Transcribe a Zoom meeting to text
Transcribe a Zoom meeting to text from the local recording: upload the file, label speakers, and export notes or captions without sending anyone a bot.
Free sign-up, 60 min/month · 99+ languages · Up to 500 MB per file
What is Zoom Meeting Transcription?
Transcribing a Zoom meeting to text means turning the meeting recording into a written record that can be searched and shared. A local recording is uploaded like any other video or audio file; the spoken language is detected, speaker turns can be separated, and each line keeps its timecode. The result can be reviewed, corrected, and exported as text, SRT, or VTT. No meeting bot joins the call, and no calendar access is needed.
Why choose Zoom Meeting Transcription?
Meeting notes are most useful after the call, when someone needs to confirm a decision or a number. A transcript produced from the recording keeps the exact wording and the order of speakers, so a summary can be checked against what was actually said. Because the file is uploaded after the meeting, there is no bot in the participant list and no live integration to configure.
Who Said What in That Zoom Call?
Meeting notes usually capture decisions and miss the reasoning. When a question comes up a week later, the recording is the only reliable source, and scrubbing through an hour of video is not a realistic way to find one sentence. A transcript from the local recording makes the meeting searchable: names, numbers, and action items can be found by text, and the speaker labels show who committed to what. The original file is not modified.
What makes Zoom Meeting Transcription different?
It works from the recording you already have, with no bot in the call and no live meeting integration to set up or maintain.
No meeting bot joins the call
Speaker labels for each turn
Searchable text after the meeting
Formats, languages, limits
- Languages
- 99
- Detected automatically. Set it by hand when a recording mixes languages or carries a heavy accent.
- File types
- 13
- MP3, M4A, WAV, AAC, MP4, MOV, WebM and more. Video is processed directly — no separate audio step.
- Per file
- 500 MB
- Large files upload straight to storage with a visible progress bar, up to 500 MB.
- Exports
- TXT · SRT · VTT
- Plain text, SRT and VTT subtitles, ready for a document, an editor, or a caption track.
How to use Zoom Meeting Transcription in 3 steps
Find the local recording
Use the Zoom recording saved to the device, or an exported audio track you own.
Upload and label speakers
Add the file, confirm the language, and switch on speaker separation for a multi-person call.
Review and export notes
Search for decisions and action items, correct names, then export text or captions.
Zoom Meeting Transcription
Start with the Zoom recording you already have. Sign up free and get 60 minutes a month.
Free sign-up, 60 minutes a month, no credit card. Export when you are done.
Transcribe a meetingFrequently asked questions about Zoom Meeting Transcription
Does a bot need to join the Zoom call?
No. The recording is uploaded after the meeting, so nothing joins the participant list and no calendar permission is requested. That also means the meeting does not have to be scheduled in advance. The trade-off is that the transcript is ready after the call rather than during it.
Can a cloud recording be transcribed?
Download the recording from the Zoom account first, then upload the file that was saved. A local recording can be used as it is. Dictawave does not connect to a Zoom account, so the file has to be in the uploader's possession, which also keeps access limited to people who were given the recording.
Are speakers labelled?
Speaker separation can be turned on before the job starts, and each change of voice begins a labelled turn. The labels can be renamed to real names afterwards. One microphone per participant separates best; a shared room microphone may merge several voices into one turn.
How accurate is a meeting transcript?
Accuracy depends on audio quality, accents, and background noise. A headset recording is usually clean, while a room microphone picks up echo and crosstalk. Names, acronyms, and product terms are worth reviewing. The timecodes let a doubtful line be checked against the recording quickly.
Can the transcript become meeting minutes?
The transcript is the raw material for minutes: decisions, action items, and owners can be pulled from the text and checked against the speaker labels. It is not a generated summary, so the wording stays exactly as spoken. That makes it safer to quote in a follow-up message than a paraphrase.
What happens to the recording after the job?
The file is stored only so the recognizer can read it and is deleted when the job finishes or fails. The transcript stays in the account until it is deleted. Audio is not used to train models, and the provider processes it only on Dictawave's instructions.
Can the transcript be shared with the team?
The text can be copied or exported as plain text, SRT, or VTT and shared through the tools the team already uses. Access to the transcript inside Dictawave follows the account, so sharing a file is a deliberate export rather than an open link. Reviewing names before export keeps a shared record accurate.
Does it work for Teams, Meet, or Webex recordings?
Yes. Any recording that can be saved as a local file follows the same path, whatever produced it. The brand of the meeting tool does not change the upload or the transcript. A file the uploader owns or has permission to use is the only requirement.