Agree the use before recording
When planning to record a virtual keynote, describe what you want to do with the recording and obtain agreement from the speaker or their representative. A private internal replay and a publicly available promotional video are different uses.
Use this page as a checklist for the booking discussion. Your agreed terms and relevant professional advice govern the actual rights and obligations.
Questions to put in writing
- May the session be recorded, and who will make the recording?
- Who may view it: attendees, all employees or an external audience?
- How long may it be available, and where will it be hosted?
- Are downloads, edits, extracts or social clips permitted?
- May captions, transcripts or translations be created and distributed?
- Is approval required before publishing any version?
- What happens to the files when the agreed access period ends?
Include questions and audience contributions
Decide whether attendee names, video, chat and questions appear in the recording. Give attendees clear information about the event’s recording arrangements. Ask the production team what the platform captures and whether a speaker-only version is possible.
If questions include confidential organisational information, agree how they will be handled before a replay is distributed. Do not assume that removing the chat panel removes every participant contribution.
Plan accessible playback
If a replay is part of the agreed offer, plan the supporting captions or transcript and the process for checking them. Automated captions can need correction, especially for names and specialist terms. Make sure the agreed permissions cover the versions you intend to provide.
The W3C guidance on accessible audio and video explains the different roles of captions, transcripts and description.
Put someone in charge of the replay
Name an owner for publication, access control and removal at the end of the agreed period. Record where the approved files are stored and who can make changes. This makes the replay plan operational rather than a vague promise in the event brief.
Describe the intended use before asking for permission
“Can we record it?” is incomplete. Explain whether you want employees to watch a full session for a defined period, customers to access it through an event portal, or short extracts for public promotion. Those are different uses. Ask the speaker or representative to confirm what is agreed in writing.
Discuss whether the recording includes questions, chat, participant names and the host’s remarks. An audience question may contain internal information that should not appear in a broader replay. Agree who checks the final file and who controls its distribution.
A practical replay handover
| Item | What to record |
|---|---|
| Audience | Who may access the replay and how access is controlled. |
| Availability | Start and end dates for the agreed access period. |
| Version | Which approved file, captions and accompanying material are used. |
| Editing | Whether cuts, extracts or other changes are agreed. |
| Owner | Who publishes, corrects and removes access when required. |
This is an operational checklist, not a substitute for the agreement. If permission is unclear, resolve it before distributing the file. A platform’s record button only establishes a technical capability.
Preserve the meaning when the talk becomes a recording
An excerpt can omit a qualification or answer that makes the original point clear. Keep any proposed cut in context and follow the agreed review process. If a chart or statistic is discussed, retain its date and source in the accompanying material.
Check the actual replay as a viewer: can they hear both speaker and questions, read the important content and access the promised material? Fix a wrong label or missing segment before sharing the link. If a portion cannot be published, explain the omission appropriately instead of implying the recording is complete.