Documenting a meeting is an important task, but it can be tedious. Sure, you can record your meetings so that you don’t have to worry about taking notes during your conversation. But it’s quite a pain to manually transcribe them later. Meeting transcription apps have you covered, though. With AI technology, these apps’ voice-to-text software can automatically transcribe your notes for you, taking an item off your to-do list. Read ahead for tips on choosing the best meeting transcription apps for all your note-taking needs. 

4 benefits of using a meeting transcription app

No matter how hard you try, it’s difficult to catch every little detail of a meeting. Fret not, though—meeting transcription apps capture the moment for you. Below are some of the main benefits of a meeting transcription app:

1. Get time back. First and foremost, meeting transcription apps save you tons of time.  No more rushing to transcribe a recording or type up notes ASAP. Just put your transcription app to work—you’ll be able to share your notes with your team the very next day. 
2. Never miss a meeting action item. If you’re unsure what next steps you’re responsible for, a meeting transcription app can help clear that up. Any time you have a question in the future, simply refer back to your transcription for a quick answer. 
3. More freedom to engage in the meeting. When you have to note the details of what everyone else is saying, it can be hard to actually contribute. A meeting transcription app gives you the freedom to be totally present in your meeting.
4. Greater accessibility. Meeting transcription apps can greatly improve accessibility for any colleagues who are hard of hearing or who struggle with auditory processing. Some meeting transcription apps also allow you to change the speed of a recording so that you can slow the audio down for fast talkers.

Must-have features to look for in a meeting transcription app

If you’ve decided it’s time to try out meeting transcription software, you’ve come to the right place. Read ahead for guidelines on how to pick the best transcription app for meetings. 

1Speech recognition accuracy

If you’re going to prioritize any one feature, it should be getting an accurate meeting transcription. After all, an audio-to-text converter is useless if you have to spend extra time correcting your meeting transcription. Read app reviews and see which platforms are rated best for accuracy, then choose from the top picks.

2Integrations with different devices and platforms

Sometimes, meetings don’t always happen in the same place. For example, your meeting transcription app should be compatible with your mobile device so that you can record client meetings outside the office. Additionally, you can streamline your meeting audio recording with an app that connects to your browser or virtual meeting platform. Some apps even integrate with your CRM so that you can attach transcription notes to client meetings. 

3User interface and ease of use

It shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how to record notes on your meeting transcription app. You should prioritize choosing an app that makes it simple to record and transcribe your meeting audio. You’ll also want a platform that makes it easy to share meeting minutes with your team. 

4Advanced features such as keyword highlighting, search, and editing

A speech-to-text app that’s as accurate as possible doesn’t mean your transcriptions won’t need any edits. Let’s say you want to add clarifying information, such as the full name of a project where someone used an acronym. Some platforms will let you add edits directly in the app. Additionally, if you want to review a certain section of the meeting, some apps include tools for searching your transcription by keyword or phrase. 

5Collaboration and action items

Meetings are an important part of team collaboration. Your meeting transcription app should support cross-team cooperation through all stages of a meeting. Look for collaboration features that allow you to work together on an agenda and easily manage action item assignments after you wrap up. With Fellow, you can collaborate on a meeting agenda before every one-on-one and team meeting to make your meetings productive.

Top 6 meeting transcription apps comparison

Below, you’ll find the top meeting transcription apps out there today. 

1Fellow

Fellow is a team collaboration app that streamlines all your meeting needs. Unlike other transcription tools that record every word spoken during meetings, Fellow allows you to only record essential information on the agenda. This ensures there is not a surplus of information and makes it easier to skim through the meeting minutes. With easy-to-use meeting agenda templates, you can also plan meetings in a snap. Fellow’s meeting minutes and meeting notes templates make it simple to delegate action items so that your team never misses a deadline. Plus, with peer feedback tools, you can continue a healthy, open team dialogue between meetings. 

2Otter.ai

Otter.ai connects to common calendar platforms, so you can set it to automatically “join” and record your virtual or hybrid meetings. After you record your meeting audio, you can automatically send your team a summary of the transcribed meeting notes. You can also upload slide presentations to Otter.ai to create an outline for your meeting transcription. 

3Rev.com

Rev’s voice-to-text software offers low-cost automated transcription, or you can opt for human translation for an additional cost. You can share your Rev transcription with your team through email or upload it to Dropbox. Rev’s app is compatible with both iOS and Android. 

4Temi

With Temi, you upload an audio recording, and the app’s speech recognition software automatically transcribes your meeting. You can download your meeting transcript in a variety of formats, including as a PDF or Microsoft Word document. Transcription costs 25 cents per minute of audio, but the app does feature a free transcription editing tool. 

5Sonix.ai

Sonix’s automatic transcription service supports 38 languages. You can click on transcription timestamps to listen to an exact word said at an exact moment during your meeting. You can also customize your transcription with speaker labeling features. 

6Trint

Trint’s AI software transcribes both video and audio files. After uploading a file to the platform, you can edit and search your transcription text. The software supports over 30 languages and connects to content creation platforms such as Adobe Premiere Pro. You can also add tags, comments, and highlights to improve collaboration on meeting notes. 

How to use a meeting transcription app

Once you’ve selected a transcription app, it should be fairly easy to get started. That said, setting up your meeting transcription app will look different depending on which app you’ve selected. 

Once you’ve confirmed your platform subscription or account plan, you’ll download the app to your computer and smartphone. You’ll probably want to play around with the interface and do a recording test before using it in a real-life meeting.

If the app requires you to upload an external audio file, you can do a practice recording on your own. If your app connects directly with virtual meeting software such as Zoom, ask a team member to hop on for a quick trial run. After that, review your transcription for accuracy to make sure everything worked properly, and voila—you’re ready to transcribe meetings in just a few clicks. 

Tips for getting the most out of your meeting transcription app

Once you’ve gotten the basics down, you can fine-tune your recording process for maximum efficiency. Here’s how to get the most out of your meeting transcription app. 

• Enhance transcription accuracy. Try to minimize background sounds for a cleaner audio recording. The less noise your app has to filter out, the more accurate your transcription will be. 
• Search transcriptions for highlights and edit for clarity. Use your app’s search function to easily find action items and create high-level summaries of your meeting notes. If you want to add extra zing to your notes before sharing them with your team, some apps may let you add images too. 
• Share valuable insights with your team. You can send out your full meeting notes or just a quick topline summary—your meeting transcription app likely features email-sharing for both. Or you can add transcription files to an external storage drive such as Dropbox.

Make your meeting notes stand out with Fellow

Voice recognition software and virtual meeting transcription tools can make everyone’s lives easier. If your team is spending too much time on meeting minutes, you might consider one of these apps. 

You can couple your meeting transcription tool with Fellow for best results. Fellow has all the tools you need for successful teamwork during all your meetings. Get started with Fellow today, and better agendas, clearer action items, and easy objective tracking will be just around the corner.

Key takeaways 

• Save your team time and money with meeting transcription apps.
• Compare features such as editing and sharing functions to find the best meeting transcription app for your team. 
• Use all aspects of your meeting transcription app to boost productivity, organization, and collaboration. 
• Fellow can further improve team collaboration and organization with advanced features such as action items and OKRs (objectives and key results).