Automate Zoom Recording Downloads with Python: Complete Script

Every Monday morning, the same tedious routine: log into Zoom, click through to recordings, download last week's meetings one by one, rename each file with the actual meeting name, move them to the right project folders, delete them from Zoom cloud storage to free up space.

Thirty minutes gone, and you haven't even started your actual work.

What if a Python script could handle all of this in 60 seconds? Check your Zoom account, download all new recordings, organize them automatically, clean up cloud storage, and send you a summary email.

That's exactly what we're building today.

What You'll Build

By the end of this tutorial, you'll have a Python script that:

Connects to Zoom API using JWT or OAuth authentication
Lists all cloud recordings from your Zoom account
Downloads recordings automatically (video, audio, chat transcripts)
Organizes files by date and meeting name in logical folder structure
Renames files meaningfully (no more "GMT20260204-150000_Recording.mp4")
Deletes old recordings from cloud to free up storage
Logs all actions for troubleshooting
Sends summary email with download statistics
Runs automatically on schedule (daily, weekly, etc.)

Time savings: 30 minutes weekly → 60 seconds automated = 26 hours/year saved

Use cases:

Corporate teams archiving weekly meetings
Educators backing up recorded lectures
Content creators organizing webinar recordings
Sales teams downloading client calls for CRM
Compliance teams archiving required meetings

Prerequisites

What you need:

Python 3.8+ installed
Zoom account (any plan with cloud recording)
Basic Python knowledge (functions, loops, API calls)
20-30 minutes

Python packages we'll use:

requests - HTTP requests to Zoom API
pyjwt - JWT authentication
python-dateutil - Date parsing
tqdm - Progress bars for downloads
pathlib - File system operations

Zoom requirements:

Zoom Pro/Business/Education/Enterprise account (cloud recording enabled)
Admin or developer access to create Zoom app

Not required:

Advanced programming skills
Zoom API experience (we'll cover everything)

Understanding the Zoom Cloud Recording API

Before coding, let's understand how Zoom stores and provides recordings.

How Zoom Recordings Work

When you record a meeting to the cloud:

Zoom processes the recording (5-10 minutes after meeting ends)
Files appear in your Zoom cloud storage:
- Video file (MP4): Full meeting recording
- Audio file (M4A): Audio-only version
- Chat transcript (TXT): In-meeting chat messages
- Transcript (VTT): Auto-generated captions (if enabled)
Files remain in cloud for 30-120 days (depending on plan)
After retention period, Zoom auto-deletes files

Zoom Cloud Recording API

Zoom provides REST API endpoints:

List recordings:

GET https://api.zoom.us/v2/users/{userId}/recordings

Download recording file:

GET {download_url}?access_token={token}

Delete recording:

DELETE https://api.zoom.us/v2/meetings/{meetingId}/recordings/{recordingId}

Authentication: JWT vs OAuth 2.0

JWT (Server-to-Server): Simpler, best for personal/internal scripts

No user interaction required
One-time setup
Full account access
Recommended for this tutorial

OAuth 2.0: More secure, required for public apps

User authorization flow
Limited scope access
Better for distributed apps

We'll use JWT for simplicity.

Step 1: Create Zoom Server-to-Server OAuth App

Note: Zoom transitioned from JWT to Server-to-Server OAuth in 2023. Same simplicity, better security.

Create the App

Go to Zoom App Marketplace
Click Develop → Build App
Select Server-to-Server OAuth
Name your app: "Recording Downloader"
Click Create

Configure App Credentials

In app settings, note these credentials:
- Account ID: abc123def456
- Client ID: aBcDeFgHiJkLmN
- Client Secret: 1234567890abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Click Continue

Add Scopes

On Scopes tab, add:

recording:read:admin - List recordings
recording:write:admin - Delete recordings

Click Continue → Activate

Get Your Credentials

Copy these three values:

Account ID
Client ID
Client Secret

Store securely: Create .env file (never commit to Git):

bash

1# .env
2ZOOM_ACCOUNT_ID=abc123def456
3ZOOM_CLIENT_ID=aBcDeFgHiJkLmN
4ZOOM_CLIENT_SECRET=1234567890abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

Step 2: Set Up Python Project

Create Project Structure

bash

1mkdir zoom-recording-downloader
2cd zoom-recording-downloader
3
4# Create directories
5mkdir recordings logs
6
7# Create files
8touch zoom_downloader.py
9touch .env
10touch .gitignore
11touch requirements.txt

Project structure:

Prompt

zoom-recording-downloader/
├── zoom_downloader.py      # Main script
├── .env                     # Credentials (DO NOT COMMIT)
├── .gitignore              # Git ignore file
├── requirements.txt        # Python dependencies
├── recordings/             # Downloaded recordings
│   ├── 2026-02/
│   │   ├── 2026-02-04_Team-Standup/
│   │   └── 2026-02-04_Client-Demo/
└── logs/                   # Activity logs
    └── zoom_downloads.log

Install Dependencies

requirements.txt:

txt

1requests==2.31.0
2pyjwt==2.8.0
3python-dotenv==1.0.0
4python-dateutil==2.8.2
5tqdm==4.66.1

Install:

bash

1pip install -r requirements.txt

Step 3: Build the Zoom Recording Downloader

Import Libraries

python

1# zoom_downloader.py
2import os
3import sys
4import requests
5import time
6import logging
7from datetime import datetime, timedelta
8from pathlib import Path
9from urllib.parse import urlencode
10from dotenv import load_dotenv
11from tqdm import tqdm
12
13# Load environment variables
14load_dotenv()
15
16# Configure logging
17logging.basicConfig(
18    level=logging.INFO,
19    format='%(asctime)s - %(levelname)s - %(message)s',
20    handlers=[
21        logging.FileHandler('logs/zoom_downloads.log'),
22        logging.StreamHandler(sys.stdout)
23    ]
24)
25logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)

Zoom API Authentication Class

python

1class ZoomAuth:
2    """Handle Zoom Server-to-Server OAuth authentication"""
3    
4    def __init__(self):
5        self.account_id = os.getenv('ZOOM_ACCOUNT_ID')
6        self.client_id = os.getenv('ZOOM_CLIENT_ID')
7        self.client_secret = os.getenv('ZOOM_CLIENT_SECRET')
8        self.access_token = None
9        self.token_expires_at = None
10        
11        if not all([self.account_id, self.client_id, self.client_secret]):
12            raise ValueError("Missing Zoom credentials in .env file")
13    
14    def get_access_token(self):
15        """Get or refresh access token"""
16        # Return cached token if still valid
17        if self.access_token and self.token_expires_at:
18            if datetime.now() < self.token_expires_at:
19                return self.access_token
20        
21        # Request new token
22        url = "https://zoom.us/oauth/token"
23        params = {
24            'grant_type': 'account_credentials',
25            'account_id': self.account_id
26        }
27        
28        response = requests.post(
29            url,
30            params=params,
31            auth=(self.client_id, self.client_secret),
32            headers={'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded'}
33        )
34        
35        if response.status_code != 200:
36            logger.error(f"Authentication failed: {response.text}")
37            raise Exception(f"Failed to get access token: {response.status_code}")
38        
39        data = response.json()
40        self.access_token = data['access_token']
41        # Token expires in 1 hour, refresh 5 minutes early
42        expires_in = data.get('expires_in', 3600) - 300
43        self.token_expires_at = datetime.now() + timedelta(seconds=expires_in)
44        
45        logger.info("Successfully authenticated with Zoom API")
46        return self.access_token

