How to Tell if an X Space Is Being Recorded

By offmylawn · Published September 25, 2026

Whether you can listen to a Space again later depends on one setting the host chooses. If the host records it, the replay stays on X until they delete it. If not, the audio is gone the moment the Space ends. That is the second most common reason downloads fail on this site: in our September 2026 log study, 197 requests (21% of all failures) were for Spaces that ended without a recording. Here's how to tell which kind of Space you're in, and what you can do either way.

During the Space: Look for REC

According to X's help center, when a Space is being recorded, a recording symbol (REC) is shown to hosts, co-hosts, speakers, and listeners. Listeners aren't included in the recording; only people who speak are.

• You see REC: The host is recording. When the Space ends, the replay will usually be available right away.
• No REC: The Space isn't being recorded. Once it ends, nobody, including the host, can download it from X.

After the Space: Check for a Replay

Open the Space link or the post that shared it. A recorded Space offers playback, and anyone can listen to it. If the Space only shows that it has ended and offers nothing to play, there's no recording. Our downloader will then say: "This Space ended without a recording, so there is no replay to download."

What to Do if It Isn't Being Recorded

1. Save it while it's live. Paste the Space link into the downloader while the Space is still running. It records the live audio in real time and finishes when the Space ends. Keep the tab open so the MP3 downloads automatically. If you close it, the recording continues on our server; reopen the site in the same browser within an hour after the Space ends to get the file. Expect the file to cover the part of the Space from when you start, not necessarily what was said earlier.
2. Ask the host. Hosts can only turn on recording before a Space starts. If a regular show isn't recorded, asking the host to record future episodes helps everyone.
3. Ask for permission before sharing. An unrecorded Space was probably not meant to be kept. Saving it for your own notes is very different from republishing it; get the speakers' consent before you share it.

If You Host Spaces

• Turn on recording before you start. It can't be switched on once the Space is live.
• Your recording stays until you delete it. X's help center says recordings stay replayable until the host deletes them (older app versions kept them for only 30 days).
• Get your own copy. X says hosts can download their recorded Spaces through the Your X Data archive tool. X keeps that copy for as long as the Space is replayable, and for at least 30 days after it ended. You can also paste your Space into our downloader to get an MP3 of about 86 MB per hour.
• Tell speakers. The REC symbol shows that the Space is being recorded, but saying it out loud at the start is good practice.