This summary is not the rule. The rule text controls.
Once a recording of a court hearing has been turned into a written transcript, and that transcript has been officially approved by the court, the original recording can be erased or thrown away. This applies to both criminal and civil cases.
This rule exists because keeping every recording forever isn't necessary once there's an accurate written record that the court has confirmed is correct. The written transcript becomes the official record of what happened, so the audio or video version no longer needs to be kept.
If you're involved in a case and need the recording itself for some reason, you should ask about it before the transcript gets finalized and approved. Once that happens, the court has the legal right to get rid of the original recording.