Zoom Recording Downloader Class

python

1class ZoomRecordingDownloader:
2    """Download and manage Zoom cloud recordings"""
3    
4    def __init__(self, download_dir='recordings'):
5        self.auth = ZoomAuth()
6        self.download_dir = Path(download_dir)
7        self.download_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
8        self.base_url = "https://api.zoom.us/v2"
9        self.downloaded_count = 0
10        self.deleted_count = 0
11        self.failed_count = 0
12    
13    def _get_headers(self):
14        """Get authorization headers"""
15        token = self.auth.get_access_token()
16        return {
17            'Authorization': f'Bearer {token}',
18            'Content-Type': 'application/json'
19        }
20    
21    def list_recordings(self, user_id='me', from_date=None, to_date=None):
22        """
23        List all cloud recordings for a user
24        
25        Args:
26            user_id: Zoom user ID or 'me' for current user
27            from_date: Start date (datetime object)
28            to_date: End date (datetime object)
29        
30        Returns:
31            List of recording objects
32        """
33        # Default: last 30 days
34        if not from_date:
35            from_date = datetime.now() - timedelta(days=30)
36        if not to_date:
37            to_date = datetime.now()
38        
39        url = f"{self.base_url}/users/{user_id}/recordings"
40        params = {
41            'from': from_date.strftime('%Y-%m-%d'),
42            'to': to_date.strftime('%Y-%m-%d'),
43            'page_size': 300
44        }
45        
46        all_recordings = []
47        next_page_token = None
48        
49        while True:
50            if next_page_token:
51                params['next_page_token'] = next_page_token
52            
53            response = requests.get(url, headers=self._get_headers(), params=params)
54            
55            if response.status_code != 200:
56                logger.error(f"Failed to list recordings: {response.text}")
57                break
58            
59            data = response.json()
60            meetings = data.get('meetings', [])
61            all_recordings.extend(meetings)
62            
63            logger.info(f"Found {len(meetings)} recordings in this batch")
64            
65            # Check for next page
66            next_page_token = data.get('next_page_token')
67            if not next_page_token:
68                break
69            
70            time.sleep(0.5)  # Rate limiting
71        
72        logger.info(f"Total recordings found: {len(all_recordings)}")
73        return all_recordings
74    
75    def download_recording(self, recording_file, meeting_info):
76        """
77        Download a single recording file
78        
79        Args:
80            recording_file: Recording file object from API
81            meeting_info: Meeting metadata
82        
83        Returns:
84            Path to downloaded file or None if failed
85        """
86        download_url = recording_file['download_url']
87        file_type = recording_file['file_type']
88        recording_type = recording_file.get('recording_type', 'unknown')
89        
90        # Get meeting details
91        meeting_topic = meeting_info.get('topic', 'Unknown Meeting')
92        meeting_date = meeting_info.get('start_time', '')
93        
94        # Parse date
95        try:
96            date_obj = datetime.fromisoformat(meeting_date.replace('Z', '+00:00'))
97            date_str = date_obj.strftime('%Y-%m-%d')
98            time_str = date_obj.strftime('%H-%M')
99        except:
100            date_str = 'unknown-date'
101            time_str = '00-00'
102        
103        # Sanitize meeting topic for filename
104        safe_topic = "".join(c if c.isalnum() or c in (' ', '-', '_') else '' for c in meeting_topic)
105        safe_topic = safe_topic.replace(' ', '-')[:50]  # Limit length
106        
107        # Create directory structure: recordings/2026-02/2026-02-04_Team-Standup/
108        month_dir = self.download_dir / date_str[:7]  # 2026-02
109        meeting_dir = month_dir / f"{date_str}_{safe_topic}"
110        meeting_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
111        
112        # Determine file extension
113        ext_map = {
114            'MP4': 'mp4',
115            'M4A': 'm4a',
116            'TIMELINE': 'json',
117            'TRANSCRIPT': 'vtt',
118            'CHAT': 'txt',
119            'CC': 'vtt'
120        }
121        ext = ext_map.get(file_type, 'bin')
122        
123        # Build filename: 2026-02-04_Team-Standup_15-00_video.mp4
124        type_label = recording_type.lower().replace('_', '-')
125        filename = f"{date_str}_{safe_topic}_{time_str}_{type_label}.{ext}"
126        filepath = meeting_dir / filename
127        
128        # Skip if already downloaded
129        if filepath.exists():
130            logger.info(f"Skipping (already exists): {filename}")
131            return filepath
132        
133        # Download file
134        try:
135            # Add access token to download URL
136            token = self.auth.get_access_token()
137            download_url_with_token = f"{download_url}?access_token={token}"
138            
139            logger.info(f"Downloading: {filename}")
140            
141            response = requests.get(download_url_with_token, stream=True)
142            response.raise_for_status()
143            
144            # Get file size for progress bar
145            total_size = int(response.headers.get('content-length', 0))
146            
147            # Download with progress bar
148            with open(filepath, 'wb') as f:
149                with tqdm(total=total_size, unit='B', unit_scale=True, desc=filename[:30]) as pbar:
150                    for chunk in response.iter_content(chunk_size=8192):
151                        if chunk:
152                            f.write(chunk)
153                            pbar.update(len(chunk))
154            
155            self.downloaded_count += 1
156            logger.info(f"Downloaded successfully: {filepath}")
157            return filepath
158            
159        except Exception as e:
160            logger.error(f"Failed to download {filename}: {str(e)}")
161            self.failed_count += 1
162            if filepath.exists():
163                filepath.unlink()  # Delete partial file
164            return None
165    
166    def download_all_recordings(self, days_back=30, delete_after_download=False):
167        """
168        Download all recordings from the last N days
169        
170        Args:
171            days_back: Number of days to look back (default: 30)
172            delete_after_download: Delete from Zoom cloud after download (default: False)
173        
174        Returns:
175            Summary statistics dict
176        """
177        logger.info(f"Starting download process for last {days_back} days")
178        
179        from_date = datetime.now() - timedelta(days=days_back)
180        recordings = self.list_recordings(from_date=from_date)
181        
182        if not recordings:
183            logger.info("No recordings found")
184            return {
185                'total_meetings': 0,
186                'downloaded': 0,
187                'deleted': 0,
188                'failed': 0
189            }
190        
191        # Process each meeting
192        for meeting in recordings:
193            meeting_id = meeting.get('uuid')
194            meeting_topic = meeting.get('topic', 'Unknown')
195            recording_files = meeting.get('recording_files', [])
196            
197            if not recording_files:
198                logger.info(f"No files for meeting: {meeting_topic}")
199                continue
200            
201            logger.info(f"\nProcessing meeting: {meeting_topic} ({len(recording_files)} files)")
202            
203            # Download all files for this meeting
204            downloaded_files = []
205            for rec_file in recording_files:
206                # Skip trash files
207                if rec_file.get('status') == 'trash':
208                    continue
209                
210                filepath = self.download_recording(rec_file, meeting)
211                if filepath:
212                    downloaded_files.append(filepath)
213            
214            # Delete from cloud if requested and all files downloaded successfully
215            if delete_after_download and len(downloaded_files) == len(recording_files):
216                self.delete_recording(meeting_id, meeting_topic)
217            
218            time.sleep(1)  # Rate limiting between meetings
219        
220        # Summary
221        summary = {
222            'total_meetings': len(recordings),
223            'downloaded': self.downloaded_count,
224            'deleted': self.deleted_count,
225            'failed': self.failed_count
226        }
227        
228        logger.info("\n" + "="*50)
229        logger.info("Download Summary:")
230        logger.info(f"  Total meetings: {summary['total_meetings']}")
231        logger.info(f"  Files downloaded: {summary['downloaded']}")
232        logger.info(f"  Files deleted from cloud: {summary['deleted']}")
233        logger.info(f"  Failed downloads: {summary['failed']}")
234        logger.info("="*50)
235        
236        return summary
237    
238    def delete_recording(self, meeting_uuid, meeting_topic):
239        """
240        Delete recording from Zoom cloud
241        
242        Args:
243            meeting_uuid: Meeting UUID
244            meeting_topic: Meeting topic for logging
245        """
246        url = f"{self.base_url}/meetings/{meeting_uuid}/recordings"
247        
248        try:
249            response = requests.delete(
250                url,
251                headers=self._get_headers(),
252                params={'action': 'trash'}  # Move to trash (recoverable for 30 days)
253            )
254            
255            if response.status_code == 204:
256                self.deleted_count += 1
257                logger.info(f"Deleted from cloud: {meeting_topic}")
258            else:
259                logger.error(f"Failed to delete {meeting_topic}: {response.text}")
260                
261        except Exception as e:
262            logger.error(f"Error deleting {meeting_topic}: {str(e)}")

