This time last year, you may not have heard of Zoom, or maybe you turned to the platform once in a blue moon. However, if you’re like us, once the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Zoom became an everyday tool, not only for work but also to communicate with friends and family…from a distance. At this point, you’re probably a Zoom Pro and have likely even downloaded a series of backgrounds to go with your virtual conversations. But, how do you know if you’re utilizing the right Zoom license to best fit your workflow needs? Rest assured we have your back. We’re here to help you figure out which Zoom license is right for you.  

Zoom Options – Free or Paid

1) Non-Licensed Users

A Basic user is a user without a paid license. This user can host meetings with up to 100 participants, however, if three or more participants join, the meeting will time out after 40 minutes. Additionally, Basic users cannot utilize user and account add-ons such as a large meeting, webinar, or conference room connector. We recommend the Basic option for personal or social use. It’s a great way to keep in touch with your friends and family while we ride out the rest of this pandemic.

2) Licensed Users

A Licensed user is a paid account user who can host unlimited meetings on the public cloud. Compared to non-licensed users, paid licensed users have these additional features available:

  • Customize Personal Meeting ID.
  • Record to the Zoom cloud.
  • Assign an alternative host and allow others to schedule meetings.
  • Utilize account add-ons such as a conference room connector.
  • Be assigned user add-ons such as a large meeting, webinar, or personal audio conference.

There are three different options in regard to paid Zoom licenses. The first option is the Pro license, which is an ideal solution for small teams. With a meeting duration limit of 24 hours, Pro users have access to user management and admin feature controls. There is also an option to purchase up to nine hosts per account, whereas the Basic plan is restricted to one host per account.

Next up is the Business license, which is an ideal option for small to medium size businesses.  Where Basic and Pro are limited to 100 participants, the Business option includes 300 participants, which is a great option for webinar applications. Our favorite feature of the Business plan is the option for customization. You can add your company’s branding to your own customized page where attendees go to join a meeting. You can also create a branded email template to send customized invites to attendees as well as a unique URL (yourcompany.zoom.us).

Lastly, there’s the Enterprise license, which is ideal for large corporations and educational facilities. With unlimited cloud storage, Enterprise includes 500 participants, and for a step beyond, Enterprise Plus includes 1,000 participants. Enterprise users will be matched with a dedicated customer success manager to ensure your platform is always running smoothly. Additionally, this license option offers bundle discounts on Webinar and Zoom Rooms–which will bring us to our next point….

 


Zoom Rooms

Aside from the fact that it sounds super cool, Zoom Rooms are smart conference rooms that make it easy to run or join video meetings with a tap of a button. With Zoom Rooms, users can seamlessly start a meeting, schedule a meeting and share content with attendees. A Zoom Room utilizes its own PC and hardware, allowing the platform to always be “online” and available to employees. Its native DSP audio processing offers reliable and high-quality audio to enhance the video conferencing experience. Our favorite features of Zoom Rooms include its HD video quality, one-touch to join, one-click wireless sharing capabilities and powerful meeting security to ensure disruption-free sessions.


Let’s Talk Audio

We know what you have to say is important, and we don’t want to miss a word. Combine Zoom’s cloud platform with a microphone best suited to fit your needs in order to enhance the audio quality of your meetings. At MXL, we have a range of Unified Communication (UCC) microphones that feature USB plug-and-play compatibility with any Mac or PC.

For your individual collaboration needs, our go-to mics are the MXL AC-404 and AC-44. For Zoom Rooms specifically, check out the MXL AC-360-Z V2.

The AC-404 features a three-capsule design for 25-ft. audio pickup range in a 180° arc, and the AC-404-Z variant comes with an installation kit specific for Zoom Rooms. For a more hip aesthetic, the AC-404-LED  features eight preset color modes, offering a cool range of customizable options including white, yellow, red, green, blue, purple, magenta, and auto-blend. Perfect for limited space applications, such as your work from home setup, the AC-44 offers pristine audio quality in a compact design.

Designed for use in corporate communication settings, the AC-360-Z V2 is compatible only with licensed Zoom Rooms software and features 360° of audio pickup for a 25-ft. range. MXL continues to work alongside the Zoom team and tailors its products to work seamlessly with Zoom’s DSP audio processing. This brand partnership also allows customers to take advantage of some exclusive Zoom features, including the upcoming Speaker Switch system. As daily Zoom users ourselves, we are more excited than ever to continue to grow our Zoom-compatible product line.

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