
Direct Access Through Chat
- Return to the original meeting chat where recording was started
- Look for automated notification about recording completion
- Click the direct link provided in the chat message
- Access recording options including play, download, and share
- View recording details and metadata
Understanding Storage Quotas and Limitations
Storage Quota Impact
All Teams meeting recordings count toward your existing OneDrive and SharePoint storage quotas, which can impact your ability to create new recordings if storage limits are reached.
- OneDrive quota: Typically 1TB per user in most Microsoft 365 plans
- SharePoint quota: Shared among all team members and content
- File size estimates: Approximately 400MB per hour of recording
- Quality settings: Higher quality recordings consume more storage space
- Automatic notifications: Alerts when approaching storage limits
What Happens When Storage is Full
- Recording failure: New recordings may fail to save properly
- Temporary storage: Microsoft provides 21-day temporary backup storage
- Download opportunity: Users have limited time to save recordings elsewhere
- Automatic deletion: Temporary recordings are permanently deleted after 21 days
- Error notifications: Clear messages about storage issues and solutions
Managing Storage Effectively
- Regular cleanup: Delete old or unnecessary recordings periodically
- External backup: Move important recordings to external storage solutions
- Compression options: Use built-in compression features to reduce file sizes
- Retention policies: Implement organizational policies for automatic cleanup
- Quota monitoring: Regular checks on storage usage across the organization
Recording Permissions and Access Control
Default Permission Structure
Microsoft Teams automatically assigns permissions based on meeting participation and organizational relationships, but these can be customized by meeting organizers.
- Meeting attendees: Automatic view access for all internal participants
- External guests: No automatic access unless explicitly shared
- Organizer rights: Full control including sharing, editing, and deletion
- Recording initiator: Edit and management permissions
- Channel members: View access for channel meeting recordings
Customizing Access Levels
Meeting organizers can modify recording access through three main options:
- Everyone: All meeting participants can access the recording
- Organizers and co-organizers: Restricted access for leadership only
- Specific people: Custom selection of who can view or edit
- Time-based access: Temporary sharing links with expiration dates
- Password protection: Additional security for sensitive recordings
External Sharing Considerations
- Organization policies: Compliance with external sharing restrictions
- Guest access: Limited permissions for external participants
- Link sharing: Anonymous links for broader distribution if allowed
- Download restrictions: Control over whether external users can download
- Audit trails: Tracking of external access and sharing activity
Downloading and Sharing Recordings
Download Process for OneDrive Recordings
- Access the recording through Teams Files or direct OneDrive
- Click on the recording file to open options menu
- Select 'Download' from the available actions
- Choose download quality and format if options are available
- Wait for download to complete and verify file integrity
- Save to preferred location on local device or external storage
SharePoint Channel Recording Downloads
- Navigate to the team channel where the meeting was recorded
- Open the Files tab and locate the Recordings folder
- Right-click on the desired recording file
- Select download option from the context menu
- Confirm you have permission to download (may require channel owner approval)
- Monitor download progress and verify successful completion
Sharing Methods and Best Practices
- Direct links: Share viewing links without requiring file downloads
- Email integration: Send recordings through Outlook with proper permissions
- Copy link: Generate shareable URLs with customizable access levels