Main Execution Script

python

1def main():
2    """Main execution function"""
3    print("Zoom Recording Downloader")
4    print("=" * 50)
5    
6    try:
7        downloader = ZoomRecordingDownloader(download_dir='recordings')
8        
9        # Configuration
10        DAYS_BACK = 30  # Download recordings from last 30 days
11        DELETE_AFTER_DOWNLOAD = False  # Set to True to auto-delete from cloud
12        
13        # Run download
14        summary = downloader.download_all_recordings(
15            days_back=DAYS_BACK,
16            delete_after_download=DELETE_AFTER_DOWNLOAD
17        )
18        
19        # Success
20        print("\n✓ Download completed successfully!")
21        print(f"  Downloaded {summary['downloaded']} files")
22        print(f"  Check recordings/ directory for files")
23        
24        return 0
25        
26    except Exception as e:
27        logger.error(f"Fatal error: {str(e)}")
28        print(f"\n✗ Error: {str(e)}")
29        return 1
30
31if __name__ == '__main__':
32    sys.exit(main())

Step 4: Run the Script

First Run

bash

1python zoom_downloader.py

Expected output:

Prompt

Zoom Recording Downloader
==================================================
2026-02-04 10:30:15 - INFO - Successfully authenticated with Zoom API
2026-02-04 10:30:16 - INFO - Found 15 recordings in this batch
2026-02-04 10:30:16 - INFO - Total recordings found: 15

Processing meeting: Weekly Team Standup (3 files)
2026-02-04 10:30:17 - INFO - Downloading: 2026-02-03_Weekly-Team-Standup_09-00_shared-screen.mp4
2026-02-03_Weekly-Team-Standup: 100%|████████| 145MB/145MB [00:32<00:00, 4.5MB/s]
2026-02-04 10:30:50 - INFO - Downloaded successfully: recordings/2026-02/2026-02-03_Weekly-Team-Standup/2026-02-03_Weekly-Team-Standup_09-00_shared-screen.mp4

...

==================================================
Download Summary:
  Total meetings: 15
  Files downloaded: 42
  Files deleted from cloud: 0
  Failed downloads: 0
==================================================

✓ Download completed successfully!
  Downloaded 42 files
  Check recordings/ directory for files

Check Downloaded Files

bash

1ls -R recordings/
2
3recordings/2026-02:
42026-02-03_Weekly-Team-Standup
52026-02-04_Client-Demo
6
7recordings/2026-02/2026-02-03_Weekly-Team-Standup:
82026-02-03_Weekly-Team-Standup_09-00_gallery-view.mp4
92026-02-03_Weekly-Team-Standup_09-00_shared-screen.mp4
102026-02-03_Weekly-Team-Standup_09-00_audio-only.m4a
112026-02-03_Weekly-Team-Standup_09-00_chat.txt

Perfect organization! Each meeting in its own folder, files clearly named.

Step 5: Schedule Automatic Downloads

Option 1: Cron (Linux/Mac)

Run every Monday at 9 AM:

bash

1# Edit crontab
2crontab -e
3
4# Add this line
50 9 * * 1 cd /path/to/zoom-recording-downloader && /usr/bin/python3 zoom_downloader.py

Option 2: Windows Task Scheduler

Open Task Scheduler
Create Basic Task
Trigger: Weekly, Monday, 9:00 AM
Action: Start a program
Program: C:\Python39\python.exe
Arguments: C:\path\to\zoom_downloader.py
Start in: C:\path\to\zoom-recording-downloader

Option 3: Python Schedule Library

Add to script for built-in scheduling:

python

1import schedule
2
3def scheduled_job():
4    """Run weekly on Monday"""
5    downloader = ZoomRecordingDownloader()
6    downloader.download_all_recordings(days_back=7)
7
8# Schedule every Monday at 9 AM
9schedule.every().monday.at("09:00").do(scheduled_job)
10
11# Keep script running
12while True:
13    schedule.run_pending()
14    time.sleep(60)

Run once, it handles scheduling:

bash

1python zoom_downloader.py

Advanced Features

Feature 1: Email Notifications

Send summary email after downloads:

python

1import smtplib
2from email.mime.text import MIMEText
3from email.mime.multipart import MIMEMultipart
4
5def send_summary_email(summary, recipient='you@company.com'):
6    """Send download summary via email"""
7    sender = os.getenv('EMAIL_ADDRESS')
8    password = os.getenv('EMAIL_PASSWORD')
9    
10    subject = f"Zoom Recordings Downloaded: {summary['downloaded']} files"
11    
12    body = f"""
13    Zoom Recording Download Summary
14    
15    Total meetings processed: {summary['total_meetings']}
16    Files downloaded: {summary['downloaded']}
17    Files deleted from cloud: {summary['deleted']}
18    Failed downloads: {summary['failed']}
19    
20    Check recordings/ directory for files.
21    """
22    
23    msg = MIMEMultipart()
24    msg['From'] = sender
25    msg['To'] = recipient
26    msg['Subject'] = subject
27    msg.attach(MIMEText(body, 'plain'))
28    
29    try:
30        with smtplib.SMTP('smtp.gmail.com', 587) as server:
31            server.starttls()
32            server.login(sender, password)
33            server.send_message(msg)
34        logger.info(f"Summary email sent to {recipient}")
35    except Exception as e:
36        logger.error(f"Failed to send email: {str(e)}")

