Zoom Spotlight vs. Pin: What’s the Difference and When to Use Each

When you’re hosting a Zoom meeting or webinar, managing what participants see on screen can have a major impact on how your audience experiences the event. Whether you’re highlighting a keynote speaker, panelist, or interpreter, Zoom offers two key features to control the visual focus: Spotlight and Pin. At first glance, they may seem similar — both let you choose who appears prominently on screen — but they serve different purposes depending on whether you’re controlling your own view or the view for everyone else.

Let’s break down what each does, how they differ, and why understanding this distinction is especially important in inclusive and accessible meeting design — for example, when ensuring an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter stays visible to participants who need one.

What Is “Pin” in Zoom?

Pinning is a personal view control. When you pin someone’s video, you’re telling Zoom, “I want to keep this person’s video in focus on my own screen.” It does not affect what anyone else in the meeting sees. Each participant can independently pin any video they choose, and can pin up to 9 people at once if using Zoom’s multi-pin feature.

This makes pinning especially useful for individual preferences. For instance, in a large meeting, you might pin the person speaking —your supervisor or co-presenter — so you can focus on them regardless of who is currently speaking.

Pinning is also vital for accessibility. Let’s say your meeting includes an ASL interpreter. Participants who need to see the interpreter clearly can pin the interpreter’s video to keep it visible at all times, even when someone else is speaking or spotlighted by the host. This ensures that each attendee can customize their view to meet their own needs.

To pin a video, hover over the participant’s thumbnail, click the three dots (...) in the upper-right corner, and select Pin. If you need to remove the pin, click Remove Pin or select a different participant to pin instead.

What Is “Spotlight” in Zoom?

Spotlighting, by contrast, is a host or co-host control that affects everyone’s view. When a host spotlights one or more participants, those selected videos become the primary focus for all attendees. This is most commonly used during webinars, keynotes, or panel discussions when you want to make sure everyone sees the same person, for example, the current speaker or a panel of presenters.

Spotlighting overrides Zoom’s “Active Speaker” mode, which automatically switches to whoever is talking. By spotlighting, the host ensures that the view remains consistent for everyone, regardless of who makes noise or interrupts briefly. You can spotlight up to nine participants at once — useful if you have a moderator and multiple speakers who should remain visible.

To spotlight someone, hover over their video feed, click the three dots (...), and choose Spotlight for Everyone. You can add or remove spotlights as needed throughout the event.

The Key Difference: Personal vs. Group Control

Here’s the simplest way to think about it:

• Pin = Personal view control (only affects what you see)
• Spotlight = Group view control (affects what everyone sees)

In other words, pinning is local and spotlighting is global.
A participant can use pinning anytime to customize their view, but only hosts and co-hosts can spotlight.

Because spotlighting changes the layout for everyone, it’s ideal for structured or broadcast-style events where you want a unified experience — for example, during a virtual keynote, awards ceremony, or panel discussion. Pinning, on the other hand, is more flexible and user-driven, allowing participants to personalize their experience.

Accessibility Example: Pinning an ASL Interpreter

In inclusive meetings, it’s essential to make sure accessibility features are easy to use and well understood. For participants who are Deaf or hard of hearing, having continuous visual access to an ASL interpreter is critical.

Spotlighting the interpreter will make them visible to everyone in the meeting, which may be helpful if many attendees need that view. However, if only a few participants require ASL interpretation, pinning is the better choice. Those participants can pin the interpreter’s video themselves without changing the view for everyone else.

As the host, you can explain this at the start of the meeting:

“If you’d like to keep the ASL interpreter visible, click the three dots on their video and select ‘Pin.’ This will keep them on your screen, even when others are speaking.”

This small instruction can make a huge difference in accessibility and inclusivity.

