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Zoom

How to transcribe a Zoom recording, even on a free Zoom account

To transcribe a Zoom recording, record the meeting to your computer, open the Documents/Zoom folder and take the audio_only.m4a file (or the MP4). Upload it to HiText from your phone or from the browser and in a few minutes you get the full transcript and an AI summary. It works with free Zoom accounts and your first 30 minutes are free.

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Zoom recording to text, step by step

  1. 1

    Record to your computer

    In the Zoom desktop app (Windows or Mac), click Record and choose Record on this computer. Local recording is available on all Zoom accounts, including the free one, but not in the Zoom mobile app.

  2. 2

    Find the file

    When the meeting ends, Zoom converts the recording and saves it in Documents/Zoom, in a folder with the date and the meeting name. Inside you'll find audio_only.m4a (just the sound) and a video file in MP4.

  3. 3

    Upload it to HiText

    Open HiText in the browser and upload the M4A or the MP4, or send the file to your phone and pick it from Files. You get the transcript, a summary and, if you need it, a translation.

Doesn't Zoom transcribe meetings already?

Zoom's own audio transcript works on cloud recordings, and cloud recording is only included in paid plans (Pro, Business, Education or Enterprise) and has to be turned on by the account admin. On the free Basic plan you can only record to your computer, and that recording comes with no transcript. That's the gap HiText fills: you keep the local file and get the text from it.

Which file to upload

  • audio_only.m4a: the best option. It's much smaller than the video and uploads faster
  • zoom_0.mp4: also works; HiText takes the sound out of the video (up to 2 GB)
  • Cloud recordings: on a paid plan, download them from the Recordings page of the Zoom web portal and upload them the same way
  • If you changed the recording folder in Zoom Settings → Recording, look there instead of Documents/Zoom

What HiText doesn't do

HiText doesn't join the call or act as a meeting bot: it transcribes the recording once you have it. It doesn't add timestamps or label each speaker. If you need minutes with who said what, HiText Business turns the recording into a ready-to-send document. And always tell participants the meeting is being recorded.

Also for Google Meet and Teams

The same method works for other platforms: download the recording and upload it. See how to get a Google Meet transcript or a Teams meeting transcript, or read the general guide to transcribing interviews and meetings.

Frequently asked questions

Can I transcribe a Zoom recording on the free Zoom plan?

Yes. The free plan lets you record to your computer from the desktop app. Zoom doesn't transcribe that recording, but you can upload the audio_only.m4a or MP4 file to HiText and get the text.

How much does it cost?

You start with 30 free minutes of transcription, no card needed. To keep transcribing you can subscribe to Pro; you see the price before paying and can cancel any time from your App Store or Google Play subscription settings.

Can I do it from my computer?

Yes. Open app.trytiro.app, sign in and upload the file (up to 1 GB in the browser). You can copy the transcript or download it as a TXT file.

Does it work with meetings in other languages?

Yes. It transcribes 13 languages with automatic detection, and you can read the transcript translated into the language you choose.

Is the recording kept on your servers?

Your audio is used only to transcribe it and is deleted from our servers when it's done (at most within 7 days if something fails). The transcript is kept until you delete it. We don't use your content to train AI models. Details in our privacy policy.

More tools

Your Zoom calls, ready to read

Upload your next recording to HiText. Your first 30 minutes are free.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google PlayUse it in your browser