Add to .env:

bash

1EMAIL_ADDRESS=your-email@gmail.com
2EMAIL_PASSWORD=your-app-password

Feature 2: Upload to Cloud Storage

Automatically backup to AWS S3, Google Drive, or Dropbox:

python

1import boto3
2
3def upload_to_s3(local_file, bucket='my-zoom-recordings'):
4    """Upload recording to S3"""
5    s3 = boto3.client('s3')
6    s3_key = f"recordings/{local_file.name}"
7    
8    try:
9        s3.upload_file(str(local_file), bucket, s3_key)
10        logger.info(f"Uploaded to S3: {s3_key}")
11        return True
12    except Exception as e:
13        logger.error(f"S3 upload failed: {str(e)}")
14        return False

Feature 3: Transcription with Whisper

Auto-transcribe recordings using OpenAI Whisper:

python

1import whisper
2
3def transcribe_recording(video_file):
4    """Transcribe video using Whisper"""
5    model = whisper.load_model("base")
6    result = model.transcribe(str(video_file))
7    
8    # Save transcript
9    transcript_file = video_file.with_suffix('.txt')
10    with open(transcript_file, 'w') as f:
11        f.write(result['text'])
12    
13    logger.info(f"Transcribed: {transcript_file.name}")
14    return transcript_file

Feature 4: Filter by Meeting Name

Download only specific meetings:

python

1def download_filtered_recordings(self, meeting_filter):
2    """Download only meetings matching filter
3    
4    Args:
5        meeting_filter: String to match in meeting topic (case-insensitive)
6    """
7    recordings = self.list_recordings()
8    
9    filtered = [
10        rec for rec in recordings
11        if meeting_filter.lower() in rec.get('topic', '').lower()
12    ]
13    
14    logger.info(f"Found {len(filtered)} meetings matching '{meeting_filter}'")
15    
16    for meeting in filtered:
17        # Download logic...

Usage:

python

1downloader.download_filtered_recordings(meeting_filter="Client Call")

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue 1: Authentication Failed

Error: Failed to get access token: 401

Solutions:

Verify credentials in .env file
Ensure Server-to-Server OAuth app is activated in Zoom Marketplace
Check that scopes include recording:read:admin
Regenerate Client ID/Secret if needed

Issue 2: No Recordings Found

Error: Total recordings found: 0

Solutions:

Verify you have cloud recordings in your account
Check date range (default: last 30 days)
Ensure you're using correct user ID (try 'me')
Check if recordings are in trash

Issue 3: Download URL Expired

Error: Failed to download: 400 Bad Request

Solution: Download URLs expire after 24 hours. Script automatically refreshes tokens, but if you stored URLs for later, they won't work.

Issue 4: Rate Limiting

Error: 429 Too Many Requests

Solution: Script includes rate limiting (time.sleep(1)). If hit limits, increase delays or reduce page size.

Issue 5: Permission Denied

Error: FileNotFoundError or Permission denied

Solutions:

Ensure recordings/ directory exists and is writable
Check file path length (Windows has 260 character limit)
Run with appropriate permissions

Security Best Practices

1. Never commit credentials

bash

1# .gitignore
2.env
3*.log
4recordings/

2. Use environment variables

Store secrets in .env
Never hardcode credentials in code
Use different credentials for dev/prod

3. Limit API scope

Only request necessary scopes
Don't use admin credentials if user credentials work

4. Secure downloaded files

Set appropriate file permissions
Encrypt sensitive recordings
Delete from cloud only after verifying downloads

5. Rotate credentials regularly

Change Client Secret every 90 days
Monitor API usage for anomalies

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I download recordings from other users' accounts?

Yes, if you have admin access. Change user_id='me' to user_id='email@company.com' or iterate through all users:

python

1# Get all users first
2url = f"{self.base_url}/users"
3users_response = requests.get(url, headers=self._get_headers())
4users = users_response.json()['users']
5
6# Download recordings for each user
7for user in users:
8    self.list_recordings(user_id=user['id'])

What file formats does Zoom use for recordings?

Video: MP4 (H.264 codec)
Audio: M4A (AAC codec)
Chat: TXT (plain text)
Transcript: VTT (WebVTT format)
Timeline: JSON (meeting metadata)

How much storage do I need?

Typical file sizes:

1 hour video (720p): ~400-800 MB
1 hour video (1080p): ~1-2 GB
1 hour audio: ~50-100 MB
Chat/transcript: <1 MB

Calculate: meetings_per_week × avg_duration × avg_size × 52 weeks

Example: 10 meetings/week × 1 hour × 500 MB = 260 GB/year

Can I run this on a schedule without keeping my computer on?

Yes, several options:

Cloud server: Run script on AWS EC2, DigitalOcean, etc.
GitHub Actions: Free scheduled workflows
Cloud functions: AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions
Heroku: Free tier with scheduler add-on

Does this work with Zoom Webinars?

Yes! The API works identically for meetings and webinars. Webinar recordings are retrieved the same way.

What happens if a download fails midway?

Script uses streaming downloads with progress bars. If interrupted:

Partial file is deleted automatically
Re-run script to retry failed downloads
Already-downloaded files are skipped (checks if file exists)

Next Steps and Enhancements

Once you have the basic script working, consider:

Database tracking: Store download metadata in SQLite
Video processing: Auto-generate thumbnails, trim silence
Content analysis: Use AI to summarize meetings, extract action items
Team sharing: Auto-upload to shared folder (SharePoint, Google Drive)
Compliance: Add retention policies, auto-delete after X days
Analytics: Track meeting duration, attendance, recording usage
Notifications: Slack/Teams alerts when new recordings available
Multi-account: Manage recordings across multiple Zoom accounts

Conclusion

You now have a powerful Python script that transforms 30 minutes of tedious weekly work into a 60-second automated process. Your Zoom recordings are automatically downloaded, organized, and archived—no more manual clicking through the Zoom portal.

Key takeaways:

Zoom API makes cloud recordings easily accessible
Python automation saves hours of manual work
Proper organization prevents file chaos
Scheduling ensures you never forget to download
Advanced features like transcription add even more value

Set up the script once, schedule it to run weekly, and forget about it. Your recordings are backed up automatically.

Time saved: 26+ hours per year
Setup time: 30 minutes
ROI: Positive within 2 weeks

Automate Zoom Recording Downloads with Python: Complete Script

Thirty minutes gone, and you haven't even started your actual work.

That's exactly what we're building today.

What You'll Build

By the end of this tutorial, you'll have a Python script that:

Connects to Zoom API using JWT or OAuth authentication
Lists all cloud recordings from your Zoom account
Downloads recordings automatically (video, audio, chat transcripts)
Organizes files by date and meeting name in logical folder structure
Renames files meaningfully (no more "GMT20260204-150000_Recording.mp4")
Deletes old recordings from cloud to free up storage
Logs all actions for troubleshooting
Sends summary email with download statistics
Runs automatically on schedule (daily, weekly, etc.)

