Zoom Backgrounds

Synopsis

Today, more people than ever work from home. It's likely that you are also forced to invite clients, superiors and colleagues virtually into your kitchen or living room. To help you keep your privacy, but also, to improve your virtual-meetings game and eliminate distractions in the background, we created our Zoom Backgrounds with Images and Videos collection.

Questions and answers

What are some ways to improve the quality of my Zoom meetings?

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There are several ways to improve the quality of your Zoom meetings. First, ensure you have a stable internet connection to avoid disruptions. Second, use a good quality camera and microphone for clear audio and video. Third, use proper lighting so that you are clearly visible. Fourth, minimize background noise by choosing a quiet location or using noise-cancelling headphones. Fifth, use the mute button when you're not speaking to avoid background noise from your end. Lastly, consider using a virtual background to maintain your privacy and minimize distractions in the background.

How has the increase in work from home affected virtual meetings?

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The increase in work from home has significantly affected virtual meetings. Firstly, it has led to a surge in the usage of virtual meeting platforms like Zoom. Secondly, it has brought about new challenges such as maintaining professionalism in a home setting, managing distractions, and ensuring privacy. To address these issues, many people have started using virtual backgrounds to keep their personal spaces private and minimize distractions during the meetings.

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Highlights

When choosing a background, stay away from intricate, complex patterns that can strain the eye, hypnotic patterns that play tricks on the eye and too many overly-bright colors, like neons, experts at Shutterstock say.

Also, think about how other people, especially your boss and colleagues, will respond to your choice and consider visual limitations. This might be your chance to add to your professional reputation or personal brand.

Overview

The Virtual Background feature allows you to display an image or video as your background during a Zoom Meeting. This feature works best with a physical green screen and uniform lighting to allow Zoom to detect the difference between you and your background, according to the Zoom official website.

Below are some limitations and dimensions to keep in mind, when choosing backgrounds, according to Zoom.

For background images:

• There are no size restrictions when adding your own virtual backgrounds, but we recommend cropping the image to match the aspect ratio of your camera before uploading it. Example: If your camera is set to 16:9, an image of 1280 by 720 pixels or 1920 by 1080 pixels would work well.
• If you're not sure about your camera aspect ratio, use a background image with a minimum resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels.

For background videos:

• A video (MP4 or MOV file) with a minimum resolution of 480 by 360 pixels (360p) and a maximum resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p).

Instructions

To enable Virtual Background, follow these simple steps, provided by Zoom.

Expert advice

"Investors Business Daily" had recently picked a few "juicy" brains from Google, YouTube and other prominent companies on how they hold productive and professional Zoom meetings. Here is what the experts shared:

Deborah Shames, co-founder of Eloqui

"Stand close to one another when there are two people in the same frame, meaning on the same laptop camera. And while the other person is talking, make sure to look at them. The person talking should, of course, look directly at the camera. Looking down makes the attendees wonder what you're looking at." Shames continues: "Also, don't eat during the session. Keep a glass of room-temperature water nearby, though, or a cup of warm tea or coffee. To protect your voice, avoid dairy products, peanut butter and bananas, which give your voice a sticky quality. What's better? Grapes are terrific for lubricating your voice."

Questions and answers

How can grapes be beneficial during a Zoom meeting?

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Grapes can be beneficial during a Zoom meeting as they are terrific for lubricating your voice. This can be particularly useful if you're speaking for extended periods during the meeting. However, it's recommended not to eat during the session, so it would be best to consume them prior to the start of the meeting.

Why should one avoid dairy products, peanut butter and bananas during a Zoom meeting?

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One should avoid dairy products, peanut butter, and bananas during a Zoom meeting because they can give your voice a sticky quality. This can affect the clarity of your speech during the meeting. It's recommended to keep a glass of room-temperature water nearby, or a cup of warm tea or coffee. Grapes are also suggested as they are terrific for lubricating your voice.

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Pete Lancia, Vice President of Marketing, Qualcomm

"Don't just use technology, leverage it. Keep the in-person feel with social media so participants are engaged."

Nikki Garvey, head of ads and YouTube events and experiences at Google

"Livestreams rightfully earned their place as a way to match the reach of in-person gatherings. But just because a conference turns into a digital event doesn't mean it has to be done live."

Melissa Di Donato, CEO of Suse

"Be ready to quickly change your plans along with conditions. That's a must in the digital age when coronavirus rules are shifting."