How Meeting Transcription Tools Work
Modern meeting transcription tools use AI to convert spoken words into text in real time. They connect to video conferencing platforms (Zoom, Google Meet, Teams) via bot accounts that join the call, record the audio, and process it through speech-to-text engines. Advanced features include speaker diarization (identifying who said what), AI-generated summaries, and action item extraction.
What to Consider
When choosing a meeting transcription tool, consider: which video platforms your team uses, how many languages you need, whether you need AI summaries, and your budget per seat. Free tiers are useful for evaluation but typically limit recording minutes and AI features.
Privacy & Compliance
Meeting recordings raise important privacy questions. Check whether your tool stores recordings and transcripts in the cloud, for how long, and in which region. For teams in regulated industries (healthcare, finance, legal), verify that the tool offers GDPR/HIPAA-compliant data handling. Some tools allow you to auto-delete recordings after processing; others retain data indefinitely. Always inform meeting participants that recording is active — many jurisdictions require consent.
Integration Tips
Most meeting transcription tools integrate with calendar apps (Google Calendar, Outlook) to auto-join scheduled meetings. For the best experience: connect your calendar during setup, verify the bot has the right meeting permissions, and test with a short meeting before using it for an important call. Some tools require the meeting host to admit the bot from the waiting room — make sure your team knows to expect it.