When to Use Each

• Use Spotlight when you want everyone to see the same speaker or panel.
  Example: During a keynote presentation, spotlight the speaker to keep the focus helpfulon them.
• Use Pin when individuals should control their own view.
  Example: Participants who rely on ASL interpretation can pin the interpreter without disrupting others’ views.to keep the focus

Final Thoughts

Mastering the difference between spotlight and pin in Zoom gives you the power to design better, more intentional virtual experiences. Spotlight ensures consistent presentation and professionalism. Pinning provides flexibility and accessibility. Used together, they allow hosts and participants alike to create a visual layout that serves everyone’s needs — from keynote speakers to interpreters, and from panelists to participants.

Knowing when to use each tool isn’t just a technical detail — it’s part of creating a thoughtful, inclusive meeting environment where everyone can engage fully and confidently.

The Soundtrack of My Bookshelf

I’ve always been drawn to the intersection of music and story — not just the songs we hear, but the lives behind them. Long before I produced virtual events or hosted radio shows, I was fascinated by how artists turn experience into sound. Over time, that curiosity became a lifelong reading habit — a personal study in how rhythm, resilience, and revelation shape the creative spirit.

My bookshelf hums with rhythm and revelation. I gravitate toward stories that capture the tension between genius and survival — between the beauty we hear and the struggle that made it possible.

The Soul Chronicler

It begins with David Ritz, whose ear for truth reshaped how we read about music. His fingerprints are everywhere: Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye; Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin; Faith in Time: The Life of Jimmy Scott; Rage to Survive with Etta James; Brother Ray with Ray Charles; Blues All Around Me with B.B. King; Rhythm and the Blues with Jerry Wexler; and When I Left Home with Buddy Guy.
Ritz doesn’t just document careers — he listens for honesty. His books read like sessions where the artist finally drops the mask and lets the tape roll.

The Testimonies

Beyond Ritz’s collaborations, autobiographies like Miles: The Autobiography with Quincy Troupe, Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen, Life by Keith Richards, and The Meaning of Mariah Carey reveal what it means to live inside sound. These musicians didn’t just make records — they made space for themselves in a world that didn’t yet know their frequencies.

The Architects and Innovators

Behind every voice is a builder. Standing in the Shadows of Motown by Allan Slutsky honors Detroit’s Funk Brothers — the quiet architects of a global sound. Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions by Duane Tudahl captures the meticulous labor of genius. Come Get These Memories, by Eddie and Brian Holland, recounts how disciplined songwriting met a ; they change how I hear the worlddivine spark. Dilla Time by Dan Charnas and Questlove’s Creative Quest and Music Is History trace how rhythm evolves, connecting generations through groove.

The Thinkers and The Cultural Lens

Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks explains why music is embedded in our brains; Failing Up by Leslie Odom Jr.* shows how artistry thrives on risk.
Hanif Abdurraqib’s They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us bridges criticism and confession, writing about music as a mirror for love, loss, and Black joy. And Jaco: The Extraordinary and the Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius by Bill Milkowski reminds us that brilliance can burn too brightly — the story of a bassist who reinvented jazz fusion and redefined what a single instrument could express.

This Month’s Additions

🎵 Come Get These Memories — Eddie and Brian Holland: the songwriters who gave Motown its soul.
🎸 Let Love Rule — Lenny Kravitz: a spiritual and artistic coming-of-age.
💜 The Beautiful Ones — Prince: part memoir, part manifesto — a meditation on identity, imagination, and reinvention.

The Common Thread

Across all these books, one truth emerges: music is liberation. Whether it’s Marvin Gaye searching for grace, Miles Davis chasing the next sound, Jaco Pastorius pushing the edge of what’s possible, or Prince insisting on autonomy, each story celebrates freedom — to express, to create, to connect.

These books don’t just change how I hear music; they change how I hear the world. They change how I hear people.

Feel free to share this newsletter with a friend struggling with virtual events.

My company is Calm, Clear, Media. I produce purpose-driven virtual events for nonprofits and member organizations. I don’t just manage Zoom calls; I create experiences that reflect your mission and engage your audience. My job is to make sure everything runs smoothly so my clients can focus on impact.