Recording in-person meetings with Granola – Workarounds
While Granola excels at capturing virtual meetings, in-person gatherings present unique challenges because all voices arrive through a single microphone input, complicating speaker identification. This article details pragmatic approaches to optimize Granola for face-to-face meetings, including strategic device placement, encouraging explicit name usage during discussions, leveraging the iPhone app's superior audio capabilities, and employing thoughtful post-meeting review techniques. With these adjustments, Granola can effectively document in-person conversations despite its design orientation toward virtual meetings.
Understanding Granola's in-person meeting limitations
Granola primarily captures audio through your device's microphone and system audio. For virtual meetings, this works seamlessly - distinguishing between your voice and others on the call. However, during in-person gatherings, all voices come through your microphone as a single audio source, creating some limitations.
Speaker identification becomes less reliable as everyone is captured through one input. The transcript registers all participants as a single speaker. Distance from your device's microphone can affect audio quality and transcription accuracy.
Despite these challenges, Granola can still be a powerful tool for in-person meetings with the right approach.
Key workarounds for in-person meetings
Use names actively during conversations
One of the simplest yet most effective strategies is to encourage everyone to use names during discussions. For example: "Maria, what do you think about the timeline for the project launch?" or "I agree with what John just mentioned about the budget constraints."
By explicitly stating names, you're manually tagging speakers in the conversation, which helps Granola's processing algorithms better identify who said what. This significantly improves the quality of your enhanced notes after the meeting.
Optimal device placement
The position of your device during meetings greatly impacts transcription quality. Place your device in the center of the meeting table when possible. Ensure your microphone isn't obstructed by papers, coffee cups, or other items. For larger meetings, consider using an external microphone with better pickup range. Test the placement before important meetings to confirm everyone's voice is being captured.
For instance, in a conference room with 8 participants, you might need to move your laptop to different positions around the table depending on who's speaking most actively.
Leverage the iPhone app advantage
Granola's iPhone app features enhanced speaker identification for in-person meetings. The app is optimized for capturing multiple voices in physical spaces. Mobile device microphones are often designed to capture sound from various directions. Keep your iPhone unlocked with the Granola app open during the meeting and position the phone centrally with the microphone unobstructed.
A product manager might bring both their laptop (for taking notes) and their iPhone (positioned in the center of the table for better audio capture) to a client meeting.
Create structure with manual note-taking
While Granola captures the conversation, be strategic with your manual notes. Note speaker changes: "Alex speaking now about marketing budget." Add contextual markers: "Response to Sarah's proposal about timeline." Highlight key points with speaker attribution: "Maria's concern: Q3 resource allocation." Document non-verbal elements: "[Team reviewing dashboard on projector]."
These manual notations serve as guideposts for Granola's AI when processing and enhancing your notes.
Calendar integration for context
Always create calendar entries for in-person meetings with complete attendee list with email addresses, descriptive meeting title and agenda, and location details.
When Granola connects to your calendar event, it uses this information to provide context for the transcription and note enhancement. For example, a calendar entry titled "Product Roadmap Planning with Engineering Team" with all attendees listed gives Granola crucial context about who might be speaking.
Impromptu meeting mode
For unscheduled in-person discussions, open Granola as soon as the conversation begins. Select "Impromptu Meeting" option. Begin manual note-taking while Granola transcribes. Label the meeting with descriptive titles afterward for easier reference.
This approach works well for spontaneous hallway conversations that evolve into meaningful discussions worth documenting.
Enhanced post-meeting processing strategies
After your in-person meeting concludes, you can maximize the value of your notes through several approaches.
Review and enhance immediately
Don't wait to review your notes. While the conversation is fresh in your memory, scan through the transcript to identify any major speaker attribution errors. Add clarifying comments where speaker identification was ambiguous. Fill in any sections where audio quality might have affected transcription. Highlight the most significant insights that might need emphasis.
Utilizing Granola's post-processing tools
Granola offers several tools to improve your notes after an in-person meeting. Use the "zoom in" function to examine detailed sections of the transcript. Employ the "Ask Granola" feature with specific queries like: "What did Maria say about the project timeline?", "Summarize Alex's concerns about the budget", or "What action items did we agree upon?"
These targeted questions can help extract structured information even from a transcript with imperfect speaker identification.
Exporting and sharing notes
When sharing meeting notes with attendees, export the enhanced notes rather than the raw transcript. Add a brief introduction explaining how the notes were captured. Invite participants to suggest corrections if their contributions were misattributed. Consider sharing in a collaborative platform where others can comment or clarify.
Special considerations for different meeting types
Small group discussions (2-4 people)
In intimate settings, Granola typically performs well with minimal adjustments. Position your device centrally, maintain consistent speaking volumes, use names naturally in conversation, and consider using iPhone app for optimal results.
Larger meetings and workshops
For meetings with 5+ participants, request participants speak one at a time when possible. Position yourself (with your device) near the center of activity. Consider using both desktop and iPhone apps simultaneously for redundancy. Take more active manual notes with speaker identifications.
Panel discussions and presentations
When recording more structured formats, position your device closer to the presenters/panelists if possible. Note speaker transitions in your manual notes. Add context about visual elements being discussed. Create section breaks in your notes for different presentation segments.
