How to transcribe a meeting
Meeting transcription with Circleback
Meeting transcription creates a written record of everything said during meetings. This documentation improves accountability by providing clarity on discussions and decisions. It enables better information retention and allows absent participants to catch up later. Having searchable records lets you quickly find specific information from past meetings. Most importantly, transcription frees you to focus fully on the conversation without worrying about taking notes.
Why transcribe your meetings?
Meeting transcription creates written records that provide clarity on discussions and decisions. You capture every detail without dividing your attention. People who couldn't attend can catch up easily. You can search through past meetings for specific information. And you can participate fully in meetings without worrying about note-taking.
Meeting transcription with Circleback
Circleback automatically transcribes meetings and generates organized notes, action items, and insights. Here's how to use it:
1. Setting up Circleback for online meetings
Connect your calendar:
Sign up at Circleback.ai
Connect your Google Calendar or Outlook
Select which meetings you want to transcribe
Circleback will automatically join your scheduled meetings
For virtual meetings:
Circleback works with major video conferencing platforms
The AI joins as an attendee and begins recording and transcribing
All participants will see Circleback join the meeting
2. Recording in-person meetings
For face-to-face meetings without video conferencing:
Open Circleback on your laptop or mobile device
Click "Start Recording" at the beginning of your meeting
Place your device where it can clearly capture everyone's voices
Inform all participants that the meeting is being recorded
For better audio quality in larger rooms, consider using an external microphone connected to your device.
3. Importing existing recordings
If you already have a meeting recording:
Log in to Circleback in a web browser
Select "New → Import" in the top right corner
Upload your audio file (.mp3, .mp4, .m4a, or .wav formats)
Circleback will process the file and generate a transcript
To transcribe an iPhone Voice Memo:
Save the Voice Memo to Files on your iPhone
Access Circleback via Safari on your iPhone
Import the saved recording
Wait for processing to complete
4. Working with your transcripts
After transcription, Circleback organizes the information in several ways:
Complete transcript with speaker identification:
Each speaker's contributions are labeled and timestamped
Review who said what and when during the conversation
AI-generated meeting notes:
Key topics and discussions summarized automatically
Important details highlighted without the verbatim transcription
Action items extraction:
Tasks and commitments automatically identified
Items assigned to specific team members
Overview summary:
Brief recap of the meeting's main points and decisions
Quick reference for sharing with stakeholders
After a product launch planning meeting, Circleback might capture that "Emma and Nick finalized planning for the upcoming launch on Friday" and "$28,000 was agreed on as month one budget for paid ads," while noting action items like "Nick to email media kit to Natalie at New York Times" and "Emma to confirm primary colors with Nick."
5. Editing and refining transcripts
Sometimes transcription may contain errors. Circleback allows you to:
Review the transcript alongside the audio recording
Click on any section to listen to the corresponding audio
Edit speaker labels for correct attribution
Make corrections to misheard or incorrectly transcribed words
Highlight or annotate important sections
6. Sharing and integrating meeting information
After transcription and note generation, Circleback offers several sharing options:
Email distribution:
Automatically send notes to all meeting participants
Customize what information is shared
Integration with work tools:
Connect with Slack to share notes in relevant channels
Update HubSpot deals with meeting insights
Create tasks in Linear based on action items
Update Notion databases with meeting summaries
Connect with Salesforce to update customer records
You could set up an automation to send meeting notes to your team's Slack channel immediately after a client call, while simultaneously creating tasks in your project management tool for any action items identified.
Best practices for meeting transcription
To get the most accurate and useful transcriptions:
Announce the recording: Always inform participants that the meeting is being recorded and transcribed.
Speak clearly: Encourage participants to speak at a moderate pace and avoid talking over each other.
Use good audio equipment: Better audio input results in better transcription quality. Consider using a quality microphone for in-person meetings.
Identify speakers: Begin with introductions so the transcription tool can better identify who is speaking.
Review promptly: Check the transcript shortly after the meeting when the conversation is still fresh in your mind.
Establish a meeting rhythm: Consistent structure helps the AI better understand the flow of your discussions.
Language support and special considerations
Circleback supports over 100 languages, making it useful for multinational teams. The transcription works with English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and many other languages.
For technical meetings with specialized terminology, Circleback's AI can recognize industry-specific terms with high accuracy.
Privacy and security
When implementing meeting transcription, security matters:
Circleback uses strong security measures
Data is encrypted and stored securely
You control who has access to meeting transcripts
Detailed information is available on their security portal