Time savings: 30 minutes weekly → 60 seconds automated = 26 hours/year saved

Use cases:

Corporate teams archiving weekly meetings
Educators backing up recorded lectures
Content creators organizing webinar recordings
Sales teams downloading client calls for CRM
Compliance teams archiving required meetings

Prerequisites

What you need:

Python 3.8+ installed
Zoom account (any plan with cloud recording)
Basic Python knowledge (functions, loops, API calls)
20-30 minutes

Python packages we'll use:

requests - HTTP requests to Zoom API
pyjwt - JWT authentication
python-dateutil - Date parsing
tqdm - Progress bars for downloads
pathlib - File system operations

Zoom requirements:

Zoom Pro/Business/Education/Enterprise account (cloud recording enabled)
Admin or developer access to create Zoom app

Not required:

Advanced programming skills
Zoom API experience (we'll cover everything)

Understanding the Zoom Cloud Recording API

Before coding, let's understand how Zoom stores and provides recordings.

How Zoom Recordings Work

When you record a meeting to the cloud:

Zoom processes the recording (5-10 minutes after meeting ends)
Files appear in your Zoom cloud storage:
- Video file (MP4): Full meeting recording
- Audio file (M4A): Audio-only version
- Chat transcript (TXT): In-meeting chat messages
- Transcript (VTT): Auto-generated captions (if enabled)
Files remain in cloud for 30-120 days (depending on plan)
After retention period, Zoom auto-deletes files

Zoom Cloud Recording API

Zoom provides REST API endpoints:

List recordings:

GET https://api.zoom.us/v2/users/{userId}/recordings

Download recording file:

GET {download_url}?access_token={token}

Delete recording:

DELETE https://api.zoom.us/v2/meetings/{meetingId}/recordings/{recordingId}

Authentication: JWT vs OAuth 2.0

JWT (Server-to-Server): Simpler, best for personal/internal scripts

No user interaction required
One-time setup
Full account access
Recommended for this tutorial

OAuth 2.0: More secure, required for public apps

User authorization flow
Limited scope access
Better for distributed apps

We'll use JWT for simplicity.

Step 1: Create Zoom Server-to-Server OAuth App

Note: Zoom transitioned from JWT to Server-to-Server OAuth in 2023. Same simplicity, better security.

Create the App

Go to Zoom App Marketplace
Click Develop → Build App
Select Server-to-Server OAuth
Name your app: "Recording Downloader"
Click Create

Configure App Credentials

In app settings, note these credentials:
- Account ID: abc123def456
- Client ID: aBcDeFgHiJkLmN
- Client Secret: 1234567890abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Click Continue

Add Scopes

On Scopes tab, add:

recording:read:admin - List recordings
recording:write:admin - Delete recordings

Click Continue → Activate

Get Your Credentials

Copy these three values:

Account ID
Client ID
Client Secret

Store securely: Create .env file (never commit to Git):

bash

1# .env
2ZOOM_ACCOUNT_ID=abc123def456
3ZOOM_CLIENT_ID=aBcDeFgHiJkLmN
4ZOOM_CLIENT_SECRET=1234567890abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

Step 2: Set Up Python Project

Create Project Structure

bash

1mkdir zoom-recording-downloader
2cd zoom-recording-downloader
3
4# Create directories
5mkdir recordings logs
6
7# Create files
8touch zoom_downloader.py
9touch .env
10touch .gitignore
11touch requirements.txt

Project structure:

Prompt

zoom-recording-downloader/
├── zoom_downloader.py      # Main script
├── .env                     # Credentials (DO NOT COMMIT)
├── .gitignore              # Git ignore file
├── requirements.txt        # Python dependencies
├── recordings/             # Downloaded recordings
│   ├── 2026-02/
│   │   ├── 2026-02-04_Team-Standup/
│   │   └── 2026-02-04_Client-Demo/
└── logs/                   # Activity logs
    └── zoom_downloads.log

Install Dependencies

requirements.txt:

txt

1requests==2.31.0
2pyjwt==2.8.0
3python-dotenv==1.0.0
4python-dateutil==2.8.2
5tqdm==4.66.1

Install:

bash

1pip install -r requirements.txt

Step 3: Build the Zoom Recording Downloader

Import Libraries

python

1# zoom_downloader.py
2import os
3import sys
4import requests
5import time
6import logging
7from datetime import datetime, timedelta
8from pathlib import Path
9from urllib.parse import urlencode
10from dotenv import load_dotenv
11from tqdm import tqdm
12
13# Load environment variables
14load_dotenv()
15
16# Configure logging
17logging.basicConfig(
18    level=logging.INFO,
19    format='%(asctime)s - %(levelname)s - %(message)s',
20    handlers=[
21        logging.FileHandler('logs/zoom_downloads.log'),
22        logging.StreamHandler(sys.stdout)
23    ]
24)
25logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)

Zoom API Authentication Class

python

1class ZoomAuth:
2    """Handle Zoom Server-to-Server OAuth authentication"""
3    
4    def __init__(self):
5        self.account_id = os.getenv('ZOOM_ACCOUNT_ID')
6        self.client_id = os.getenv('ZOOM_CLIENT_ID')
7        self.client_secret = os.getenv('ZOOM_CLIENT_SECRET')
8        self.access_token = None
9        self.token_expires_at = None
10        
11        if not all([self.account_id, self.client_id, self.client_secret]):
12            raise ValueError("Missing Zoom credentials in .env file")
13    
14    def get_access_token(self):
15        """Get or refresh access token"""
16        # Return cached token if still valid
17        if self.access_token and self.token_expires_at:
18            if datetime.now() < self.token_expires_at:
19                return self.access_token
20        
21        # Request new token
22        url = "https://zoom.us/oauth/token"
23        params = {
24            'grant_type': 'account_credentials',
25            'account_id': self.account_id
26        }
27        
28        response = requests.post(
29            url,
30            params=params,
31            auth=(self.client_id, self.client_secret),
32            headers={'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded'}
33        )
34        
35        if response.status_code != 200:
36            logger.error(f"Authentication failed: {response.text}")
37            raise Exception(f"Failed to get access token: {response.status_code}")
38        
39        data = response.json()
40        self.access_token = data['access_token']
41        # Token expires in 1 hour, refresh 5 minutes early
42        expires_in = data.get('expires_in', 3600) - 300
43        self.token_expires_at = datetime.now() + timedelta(seconds=expires_in)
44        
45        logger.info("Successfully authenticated with Zoom API")
46        return self.access_token

