Group video chat with optional call-in only
January 16, 2020 11:35 AM Subscribe
What free service can I use where I can video chat with 3-4 people at the same time, but have 2-3 other people call-in only so they can listen in?
I have will be doing interviews casting for a video, and only want the interviewee, producer, and creative director to be able to be seen and heard on screen. But there are two other people that need to listen in, who I don't want to be visible or audible at all. Yes all parties will be aware of and consenting to all people present, I just don't want the interviewee to be overwhelmed with a bunch of strangers' faces on screen as we will be talking about sensitive subject matter.
I need this to be a free service so the interviewee doesn't have to pay to participate, but I do have access to my company's microsoft teams (is that only for subscribed internal users though? can people outside of the company video in?) as well as google hangouts (does it have this capability?), and my personal skype account (can people call-in only?).
Super importantly, I need this service to be able to record the whole interview for later viewing.
What would you recommend for this? Any help would be appreciated!
I have will be doing interviews casting for a video, and only want the interviewee, producer, and creative director to be able to be seen and heard on screen. But there are two other people that need to listen in, who I don't want to be visible or audible at all. Yes all parties will be aware of and consenting to all people present, I just don't want the interviewee to be overwhelmed with a bunch of strangers' faces on screen as we will be talking about sensitive subject matter.
I need this to be a free service so the interviewee doesn't have to pay to participate, but I do have access to my company's microsoft teams (is that only for subscribed internal users though? can people outside of the company video in?) as well as google hangouts (does it have this capability?), and my personal skype account (can people call-in only?).
Super importantly, I need this service to be able to record the whole interview for later viewing.
What would you recommend for this? Any help would be appreciated!
Zoom allows participants to either video or call in - the names (or phone numbers) of call-in participants will show up on the screen, but no faces. (You can also join a Zoom meeting online and opt to use audio-only and no video).
posted by pemberkins at 11:45 AM on January 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by pemberkins at 11:45 AM on January 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
Zoom also offers recording, but only on paid accounts, not free ones. To be clear, it's free for anyone to call in. The account is paid for only by the account holder. (You, I presume.)
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 11:53 AM on January 16, 2020
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 11:53 AM on January 16, 2020
We use Zoom for this (mixed video and call-in), although I'm not sure if they offer a recording option.
posted by widdershins at 12:20 PM on January 16, 2020
posted by widdershins at 12:20 PM on January 16, 2020
Paid Zoom (you pay for an account, everyone else joins your meeting for free) records. Mine is Enterprise and I'm not sure if this comes with all versions, but it also transcribes to text and renders a video that plays side by side with the transcription.
But you can do this (minus recording, I'm not sure who besides GoToMeeting and Zoom do that) with any conference service that offers call-in numbers, which many do. The people who need to be on video be on video, others call in or join by audio only. Skype and GoToMeeting do, at least, I'm not sure about Google.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:27 PM on January 16, 2020
But you can do this (minus recording, I'm not sure who besides GoToMeeting and Zoom do that) with any conference service that offers call-in numbers, which many do. The people who need to be on video be on video, others call in or join by audio only. Skype and GoToMeeting do, at least, I'm not sure about Google.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:27 PM on January 16, 2020
Yep, Zoom can do this, including the recording & call-in feature. Zoom is also the most reliable rock-solid videoconferencing software out there IMO.
posted by suedehead at 1:37 PM on January 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by suedehead at 1:37 PM on January 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
Zoom can do this, AND compromise the security of any Macs on the call, so be careful with that. I know they say they fixed it, but it wasn't so much an "oops" as a deliberate choice they made about designing the Mac client that put their interests ahead of customer security.
posted by uberchet at 3:24 PM on January 16, 2020
posted by uberchet at 3:24 PM on January 16, 2020
We use Zoom a lot at my workplace, and we've never had any performance issues at all. One absolutely can call in by phone without using the camera -- I do that often when I'm dressed for later-on yoga but need to join a conference call. BUT ... HEADS UP ... double-check because I think the free version limits a 3+ group call to 30 or 40 minutes, then cuts everybody off. You might not need that much time, but just something to think about at the outset.
posted by mccxxiii at 9:03 PM on January 16, 2020
posted by mccxxiii at 9:03 PM on January 16, 2020
Yes, I got caught out with that on a Zoom call with two people, as I had a dangling dialed-in session that had somehow stuck around, and Zoom thought we were three people and cut us off at 30 minutes.
posted by BungaDunga at 9:41 PM on January 16, 2020
posted by BungaDunga at 9:41 PM on January 16, 2020
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posted by kevinbelt at 11:44 AM on January 16, 2020 [2 favorites]