Audio Recording

Last updated
Save as PDF

Overview

This article outlines audio recording capabilities on Cisco Meraki MV smart cameras.

Pre-requisites

For cameras that use an external microphone (MV52), connect the microphone to the audio input cable.

For optimal performance, run the latest available firmware version. Minimum firmware versions required for audio recording on specific cameras are:

MV2: version 4.14
MV63/MV93: version 5.1

Enabling audio recording

Certain jurisdictions regulate or prohibit audio recording. The camera operator is responsible for complying with all applicable laws.

Enabling audio recording reduces the video bitrate by 64 kbps to avoid affecting the video retention period.

Navigate to Cameras > Monitor > Cameras.
Select the desired camera from the camera list.
On the Settings tab, select Quality and Retention.
Toggle Audio recording to Enabled.

This image is displayed to guide users on enabling audio recording for a selected camera.

MV cameras with audio recording enabled display a purple LED on the camera unit, giving a physical status indicator that audio recording is active.

Audio playback capabilities

Audio playback is supported when streaming live or historical video on the Meraki dashboard, as well as in the playback of exported footage.

Audio playback is also available on video walls. To access audio playback on a video wall:

Navigate to a video wall.
Right-click the video tile for which audio playback is required.
Click Show all controls.
Click the speaker icon and slider to change the volume or mute and unmute the audio stream. If audio recording is disabled, the speaker icon is grayed out.

The following image shows the speaker icon grayed out on a tile in a video wall:

The image is displayed to show the audio option for a video wall tile, indicating that the audio option is grayed out when audio recording is disabled.

There may be a slight delay in audio playback when viewing video with audio recording enabled.

Effective recording range

The environment where the camera is placed greatly affects the effective recording range. In a quiet room, the microphone can capture conversations up to 10 feet away. Audio recorded beyond 10 feet may be difficult to hear. In a noisy room, conversations may be inaudible even at distances less than 10 feet.