Recording and transcribing Zoom meetings has become essential for capturing important discussions, creating meeting summaries, and ensuring nothing gets missed. Whether you need transcripts for compliance, accessibility, or just better note-taking, this guide covers all the methods to record and automatically transcribe your Zoom meetings.
Quick Answer
You can record and transcribe Zoom meetings using Zooms built-in recording + transcription features, third-party AI tools like Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai, or Fathom that auto-join meetings, or by recording locally and uploading to transcription services. The best method depends on your Zoom plan, accuracy needs, and whether you want real-time or post-meeting transcripts.
Method 1: Zooms Built-in Recording and Transcription
Zoom Cloud Recording with AI Transcription
Zoom Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans include cloud recording with automatic transcription.
How to Enable:
- Go to Zoom web portal > Settings > Recording
- Enable Cloud recording and Audio transcript
- In meeting, click Record > Record to the Cloud
- Zoom automatically generates transcript after meeting ends
- Access transcript from Recordings page in web portal
Features:
- Automatic transcription included with paid plans
- Speaker identification and timestamps
- Searchable transcripts with keyword highlighting
- Download as VTT, SRT, or TXT files
- Integration with Zoom chat and polls
Limitations: Requires paid Zoom plan, accuracy around 80-85%, limited editing capabilities
Zoom Local Recording
Free Zoom accounts can record locally, then upload to transcription services.
Steps:
- In meeting, click Record > Record on this Computer
- Meeting saves as MP4 file to your computer
- Upload recording to transcription service (Otter.ai, Rev, Temi)
- Receive transcript via email or app
Best for: Free Zoom users, users wanting higher accuracy transcription
Method 2: AI Meeting Assistants (Recommended)
Fireflies.ai - Best Overall
Fireflies.ai automatically joins, records, and transcribes your Zoom meetings.
Setup Process:
- Connect your calendar to Fireflies.ai
- Fireflies bot (Fred) automatically joins scheduled meetings
- Meeting is recorded and transcribed in real-time
- Receive transcript, summary, and action items after meeting
- Access recordings and transcripts in Fireflies dashboard
Key Features:
- 90%+ transcription accuracy
- AI-generated meeting summaries and insights
- Speaker identification and talk time analytics
- CRM integration (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive)
- Search across all meeting transcripts
- Automatic action item extraction
Pricing: Free (800 minutes/month), Pro ($10/month), Business ($19/month)
Otter.ai - Best for Real-time Collaboration
Otter.ai provides real-time transcription with collaborative features.
Setup Process:
- Install Otter.ai Zoom app from Zoom App Marketplace
- Launch Otter.ai before or during Zoom meeting
- Otter joins as participant and transcribes live
- Participants can add comments and highlights in real-time
- Access transcript immediately after meeting
Key Features:
- Live transcription visible during meeting
- Real-time collaboration with comments and highlights
- Speaker identification and custom vocabulary
- Meeting summary with key topics
- Integration with Google Calendar and Slack
Pricing: Free (600 minutes/month), Pro ($8.33/month), Business ($20/month)
Fathom - Best Free Option
Fathom offers completely free unlimited meeting recording and transcription.
Setup Process:
- Install Fathom extension or desktop app
- Connect to your Zoom account
- Fathom automatically records scheduled meetings
- Receive instant summaries and transcripts
- Share highlights with team members
Key Features:
- 100% free with unlimited usage
- Automatic highlights and key moments
- Instant meeting summaries
- Easy sharing and collaboration
- Privacy-focused with GDPR compliance
Best for: Small teams, startups, budget-conscious users
Read.ai - Best for Analytics
Read.ai provides transcription plus detailed meeting analytics and insights.
Key Features:
- Real-time transcription and summaries
- Meeting performance analytics and scoring
- Speaker engagement and talk time analysis
- Privacy-first with local processing
- Team collaboration and sharing features
Pricing: Free (limited), Pro ($15/month), Enterprise (custom)
Method 3: Screen Recording with Transcription
OBS Studio + Transcription Service
Use OBS Studio for high-quality recording, then transcribe separately.
Setup:
- Download and install OBS Studio (free)
- Configure audio sources (microphone + system audio)
- Set up screen capture for Zoom window
- Record meeting as MP4 file
- Upload to transcription service (Rev, Temi, Otter.ai)
Benefits: High-quality recording, full control, works with any video platform
Best for: Professional content creation, detailed analysis needs
Built-in Screen Recording (Mac/Windows)
Use built-in screen recording tools for simple recording.
Mac (QuickTime):
- Open QuickTime Player > File > New Screen Recording
- Select microphone and enable system audio