Deciding which old recordings to keep or delete
Most people’s actual retention policy is “delete when storage forces it,” which means keeping things by accident rather than by decision. A genuine framework, sorted by what the recording actually is, works better.
Published content: keep the source, indefinitely if storage allows
If a recording became a finished, published video (a tutorial, a course lesson), keep the original source file — you’ll likely need to re-edit, update, or re-export it eventually as software or platforms change, and reconstructing from scratch is far more work than storing one archival file.
One-off communication: safe to delete once its purpose is served
A quick Loom-style message to a coworker, a one-time bug report recording, or anything created for a single specific momentary purpose can generally be deleted once that purpose is fulfilled — these rarely have lasting value, and keeping every single one indefinitely is how storage gets cluttered with things nobody will ever look at again.
Training and onboarding material: keep until it’s genuinely outdated
Recordings used for repeated purposes (onboarding new hires, standard training) should be kept until the content they cover changes meaningfully — not on a fixed timeline, but tied to whether the underlying process, software, or information is still accurate. An outdated training recording actively misleads; delete or clearly mark it as outdated rather than leaving it findable.
Meeting recordings: shortest reasonable retention, deliberately
Unlike published or training content, routine meeting recordings rarely get rewatched after the first week or two, and keeping them indefinitely mostly just accumulates storage and, in some contexts, creates unnecessary discoverable records of internal discussions. A deliberate short retention window (30-90 days is common in many organizational policies) for routine meetings, with explicit exceptions for anything genuinely reference-worthy, is more sensible than indefinite default retention.
The decision test, applied consistently
Before keeping anything indefinitely by default, ask: will this need to be referenced or re-edited later, or has its purpose already been served? A “yes” to referencing/re-editing argues for keeping it; “purpose already served” argues for deleting it once you’re past any short window where you might need to double-check something.
Where organizational policy overrides personal preference
For business contexts specifically, check whether your organization has actual retention policy requirements (sometimes tied to legal, compliance, or industry-specific rules) before applying personal judgment — some contexts require keeping certain recordings for a specific minimum period regardless of what seems practically reasonable.
Frequently asked questions
Should I keep every screen recording I make indefinitely?
No — this leads to accidental clutter rather than deliberate archival. Sort by purpose: published content generally merits longer retention than one-off communication or routine meeting recordings.
How long should meeting recordings be kept?
Many organizations use a 30-90 day default for routine meetings, with explicit exceptions for anything genuinely reference-worthy — indefinite default retention is usually more than necessary.
Does my organization’s policy override my personal judgment on retention?
Yes, when a formal retention policy exists — check for legal, compliance, or industry-specific requirements before applying personal preference, especially in business contexts.
Related reading: You will not remember what “recording_final_v2.mp4” was · How much storage do screen recordings actually use · Recording a Zoom call — what’s legal and what’s built in