Zoom Recording Downloader Class

python

1class ZoomRecordingDownloader:
2    """Download and manage Zoom cloud recordings"""
3    
4    def __init__(self, download_dir='recordings'):
5        self.auth = ZoomAuth()
6        self.download_dir = Path(download_dir)
7        self.download_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
8        self.base_url = "https://api.zoom.us/v2"
9        self.downloaded_count = 0
10        self.deleted_count = 0
11        self.failed_count = 0
12    
13    def _get_headers(self):
14        """Get authorization headers"""
15        token = self.auth.get_access_token()
16        return {
17            'Authorization': f'Bearer {token}',
18            'Content-Type': 'application/json'
19        }
20    
21    def list_recordings(self, user_id='me', from_date=None, to_date=None):
22        """
23        List all cloud recordings for a user
24        
25        Args:
26            user_id: Zoom user ID or 'me' for current user
27            from_date: Start date (datetime object)
28            to_date: End date (datetime object)
29        
30        Returns:
31            List of recording objects
32        """
33        # Default: last 30 days
34        if not from_date:
35            from_date = datetime.now() - timedelta(days=30)
36        if not to_date:
37            to_date = datetime.now()
38        
39        url = f"{self.base_url}/users/{user_id}/recordings"
40        params = {
41            'from': from_date.strftime('%Y-%m-%d'),
42            'to': to_date.strftime('%Y-%m-%d'),
43            'page_size': 300
44        }
45        
46        all_recordings = []
47        next_page_token = None
48        
49        while True:
50            if next_page_token:
51                params['next_page_token'] = next_page_token
52            
53            response = requests.get(url, headers=self._get_headers(), params=params)
54            
55            if response.status_code != 200:
56                logger.error(f"Failed to list recordings: {response.text}")
57                break
58            
59            data = response.json()
60            meetings = data.get('meetings', [])
61            all_recordings.extend(meetings)
62            
63            logger.info(f"Found {len(meetings)} recordings in this batch")
64            
65            # Check for next page
66            next_page_token = data.get('next_page_token')
67            if not next_page_token:
68                break
69            
70            time.sleep(0.5)  # Rate limiting
71        
72        logger.info(f"Total recordings found: {len(all_recordings)}")
73        return all_recordings
74    
75    def download_recording(self, recording_file, meeting_info):
76        """
77        Download a single recording file
78        
79        Args:
80            recording_file: Recording file object from API
81            meeting_info: Meeting metadata
82        
83        Returns:
84            Path to downloaded file or None if failed
85        """
86        download_url = recording_file['download_url']
87        file_type = recording_file['file_type']
88        recording_type = recording_file.get('recording_type', 'unknown')
89        
90        # Get meeting details
91        meeting_topic = meeting_info.get('topic', 'Unknown Meeting')
92        meeting_date = meeting_info.get('start_time', '')
93        
94        # Parse date
95        try:
96            date_obj = datetime.fromisoformat(meeting_date.replace('Z', '+00:00'))
97            date_str = date_obj.strftime('%Y-%m-%d')
98            time_str = date_obj.strftime('%H-%M')
99        except:
100            date_str = 'unknown-date'
101            time_str = '00-00'
102        
103        # Sanitize meeting topic for filename
104        safe_topic = "".join(c if c.isalnum() or c in (' ', '-', '_') else '' for c in meeting_topic)
105        safe_topic = safe_topic.replace(' ', '-')[:50]  # Limit length
106        
107        # Create directory structure: recordings/2026-02/2026-02-04_Team-Standup/
108        month_dir = self.download_dir / date_str[:7]  # 2026-02
109        meeting_dir = month_dir / f"{date_str}_{safe_topic}"
110        meeting_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
111        
112        # Determine file extension
113        ext_map = {
114            'MP4': 'mp4',
115            'M4A': 'm4a',
116            'TIMELINE': 'json',
117            'TRANSCRIPT': 'vtt',
118            'CHAT': 'txt',
119            'CC': 'vtt'
120        }
121        ext = ext_map.get(file_type, 'bin')
122        
123        # Build filename: 2026-02-04_Team-Standup_15-00_video.mp4
124        type_label = recording_type.lower().replace('_', '-')
125        filename = f"{date_str}_{safe_topic}_{time_str}_{type_label}.{ext}"
126        filepath = meeting_dir / filename
127        
128        # Skip if already downloaded
129        if filepath.exists():
130            logger.info(f"Skipping (already exists): {filename}")
131            return filepath
132        
133        # Download file
134        try:
135            # Add access token to download URL
136            token = self.auth.get_access_token()
137            download_url_with_token = f"{download_url}?access_token={token}"
138            
139            logger.info(f"Downloading: {filename}")
140            
141            response = requests.get(download_url_with_token, stream=True)
142            response.raise_for_status()
143            
144            # Get file size for progress bar
145            total_size = int(response.headers.get('content-length', 0))
146            
147            # Download with progress bar
148            with open(filepath, 'wb') as f:
149                with tqdm(total=total_size, unit='B', unit_scale=True, desc=filename[:30]) as pbar:
150                    for chunk in response.iter_content(chunk_size=8192):
151                        if chunk:
152                            f.write(chunk)
153                            pbar.update(len(chunk))
154            
155            self.downloaded_count += 1
156            logger.info(f"Downloaded successfully: {filepath}")
157            return filepath
158            
159        except Exception as e:
160            logger.error(f"Failed to download {filename}: {str(e)}")
161            self.failed_count += 1
162            if filepath.exists():
163                filepath.unlink()  # Delete partial file
164            return None
165    
166    def download_all_recordings(self, days_back=30, delete_after_download=False):
167        """
168        Download all recordings from the last N days
169        
170        Args:
171            days_back: Number of days to look back (default: 30)
172            delete_after_download: Delete from Zoom cloud after download (default: False)
173        
174        Returns:
175            Summary statistics dict
176        """
177        logger.info(f"Starting download process for last {days_back} days")
178        
179        from_date = datetime.now() - timedelta(days=days_back)
180        recordings = self.list_recordings(from_date=from_date)
181        
182        if not recordings:
183            logger.info("No recordings found")
184            return {
185                'total_meetings': 0,
186                'downloaded': 0,
187                'deleted': 0,
188                'failed': 0
189            }
190        
191        # Process each meeting
192        for meeting in recordings:
193            meeting_id = meeting.get('uuid')
194            meeting_topic = meeting.get('topic', 'Unknown')
195            recording_files = meeting.get('recording_files', [])
196            
197            if not recording_files:
198                logger.info(f"No files for meeting: {meeting_topic}")
199                continue
200            
201            logger.info(f"\nProcessing meeting: {meeting_topic} ({len(recording_files)} files)")
202            
203            # Download all files for this meeting
204            downloaded_files = []
205            for rec_file in recording_files:
206                # Skip trash files
207                if rec_file.get('status') == 'trash':
208                    continue
209                
210                filepath = self.download_recording(rec_file, meeting)
211                if filepath:
212                    downloaded_files.append(filepath)
213            
214            # Delete from cloud if requested and all files downloaded successfully
215            if delete_after_download and len(downloaded_files) == len(recording_files):
216                self.delete_recording(meeting_id, meeting_topic)
217            
218            time.sleep(1)  # Rate limiting between meetings
219        
220        # Summary
221        summary = {
222            'total_meetings': len(recordings),
223            'downloaded': self.downloaded_count,
224            'deleted': self.deleted_count,
225            'failed': self.failed_count
226        }
227        
228        logger.info("\n" + "="*50)
229        logger.info("Download Summary:")
230        logger.info(f"  Total meetings: {summary['total_meetings']}")
231        logger.info(f"  Files downloaded: {summary['downloaded']}")
232        logger.info(f"  Files deleted from cloud: {summary['deleted']}")
233        logger.info(f"  Failed downloads: {summary['failed']}")
234        logger.info("="*50)
235        
236        return summary
237    
238    def delete_recording(self, meeting_uuid, meeting_topic):
239        """
240        Delete recording from Zoom cloud
241        
242        Args:
243            meeting_uuid: Meeting UUID
244            meeting_topic: Meeting topic for logging
245        """
246        url = f"{self.base_url}/meetings/{meeting_uuid}/recordings"
247        
248        try:
249            response = requests.delete(
250                url,
251                headers=self._get_headers(),
252                params={'action': 'trash'}  # Move to trash (recoverable for 30 days)
253            )
254            
255            if response.status_code == 204:
256                self.deleted_count += 1
257                logger.info(f"Deleted from cloud: {meeting_topic}")
258            else:
259                logger.error(f"Failed to delete {meeting_topic}: {response.text}")
260                
261        except Exception as e:
262            logger.error(f"Error deleting {meeting_topic}: {str(e)}")

