The Complete Guide to Meeting Transcription

Meetings are where decisions happen, but those decisions are useless if no one remembers them. Meeting transcription solves this problem—giving you a searchable, shareable record of everything discussed.

Why Transcribe Meetings?

Never Miss Action Items

How many times have you left a meeting thinking "what was I supposed to do again?" Transcripts let you search for exactly what was assigned to whom.

Keep Remote Team Members in the Loop

Time zones happen. When team members can't attend live, a transcript is often more useful than a recording—it's faster to skim and search.

Create Accountability

"That's not what we agreed on" becomes much less common when there's a written record. Transcripts create clarity and accountability.

Enable Async Communication

Not every discussion needs a live meeting. Recorded and transcribed meetings let people participate on their own time.

Legal and Compliance Requirements

Some industries require documented records of meetings. Transcripts fulfill this requirement automatically.

Setting Up for Success

Choose the Right Recording Method

For in-person meetings:

• Place a quality microphone in the center of the table
• Use multiple mics for larger rooms
• Consider conference-specific mic systems

For video calls:

• Use the platform's built-in recording (Zoom, Google Meet, Teams)
• Ensure all participants consent to recording
• Use a wired internet connection for quality

Establish Recording Protocols

Before you start transcribing meetings, establish clear guidelines:

• Who starts the recording?
• How do you notify participants about recording?
• Where are recordings/transcripts stored?
• Who has access to transcripts?
• How long are they retained?

Get Consent

Always inform participants that the meeting is being recorded and transcribed. This is both polite and often legally required.

During the Meeting

Start with Introductions

Have each participant say their name at the start. This helps with speaker identification and creates a reference for names.

Avoid Crosstalk

The biggest accuracy killer is people talking over each other. Establish norms:

• Use hand-raising in video calls
• Wait for others to finish
• The moderator manages turn-taking

Speak to the Microphone

Remind participants to speak clearly and face the microphone. Mumbling or turning away dramatically reduces accuracy.

Verbalize Visual Information

If someone shares their screen or points to a whiteboard, describe what's being shown: "As you can see in this chart showing Q3 revenue..."

After the Meeting

Review the Transcript

Always review AI-generated transcripts for:

• Correct speaker identification
• Accuracy of names and technical terms
• Any garbled or missing sections

Add Context

Consider adding:

• Meeting title and date
• List of attendees
• Brief summary at the top
• Links to relevant documents

Extract Action Items

Go through the transcript and pull out all action items into a separate list. Include:

• What needs to be done
• Who's responsible
• When it's due

Share Appropriately

Distribute the transcript to attendees and relevant stakeholders. Use your company's approved channels (email, Slack, shared drive).

Best Practices

Create a Template

Standardize your meeting notes format:

• Meeting info (date, attendees, purpose)
• Summary
• Key decisions made
• Action items
• Full transcript

Use Timestamps

Timestamps in your transcript let people jump to specific moments in the recording if they need more context.

Index Key Topics

Add headers or tags for major topics discussed. This makes it easy to find specific discussions later.

Keep Transcripts Searchable

Store transcripts in a searchable system. The value of transcripts multiplies when you can search across all past meetings.

Privacy and Security

Sensitive Information

Some discussions shouldn't be transcribed. Establish clear guidelines about:

• Personnel discussions
• Legal matters
• Confidential strategy
• Personal information

Data Retention

Don't keep transcripts forever. Establish retention policies that balance usefulness with privacy.

Access Control

Limit who can access meeting transcripts. Not everyone needs to see every meeting.

Getting Started

Start with one type of meeting—maybe your weekly team sync. Get the workflow right, then expand to other meetings. Soon you'll wonder how you ever operated without transcripts.