Zoom is a recent addition to many people’s lives, and Folklore Village is hosting most of its online events over this videoconferencing platform. If you’ve got questions about how to use Zoom, you are not alone!

This guide covers connecting to a Zoom meeting on a computer, on a smartphone, and calling into a meeting with audio only; troubleshooting sound quality; and sharing your screen during a meeting.

Getting started
When you register for one of Folklore Village’s Zoom events, you will receive an email with the following information: an internet link (URL), a phone number, a meeting ID, and a password. Each of these pieces of information can help you get connected with the meeting in different ways.

Different ways to access: computer, smartphone, & audio call
If you are on a computer, the easiest way to access the meeting will be to click the link you were sent. When you click it, another internet window should open and a pop-up should appear that says “Launch Meeting.” Click “Open Link.” The meeting should appear for you automatically.

If you already have the Zoom program downloaded on your computer, you can also join the meeting using the meeting ID and the password you were sent. Open the Zoom program and click “Join a Meeting.” Enter the meeting ID you were provided and the name you would like to appear under in the meeting. Then click “Join.” You will then be directed to enter the password you were provided. Enter the password and then click “Join” again. You are now in the meeting!

Computer sound
When you first enter the meeting, you will be presented with a box asking you to “Chose ONE of the audio conference options.” Most people click “Join With Computer Audio” and find that it works well. You can also click “Test Speaker and Microphone” to see how your sound quality is before you enter the call. Other people like to call into the meeting on a phone, if the sound quality through their computer is not great. If you would like to do this, click the tab “Phone Call,” and you will receive instructions for calling into the meeting. You can also see the section further down describing how to call into a meeting with audio only for further instructions.

Below is a video describing how to access a Zoom call on your computer. The video also discusses other basic Zoom functions, like turning your video camera on and off and muting and unmuting your sound.

If you are on a smartphone, you may need to download the Zoom application in order to join the meeting. Go to your phone’s app store to find the Zoom application, which you can download for free. Then you can click the link you were sent. An internet browser window will open. Click “Launch meeting” and you will redirected to the Zoom application, which will then open the meeting.

You can also join manually using the meeting ID and password. Open the Zoom application you downloaded and enter the meeting ID and name you would like to appear under in the meeting. Click “Join.” Then enter the password you were provided and click “Join.” You should now be in the meeting.

Smartphone sound
No matter which way you join, a button should come up once you enter the meeting on your phone that says “To hear others please join audio.” You can click “Call Over Internet” or “Dial in.” Either option will work, however some smartphone users find that the “Call Over Internet” option gives them poor sound quality, and they prefer to dial in. If you click “Dial in,” you will be redirected to a page with some phone numbers. Click one of the phone numbers, and your phone will automatically call into the Zoom meeting. Put the phone on speakerphone and then return to the Zoom application. You should now be able to hear and see everything.

Here’s a video describing how to access Zoom meetings on your phone. The video also discusses other basic Zoom functions, like turning your video camera on and off and muting and unmuting your sound.

If you are calling into a meeting (audio only), you will use the phone number you were sent along with the meeting ID and password. Call the number you were sent, and then enter the meeting ID followed by #; then 0#; and then the password you were sent followed by #. You should now be connected to the meeting by audio.

Troubleshooting sound quality
If you are having trouble with sound on a computer or smartphone, please see the “Computer sound” and “Smartphone sound” sections in the “Different ways to access” section above.

Playing music on Zoom
If you are going to be singing or playing an instrument on Zoom, you will want to adjust your settings to improve your sound quality. Here is a video showing how to adjust your sound settings for music on a computer:

And here’s a video showing how to adjust your sound settings for music on a smartphone or tablet:

Sharing your screen
The video below will walk you through sharing your screen during a Zoom meeting. The video also discusses how to change your sound settings so that you can share sound from a video or audio clip on your screen.

We hope this guide has been helpful! If you have more questions, please call (608) 924-4000 or email programs@folklorevillage.org.