Home/Glossary/Zoom RTMS

What is Zoom RTMS?

Zoom Realtime Media Streams (RTMS) is Zoom's own way to send a meeting to your application in real time.

It carries audio, video, screen share and transcript over WebSockets.

No bot joins the meeting. It reached general availability on 25 June 2025.

It needs a Zoom Marketplace app that an admin has enabled for the host or a participant.

Zoom meetingapp enabledrtms_startedwebhook to youYour appopens WebSocketsMediaaudio, video, share
Zoom tells your app the meeting started; your app connects and receives the media. No bot joins.
Detail

How RTMS works

Instead of a client in the room, RTMS is a server-side stream.

A meeting startsOne that has your appStart webhookCarrying the serverURLsYour app connectsSignalling and mediasocketsMedia arrivesAudio, video, screen,transcriptA meeting startsOne that has your appStart webhookCarrying the server URLsYour app connectsSignalling and media socketsMedia arrivesAudio, video, screen, transcript
A webhook, a signed handshake, then media, with no waiting room step.

Zoom shows participants a clear disclosure that meeting content is being shared with an app.

The app name appears on the tile of the participant running it.

Hosts can require approval.

Detail

What RTMS needs first

The trade-off is scope. Three things have to be in place.

RequirementWhat it isWho sets it upMarketplace appA Zoom app with RTMSYou, onceEnablementFor the account, group or userAn account adminDeveloper PackcreditsConsumed as the stream runsThe customerRTMS is Zoom only. It does not help with Google Meet or Microsoft Teams at all.Marketplace appWhat it is: A Zoom app with RTMSWho sets it up: You, onceEnablementWhat it is: For the account, group or userWho sets it up: An account adminDeveloper Pack creditsWhat it is: Consumed as the stream runsWho sets it up: The customerRTMS is Zoom only. It does not help withGoogle Meet or Microsoft Teams at all.
Three requirements, all of them on the customer side.
Detail

RTMS vs a meeting bot

A bot works on any Zoom meeting you can get a link for, on accounts you do not control.

It behaves the same way on Meet and Teams.

RTMS is the better path when every meeting is on Zoom and your users will install your app.

A bot API is the better path as soon as a second platform shows up, or an account you do not control.

Many teams run both: RTMS for their own tenant, a bot for everything else.

RTMSMeeting bot
PlatformsZoom onlyZoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams
Presence in the meetingNo tile of its own; a disclosure and the app name on the running participant's tileVisible named participant
RequiresMarketplace app enabled by an admin, Developer Pack creditsA meeting link
MediaAudio, video, screen share and transcript from ZoomAudio, video, transcript; full isolation on Zoom, attributed on Meet and Teams
Consent surfaceDisclosure to participants; optional host approvalZoom host recording prompt

Where MeetStream stands

MeetStream bots join Zoom through the Meeting SDK today.

OBF or ZAK handles the token side.

RTMS support is in progress alongside our Zoom partnership work.

When it lands, it becomes one more way for the same create-bot request to collect media.

The webhooks and artefact endpoints you build against stay the same.

The Zoom integration page covers the current state.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is Zoom RTMS free?

No. It consumes Zoom Developer Pack credits and must be enabled by an account admin.

Does RTMS work for Google Meet or Teams?

No. It is Zoom only.

Does RTMS give per-participant audio?

Yes. Zoom emits streams tagged per participant, which is one of its main attractions.

How do MeetStream bots join Zoom today?

Bots join through the Meeting SDK, and RTMS support is on the way.

Your API calls stay exactly the same when RTMS arrives.

Put the vocabulary to work

One API to join, record, stream and transcribe meetings across Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams.