How to Transcribe A Zoom Meeting? [2025]

You’re here to learn how to transcribe a Zoom meeting, because we both know how difficult (and to be frank, frustrating) it is to balance note-taking and active listening. 

Whether you're a founder capturing big ideas, a manager documenting key decisions, or a sales professional keeping track of client needs, having a reliable transcript of your meetings is a must.

In this article, I'll show you how to get a transcript of a Zoom meeting, step by step. This method has allowed me to stay fully engaged during meetings, build meaningful connections, and still have a reliable record to refer back to when it’s time to take action. Hopefully, it will do the same for you.

Can You Use Zoom to Transcribe Meetings?

Yes, you can transcribe meetings with Zoom natively, but there’s a catch. 

In my experience, using the built-in Zoom transcription tool is more complicated than it should be. First, you need a paid plan (Pro, Business, Education, or Enterprise account), as Zoom’s transcription feature isn’t available on free accounts. 

Then, before your meeting starts, you have to ensure cloud recording and audio transcription are enabled in your settings. 

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During the call, you have to select Record to the Cloud on the Zoom meeting window to capture the video, audio, and chat text. 

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After the meeting ends, Zoom processes the recording and stores it in the cloud. You’ll get an email notification when your cloud recording is ready, followed by another email once the audio transcript is available. Both emails include links to access and review your recording or transcript. Zoom saves the audio transcript file in VTT format.

It’s good that Zoom has come up with a native transcription feature, but setting it up requires too many extra steps, and the long waiting time for generating transcripts doesn’t make it any better.

Transcribing a meeting shouldn’t feel like extra work. That’s why I use Jamie, a third-party AI note-taker, to get my Zoom transcripts for free—quickly and securely. 

‍How to Transcribe A Zoom Call?

I’m going to walk you through how you can transcribe Zoom meetings for free with Jamie, in just a few simple steps.

‍But before we move ahead, here’s a little glimpse into what Jamie is all about: 

‍Jamie is an AI-powered meeting assistant for Zoom that transcribes, summarizes, and organizes discussions with impressive accuracy. Whether your meeting is online or in-person, Jamie automatically captures key takeaways, action items, and decisions, so you don’t have to waste time on manual tasks. 

Here’s your 5-step guide on how to get Zoom transcript after meeting using Jamie: 

Step 1: Install Jamie

Download and install Jamie on your device. Ensure your microphone or audio input settings allow Jamie to capture the meeting audio.

To select language, go to Settings > Summary > Notes language > Choose Auto-detected or pick a language of your choice from the dropdown menu.

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Step 2: Activate Jamie for transcription

Open Jamie and select Start meeting before/during the meeting. Jamie will start capturing audio silently in the background, without sending any bots to your meeting. 

Now join or host a Zoom meeting as usual. 

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Step 3: End the meeting and generate transcription

After ending the Zoom meeting, open Jamie and click Stop meeting to finalize the audio capture. 

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Jamie will process the recording and use advanced speaker identification to differentiate voices automatically. You can label speakers for even clearer attribution. 

Within moments, Jamie will generate a complete transcript along with an AI-powered summary that highlights key decisions and action items.

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Step 4: Access and share the summary

Now you can access the structured meeting notes from Jamie’s dashboard. Share them instantly with participants in just one click via email. You can also copy and paste the notes or generate a shareable URL for easy access.

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‍Zoom Native Transcription vs. Jamie

Let’s evaluate which one’s the best option for generating transcripts—Zoom’s native transcription or Jamie. 

Here’s a quick TL;DR: 

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1. Free Transcription

Zoom’s transcription feature is locked behind a paywall. If you’re using a free Zoom account, you cannot get access to the built-in transcription tool. There’s no way to test the feature unless you upgrade to a paid tier.

In contrast, Jamie provides AI-powered transcription and summaries for 10 meetings in its free plan. You don’t have to commit to a paid plan without trying the tool first!

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2. Ease of Access

Navigating recorded meetings and transcripts on Zoom is a multi-step process (and quite time-consuming too!): 

• Log in to the Zoom web portal
• Navigate to Recordings & Transcripts from the menu
• If you are an account admin, go to Account Management > Recording & Transcript Management
• Select the Cloud Recordings tab
• In the Search text in audio transcript field, enter a keyword or phrase, then click Advanced search
• Use the Advanced search filters to refine results by Date range, Host, or Storage location
• Click Search or press Enter on your keyboard. The results will highlight recordings containing the searched text
• Click View more results next to the highlighted text. A new browser tab will open, playing the Zoom recording with the meeting transcript displayed on the right side

Phew! That’s a lot of work to just access your previous transcripts. 

Jamie eliminates this hassle with its Executive Assistant Sidebar (press Command + J on Mac or CTRL + J on Windows and it'll pop up). It gives you instant access to your meeting summaries—you can search insights from specific meetings and ask Jamie direct questions about previous discussions, without sifting through hundreds of past meeting notes.

3. Sharing Transcripts

Zoom only provides transcripts in VTT format, which isn’t user-friendly for quick reference or sharing. 

Jamie, on the other hand, offers nicely formatted transcripts with multiple easy sharing options—you can copy and paste notes, share via email, or generate a shareable link for quick distribution.

4. Recording Environment and Accuracy

Zoom’s transcription accuracy can vary and often requires strict conditions for a clear transcript. Zoom recommends you to follow these practices:

• Minimize background noise
• Ask participants to speak clearly into the microphone
• Avoid paper shuffling, loud typing, or other conversations on the side
• Position the microphone close to active speakers
• Use an external microphone instead of a built-in one for better sound quality

Jamie, in contrast, effortlessly captures speech in any environment with high accuracy. Whether it’s a one-on-one or a group discussion, whether you’re working from your home, office, or a cafe, Jamie works perfectly. You don’t have to worry about extra precautions. 

5. Offline and Online Transcription

Zoom does not support offline transcription—you must be connected to the internet for it to work. 

Jamie, however, can transcribe both online and offline meetings, which makes it a more versatile alternative if you work in a hybrid setup. 

6. Privacy and Compliance

Zoom relies on cloud storage, which can raise concerns about data security. Your sensitive data stays on the cloud indefinitely. To remove your data from the cloud, you have to manually change your settings. 

Jamie, on the other hand, is a GDPR-compliant, EU-hosted tool that prioritizes privacy. It processes audio locally and automatically deletes recordings after transcription, keeping your confidential data secure.

7. Real-Time Captions 

One thing Jamie doesn’t offer is real-time captioning. You can turn on live transcript for Zoom meetings (available on Zoom natively), but its accuracy often falls short. Instead, Jamie prioritizes high-precision post-meeting transcription and delivers human-like actionable summaries. With Jamie's transcriptions, you won't have to fret about the the common errors found in real-time captions.

Real-life users have often complained about Zoom’s transcription: 

“Automatic captions on Zoom are not always accurate due to errors and grammar/spelling/punctuation errors resulting in misunderstandings or comprehension gaps.” -G2 User

“The AI transcript simply doesn't understand what is spoken and will write the most absurd things. That compromises all features that depend on the transcript like setting to-dos.” -G2 User

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Despite not offering live captions, Jamie stands out for its high-quality transcription, security, and ease of use. 

Perfect Transcripts, Always?

Jamie ensures accuracy.

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Meeting Summary: Zoom AI Companion vs. Jamie

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Besides Zoom’s native transcription, I’ve also tried Zoom AI Companion to generate meeting summaries. But unfortunately, I came across multiple downsides—it’s paywalled and available only to certain users and regions so far. And most importantly, the summaries aren’t as detailed or structured as I’d like.

That’s where Jamie comes in. When I use Jamie for meeting transcription, it’s a completely different experience. Zoom gives me a basic transcript and summary. But Jamie? It organizes my meetings, pulls out key takeaways, and even tracks tasks and decisions for me.

Here’s why Jamie stands out:

1. Smart Topic Detection

Instead of dumping everything into one long transcript, Jamie breaks it up into clear sections based on what we’re talking about. So if we jump between different topics (which happens almost always), I don’t have to scroll forever to find the part I need. It’s all neatly organized for me.

2. Automatic Task and Decision Tracking

One of my favorite things about Jamie is that it actually understands what’s important in a conversation. It automatically picks up on:

• Action items: Who needs to do what, and by when
• Decisions: What was agreed on, so I don’t have to double-check later

With Zoom, I’d have to go back, listen again, and take notes myself. With Jamie, it’s all laid out for me, no extra effort needed.

3. Custom Vocabulary That Actually Works

Zoom’s transcription can be hit-or-miss when it comes to industry jargon, acronyms, or company names. 

Jamie lets me add custom words, so it actually gets things right—super helpful if you’re in a technical field or just don’t want your product names coming out garbled.

4. AI-Powered Speaker Recognition

Zoom’s transcription can get confused with overlapping conversations. It might merge different speakers' words together or misattribute dialogues.

Jamie, on the other hand, automatically detects speakers without fail, even in large meetings.

Real-life users love how Jamie boosts productivity:

‍Tara Tran, Director of Curriculum and Program Design at Kode with Klossy, used Zoom’s built-in AI and other solutions for her Zoom meetings, but it was draining. 

"End of day review process took me three or four hours to finish. And I now can wrap up my day in like 15 or 20 minutes. It's very impressive."

That’s when she started using Jamie to transcribe and summarize meetings. 

Before Jamie, Tara’s end-of-day routine was a grind—spending 3-4 hours sifting through meetings, pulling out action items, and manually updating Asana. Now, she’s done in 15-20 minutes. Jamie takes care of the transcription, extracts key tasks, and cuts out the busywork, so she can focus on more strategic work.

“So, I like just the accuracy of it. It identifies speakers well and it—oh, it's really—my favorite part is the next steps. So, I will just say in passing, like, "Oh, we need to do this, or we need to do that," and it very accurately was able to convey to me what I need to do next.” 

Get Error-Free and Secure Zoom Meeting Transcription with Jamie

Zoom’s built-in transcription is convenient—you don’t need to install third-party apps. But that’s where the perks end. It struggles with accuracy and makes accessing transcripts a chore. 

Whereas Jamie delivers spot-on, easily shareable transcripts, identifies speakers with precision, works offline, and keeps your data secure and off the cloud. 

For a smoother, smarter way to capture Zoom meetings, Jamie is the clear winner! 

Try Jamie for free and see it in action (no credit card required).

Or do you want a closer look before deciding? Schedule a free demo today.

Missed A Zoom Meeting?

Jamie offers free transcripts.

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FAQs 

How accurate is Zoom's auto-transcription feature?

Zoom’s auto-transcription is helpful, but it’s not always reliable. Accuracy depends on clear audio, minimal background noise, and speakers with standard accents. In less-than-ideal conditions, like multiple speakers, technical jargon, or poor audio quality, it can lead to errors and misinterpretations. 

Can I get a transcript after the meeting has ended?

Zoom will first send you an email when your cloud recording is ready, followed by another email once the audio transcript has been processed. Both emails include links to access your recording and transcript. While the cloud recording is available relatively quickly, the transcript takes additional time to generate.

Does Zoom free account include transcription?

No, Zoom’s transcription feature isn’t available on free accounts—it’s only included with paid plans like Pro, Business, Education, and Enterprise. If you’re using a free plan, you’ll need a third-party tool like Jamie to transcribe your meetings.

How long are Zoom transcripts stored?

Zoom recordings on cloud remain available unless you set an expiration date in your account settings. If saved locally, they stay on your device without time limits. Deleted recordings move to the Trash, where you have 30 days to restore them before they are permanently removed (unless you manually empty the Trash sooner).

Can I transcribe a Zoom meeting in multiple languages?

Yes, you can transcribe a Zoom meeting in multiple languages. By default, Zoom generates audio transcripts in English, but you can change the language for a specific recording and have the transcript regenerated. Zoom supports transcription in several languages, including Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese (Simplified), Russian, Ukrainian, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Dutch, Portuguese, Arabic, Polish, Romanian, Swedish, Turkish, and Danish.