Why Transcribe Meetings?
Meeting recordings are valuable but hard to use:
- Searching for a specific point means watching the whole thing
- Sharing insights requires manual note-taking
- Action items get lost in hours of audio
- Not everyone can attend live meetings
Transcription makes meetings searchable, shareable, and actionable.
What You'll Need
- Meeting recording (audio or video)
- Transcription tool (we'll use VoiceScribe)
- Storage for transcripts
Recording Your Meetings
Virtual Meetings
- Zoom: Enable local or cloud recording
- Teams: Use built-in recording feature
- Google Meet: Record to Google Drive
- Most platforms: Have built-in recording
In-Person Meetings
- Use your phone's voice recorder
- Place centrally for best audio
- Announce that you're recording
- Consider a dedicated recorder for better quality
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Get Your Recording
From Zoom:
- Find recording in Documents/Zoom folder
- Use the audio file (often .m4a)
From Teams:
- Access from meeting chat or OneDrive
- Download the recording
From Voice Recorder:
- Export from your phone
- Transfer to computer
Step 2: Transcribe with VoiceScribe
- Go to voicescribe.app
- Upload your meeting recording
- Wait for processing (length dependent)
- Download transcript
Step 3: Review and Clean Up
Transcripts may need light editing:
- Fix speaker identification if used
- Correct industry-specific terms
- Remove filler words if desired
- Add paragraph breaks
Step 4: Distribute and Store
- Share with attendees and stakeholders
- Store alongside recording
- Link in meeting notes/action items
Audio Quality Tips
Better Audio = Better Transcription
For Virtual Meetings:
- Ask participants to mute when not speaking
- Use headset microphones when possible
- Record in quiet environments
- Prefer wired over wireless audio
For In-Person Meetings:
- Central microphone placement
- Reduce background noise
- Small rooms transcribe better
- Consider multiple microphones for large groups
Common Meeting Types
Status Updates
- Usually clear, structured speech
- Technical terms to watch for
- Action items at end
Brainstorming Sessions
- Multiple voices, crosstalk
- May need more editing
- Capture ideas, not word-for-word
Client Calls
- Critical accuracy for commitments
- Review carefully
- Highlight agreements and action items
Interviews
- Typically two speakers
- Questions and answers format
- Consider timestamp markers
Making Transcripts Useful
Create Summary
From transcript, extract:
- Key decisions made
- Action items and owners
- Questions that need follow-up
- Important dates/deadlines
Search and Reference
Transcripts enable:
- Ctrl+F to find any topic
- Quote exact statements
- Reference specific discussions
- Create meeting history archive
Share Effectively
- Full transcript for records
- Summary for stakeholders
- Action items for project management
- Highlights for absent colleagues
Common Issues
Problem: Poor transcription accuracy
Solution: Audio quality is usually the cause. Better mic placement helps future recordings.
Problem: Speakers not distinguished
Solution: Single-speaker audio is common. Add speaker tags manually if needed.
Problem: Technical terms wrong
Solution: Industry jargon may be misheard. Keep a list of common terms to search/replace.
Meeting Transcription Workflow
Before Meeting
- Test recording setup
- Inform participants
During Meeting
- Record with best possible audio
- Note major topics/times if useful
After Meeting
- Upload recording for transcription
- Review and edit transcript
- Extract action items
- Distribute to stakeholders
- Archive recording + transcript
Conclusion
Meeting transcription transforms recordings from hard-to-access archives into searchable, shareable documentation. The combination of automatic transcription and light editing creates valuable records of discussions and decisions.
The key is good audio quality in the recording - invest a little time in setup for much better transcripts.