Recording in-person meetings with Notion – Workarounds
Recording in-person meetings for Notion documentation
Documenting in-person meetings presents a challenge for teams who want to maintain a centralized knowledge base in Notion. Unlike virtual meetings with built-in recording features, capturing and integrating in-person conversations requires alternative approaches. This article outlines four practical workarounds that help teams record meetings and bring that information into Notion, along with best practices for implementation.
The challenge of in-person meeting documentation
For teams that conduct numerous in-person meetings with clients, partners, or internal stakeholders, capturing everything said can be challenging. Unlike virtual meetings where recording options are built into platforms like Zoom or Google Meet, in-person meetings require alternative recording solutions. The bigger challenge comes when you need to bring that information into Notion to keep all your team's knowledge centralized.
Why integrate meeting recordings with Notion?
Before diving into solutions, let's understand why bringing meeting recordings into Notion matters:
Recording meetings and storing them in Notion creates a single source of truth, preventing information silos. It enables seamless team collaboration as everyone can access the same information without switching between platforms. Recordings can be organized contextually, linked directly to relevant projects, clients, or initiatives. This makes follow-ups more efficient as action items can be tracked alongside the original conversation.
Workaround 1: Circleback for in-person meeting recording
Circleback offers a solution for teams wanting to record in-person meetings and integrate them with Notion.
How it works:
You use the Circleback mobile app to record in-person meetings. The app transcribes the conversation and identifies different speakers. It extracts key points, action items, and decisions automatically. The integration can push meeting notes directly into your Notion workspace.
Practical example:
Imagine your sales team meeting with a key client. Sarah, your sales manager, places her phone with Circleback recording in the center of the table. After the meeting, Circleback provides a full transcript and identifies that the client mentioned a budget increase for Q3 and requested a follow-up proposal by next Friday. This information, along with the audio recording, is automatically pushed to your company's Notion Sales Database, tagged with the client's name, and assigned to relevant team members.
Workaround 2: Manual recording with Notion upload
For a budget-friendly option, you can implement a manual process:
Record meetings with a smartphone voice recorder app or dedicated recording device. Either transcribe key portions yourself or write a summary. Store the audio file in Notion alongside your notes. Develop a consistent meeting documentation format using templates.
Practical example:
Your product team conducts a user testing session. You record the session using your phone's voice recorder. Afterward, you create a new page in your Product Development Notion database using a template that includes sections for participant information, key insights, and action items. You upload the audio file, manually note the timestamps of important feedback, and tag team members responsible for implementing changes.
Workaround 3: Hybrid approach with external transcription
For teams wanting more automation without a fully integrated solution:
Record meetings with a quality microphone or recording device. Use a transcription service like Otter.ai or Rev to convert audio to text. Create a Notion automation using tools like Make or Zapier to import transcripts. Organize with a database that connects recordings to projects and team members.
Practical example:
Your marketing team brainstorms campaign ideas in a conference room. You record the session and upload it to a transcription service. Once transcribed, an automation you've set up pulls the transcript into your Marketing Campaigns database in Notion, creating a new page with the date, participants, and full text. Your team then highlights key decisions directly in Notion and creates task items for follow-up.
Workaround 4: Third-party integrations via API
For teams with technical resources:
Use a meeting recording app with API capabilities. Develop a custom integration that pushes recordings and transcripts to Notion. Create automated workflows that tag content and notify relevant team members. Maintain a centralized meeting repository in Notion.
Practical example:
Your engineering team implements a custom integration between your preferred recording tool and Notion using Notion's API. After each board meeting, the recording and AI-generated summary are automatically pushed into your Governance database, with key decisions highlighted and action items assigned to department heads. The system also automatically tags content based on mentioned projects or initiatives.
Best practices for any recording solution
Regardless of which workaround you choose, follow these best practices:
Always inform participants that the meeting is being recorded and get their consent. Use good microphones to improve transcription accuracy. Establish consistent naming conventions to help with searchability. Create standardized meeting templates in Notion. Include meeting purpose, attendees, and outcomes alongside recordings. Develop a systematic tagging system that connects meetings to relevant projects and teams.
Cost considerations
When evaluating options, consider:
Some tools charge per user, which can add up for larger teams. Determine which features you actually need versus what's just nice to have. Factor in the time saved by automatic Notion integration. Consider how much recording storage you'll need long-term.
Privacy and security considerations
When implementing any recording solution:
Ensure your chosen solution offers appropriate encryption for secure storage. Determine how long recordings should be kept. Restrict sensitive meeting recordings to authorized team members. Comply with privacy laws regarding recorded conversations.