Main Execution Script

python

1def main():
2    """Main execution function"""
3    print("Zoom Recording Downloader")
4    print("=" * 50)
5    
6    try:
7        downloader = ZoomRecordingDownloader(download_dir='recordings')
8        
9        # Configuration
10        DAYS_BACK = 30  # Download recordings from last 30 days
11        DELETE_AFTER_DOWNLOAD = False  # Set to True to auto-delete from cloud
12        
13        # Run download
14        summary = downloader.download_all_recordings(
15            days_back=DAYS_BACK,
16            delete_after_download=DELETE_AFTER_DOWNLOAD
17        )
18        
19        # Success
20        print("\n✓ Download completed successfully!")
21        print(f"  Downloaded {summary['downloaded']} files")
22        print(f"  Check recordings/ directory for files")
23        
24        return 0
25        
26    except Exception as e:
27        logger.error(f"Fatal error: {str(e)}")
28        print(f"\n✗ Error: {str(e)}")
29        return 1
30
31if __name__ == '__main__':
32    sys.exit(main())

Step 4: Run the Script

First Run

bash

1python zoom_downloader.py

Expected output:

Prompt

Zoom Recording Downloader
==================================================
2026-02-04 10:30:15 - INFO - Successfully authenticated with Zoom API
2026-02-04 10:30:16 - INFO - Found 15 recordings in this batch
2026-02-04 10:30:16 - INFO - Total recordings found: 15

Processing meeting: Weekly Team Standup (3 files)
2026-02-04 10:30:17 - INFO - Downloading: 2026-02-03_Weekly-Team-Standup_09-00_shared-screen.mp4
2026-02-03_Weekly-Team-Standup: 100%|████████| 145MB/145MB [00:32<00:00, 4.5MB/s]
2026-02-04 10:30:50 - INFO - Downloaded successfully: recordings/2026-02/2026-02-03_Weekly-Team-Standup/2026-02-03_Weekly-Team-Standup_09-00_shared-screen.mp4

...

==================================================
Download Summary:
  Total meetings: 15
  Files downloaded: 42
  Files deleted from cloud: 0
  Failed downloads: 0
==================================================

✓ Download completed successfully!
  Downloaded 42 files
  Check recordings/ directory for files

Check Downloaded Files

bash

1ls -R recordings/
2
3recordings/2026-02:
42026-02-03_Weekly-Team-Standup
52026-02-04_Client-Demo
6
7recordings/2026-02/2026-02-03_Weekly-Team-Standup:
82026-02-03_Weekly-Team-Standup_09-00_gallery-view.mp4
92026-02-03_Weekly-Team-Standup_09-00_shared-screen.mp4
102026-02-03_Weekly-Team-Standup_09-00_audio-only.m4a
112026-02-03_Weekly-Team-Standup_09-00_chat.txt

Perfect organization! Each meeting in its own folder, files clearly named.

Step 5: Schedule Automatic Downloads

Option 1: Cron (Linux/Mac)

Run every Monday at 9 AM:

bash

1# Edit crontab
2crontab -e
3
4# Add this line
50 9 * * 1 cd /path/to/zoom-recording-downloader && /usr/bin/python3 zoom_downloader.py

Option 2: Windows Task Scheduler

Open Task Scheduler
Create Basic Task
Trigger: Weekly, Monday, 9:00 AM
Action: Start a program
Program: C:\Python39\python.exe
Arguments: C:\path\to\zoom_downloader.py
Start in: C:\path\to\zoom-recording-downloader

Option 3: Python Schedule Library

Add to script for built-in scheduling:

python

1import schedule
2
3def scheduled_job():
4    """Run weekly on Monday"""
5    downloader = ZoomRecordingDownloader()
6    downloader.download_all_recordings(days_back=7)
7
8# Schedule every Monday at 9 AM
9schedule.every().monday.at("09:00").do(scheduled_job)
10
11# Keep script running
12while True:
13    schedule.run_pending()
14    time.sleep(60)

Run once, it handles scheduling:

bash

1python zoom_downloader.py

Advanced Features

Feature 1: Email Notifications

Send summary email after downloads:

python

1import smtplib
2from email.mime.text import MIMEText
3from email.mime.multipart import MIMEMultipart
4
5def send_summary_email(summary, recipient='you@company.com'):
6    """Send download summary via email"""
7    sender = os.getenv('EMAIL_ADDRESS')
8    password = os.getenv('EMAIL_PASSWORD')
9    
10    subject = f"Zoom Recordings Downloaded: {summary['downloaded']} files"
11    
12    body = f"""
13    Zoom Recording Download Summary
14    
15    Total meetings processed: {summary['total_meetings']}
16    Files downloaded: {summary['downloaded']}
17    Files deleted from cloud: {summary['deleted']}
18    Failed downloads: {summary['failed']}
19    
20    Check recordings/ directory for files.
21    """
22    
23    msg = MIMEMultipart()
24    msg['From'] = sender
25    msg['To'] = recipient
26    msg['Subject'] = subject
27    msg.attach(MIMEText(body, 'plain'))
28    
29    try:
30        with smtplib.SMTP('smtp.gmail.com', 587) as server:
31            server.starttls()
32            server.login(sender, password)
33            server.send_message(msg)
34        logger.info(f"Summary email sent to {recipient}")
35    except Exception as e:
36        logger.error(f"Failed to send email: {str(e)}")

Add to .env:

bash

1EMAIL_ADDRESS=your-email@gmail.com
2EMAIL_PASSWORD=your-app-password

Feature 2: Upload to Cloud Storage

Automatically backup to AWS S3, Google Drive, or Dropbox:

python

1import boto3
2
3def upload_to_s3(local_file, bucket='my-zoom-recordings'):
4    """Upload recording to S3"""
5    s3 = boto3.client('s3')
6    s3_key = f"recordings/{local_file.name}"
7    
8    try:
9        s3.upload_file(str(local_file), bucket, s3_key)
10        logger.info(f"Uploaded to S3: {s3_key}")
11        return True
12    except Exception as e:
13        logger.error(f"S3 upload failed: {str(e)}")
14        return False

Feature 3: Transcription with Whisper

Auto-transcribe recordings using OpenAI Whisper:

python

1import whisper
2
3def transcribe_recording(video_file):
4    """Transcribe video using Whisper"""
5    model = whisper.load_model("base")
6    result = model.transcribe(str(video_file))
7    
8    # Save transcript
9    transcript_file = video_file.with_suffix('.txt')
10    with open(transcript_file, 'w') as f:
11        f.write(result['text'])
12    
13    logger.info(f"Transcribed: {transcript_file.name}")
14    return transcript_file

Feature 4: Filter by Meeting Name

Download only specific meetings:

python

1def download_filtered_recordings(self, meeting_filter):
2    """Download only meetings matching filter
3    
4    Args:
5        meeting_filter: String to match in meeting topic (case-insensitive)
6    """
7    recordings = self.list_recordings()
8    
9    filtered = [
10        rec for rec in recordings
11        if meeting_filter.lower() in rec.get('topic', '').lower()
12    ]
13    
14    logger.info(f"Found {len(filtered)} meetings matching '{meeting_filter}'")
15    
16    for meeting in filtered:
17        # Download logic...

Usage:

python

1downloader.download_filtered_recordings(meeting_filter="Client Call")

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue 1: Authentication Failed

Error: Failed to get access token: 401

Solutions:

Verify credentials in .env file
Ensure Server-to-Server OAuth app is activated in Zoom Marketplace
Check that scopes include recording:read:admin
Regenerate Client ID/Secret if needed

Issue 2: No Recordings Found

Error: Total recordings found: 0

Solutions:

Verify you have cloud recordings in your account
Check date range (default: last 30 days)
Ensure you're using correct user ID (try 'me')
Check if recordings are in trash

Issue 3: Download URL Expired

Error: Failed to download: 400 Bad Request

Solution: Download URLs expire after 24 hours. Script automatically refreshes tokens, but if you stored URLs for later, they won't work.

Issue 4: Rate Limiting

Error: 429 Too Many Requests

Solution: Script includes rate limiting (time.sleep(1)). If hit limits, increase delays or reduce page size.

Issue 5: Permission Denied

Error: FileNotFoundError or Permission denied

Solutions:

Ensure recordings/ directory exists and is writable
Check file path length (Windows has 260 character limit)
Run with appropriate permissions

Security Best Practices

1. Never commit credentials

bash

1# .gitignore
2.env
3*.log
4recordings/

2. Use environment variables

Store secrets in .env
Never hardcode credentials in code
Use different credentials for dev/prod

3. Limit API scope

Only request necessary scopes
Don't use admin credentials if user credentials work

4. Secure downloaded files

Set appropriate file permissions
Encrypt sensitive recordings
Delete from cloud only after verifying downloads

5. Rotate credentials regularly

Change Client Secret every 90 days
Monitor API usage for anomalies

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I download recordings from other users' accounts?

Yes, if you have admin access. Change user_id='me' to user_id='email@company.com' or iterate through all users:

python

1# Get all users first
2url = f"{self.base_url}/users"
3users_response = requests.get(url, headers=self._get_headers())
4users = users_response.json()['users']
5
6# Download recordings for each user
7for user in users:
8    self.list_recordings(user_id=user['id'])

What file formats does Zoom use for recordings?

Video: MP4 (H.264 codec)
Audio: M4A (AAC codec)
Chat: TXT (plain text)
Transcript: VTT (WebVTT format)
Timeline: JSON (meeting metadata)

How much storage do I need?

Typical file sizes:

1 hour video (720p): ~400-800 MB
1 hour video (1080p): ~1-2 GB
1 hour audio: ~50-100 MB
Chat/transcript: <1 MB

Calculate: meetings_per_week × avg_duration × avg_size × 52 weeks

Example: 10 meetings/week × 1 hour × 500 MB = 260 GB/year

Can I run this on a schedule without keeping my computer on?

Yes, several options:

Cloud server: Run script on AWS EC2, DigitalOcean, etc.
GitHub Actions: Free scheduled workflows
Cloud functions: AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions
Heroku: Free tier with scheduler add-on

Does this work with Zoom Webinars?

Yes! The API works identically for meetings and webinars. Webinar recordings are retrieved the same way.

What happens if a download fails midway?

Script uses streaming downloads with progress bars. If interrupted:

Partial file is deleted automatically
Re-run script to retry failed downloads
Already-downloaded files are skipped (checks if file exists)

Next Steps and Enhancements

Once you have the basic script working, consider:

Database tracking: Store download metadata in SQLite
Video processing: Auto-generate thumbnails, trim silence
Content analysis: Use AI to summarize meetings, extract action items
Team sharing: Auto-upload to shared folder (SharePoint, Google Drive)
Compliance: Add retention policies, auto-delete after X days
Analytics: Track meeting duration, attendance, recording usage
Notifications: Slack/Teams alerts when new recordings available
Multi-account: Manage recordings across multiple Zoom accounts

Conclusion

Key takeaways:

Zoom API makes cloud recordings easily accessible
Python automation saves hours of manual work
Proper organization prevents file chaos
Scheduling ensures you never forget to download
Advanced features like transcription add even more value

Set up the script once, schedule it to run weekly, and forget about it. Your recordings are backed up automatically.

Time saved: 26+ hours per year
Setup time: 30 minutes
ROI: Positive within 2 weeks

Automate Zoom Recording Downloads with Python: Complete Script

What You'll Build

Prerequisites

Understanding the Zoom Cloud Recording API

How Zoom Recordings Work

Zoom Cloud Recording API

Authentication: JWT vs OAuth 2.0

Step 1: Create Zoom Server-to-Server OAuth App

Create the App

Configure App Credentials

Add Scopes

Get Your Credentials

Step 2: Set Up Python Project

Create Project Structure

Install Dependencies

Step 3: Build the Zoom Recording Downloader

Import Libraries

Zoom API Authentication Class

Zoom Recording Downloader Class

Main Execution Script

Step 4: Run the Script

First Run

Check Downloaded Files

Step 5: Schedule Automatic Downloads

Option 1: Cron (Linux/Mac)

Option 2: Windows Task Scheduler

Option 3: Python Schedule Library

Advanced Features

Feature 1: Email Notifications

Feature 2: Upload to Cloud Storage

Feature 3: Transcription with Whisper

Feature 4: Filter by Meeting Name

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue 1: Authentication Failed

Issue 2: No Recordings Found

Issue 3: Download URL Expired

Issue 4: Rate Limiting

Issue 5: Permission Denied

Security Best Practices

Frequently Asked Questions

Next Steps and Enhancements

Conclusion

Share this article

Automate Zoom Recording Downloads with Python: Complete Script

What You'll Build

Prerequisites

Understanding the Zoom Cloud Recording API

How Zoom Recordings Work

Zoom Cloud Recording API

Authentication: JWT vs OAuth 2.0

Step 1: Create Zoom Server-to-Server OAuth App

Create the App

Configure App Credentials

Add Scopes

Get Your Credentials

Step 2: Set Up Python Project

Create Project Structure

Install Dependencies

Step 3: Build the Zoom Recording Downloader

Import Libraries

Zoom API Authentication Class

Zoom Recording Downloader Class

Main Execution Script

Step 4: Run the Script

First Run

Check Downloaded Files

Step 5: Schedule Automatic Downloads

Option 1: Cron (Linux/Mac)

Option 2: Windows Task Scheduler

Option 3: Python Schedule Library

Advanced Features

Feature 1: Email Notifications

Feature 2: Upload to Cloud Storage

Feature 3: Transcription with Whisper

Feature 4: Filter by Meeting Name

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue 1: Authentication Failed

Issue 2: No Recordings Found

Issue 3: Download URL Expired

Issue 4: Rate Limiting