How to Transcribe a Google Meet Recording

How to transcribe a Google Meet recording

Google Meet is the search engine's very own online meeting platform, rivaling Zoom and Microsoft Teams, and part of its G Suite offering. If your company or academic institution uses Google Meet for video calls and virtual lessons and seminars, then chances are that working out how to get a transcription from a Google Meet recording is going to be pretty high up in your priority list.

Getting automated transcriptions from these recordings saves you from having to take notes as you go along, meaning that you can focus on what's actually going on in the meeting and stay engaged without distraction. Once you've received your transcript, you can use it to compile notes to share with colleagues, clients or classmates, and the written content can even be repurposed for reports, articles, essays or used to create subtitles to accompany recordings for improved accessibility.

In this guide we'll outline the different tools available for transcribing your Google Meet recording, followed by step-by-step instructions for how to transcribe a Google Meet recording to make the process even easier.

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Tools for transcribing a Google Meet recording

  • Google Meet's caption service

Google Meet has a built-in caption service which enables users to view subtitles during a video call. However, these captions aren't available once the meeting has ended, so they won't form a transcript for you to use. Google Meet doesn't currently have a built-in transcription function.

To get a transcription, you'll need to record your meeting and then choose a transcription service to help you out. You have two options when it comes to paid-for transcription services:

  • Human transcription services

Transcription services using real-life humans promise accuracy, but these services tend to be far slower and far more expensive than automated services. An hour of audio takes approximately four hours for a professional to transcribe, and the average price is 75 cents to $1.50 per minute. That works out as $45-$90 per hour of audio transcription.

  • Automated transcription services

Automatic transcription services, like Transcribe, offer a cheaper and faster alternative. Since the process is automated, using AI-powered software, you'll get a transcription of your Google Meet recording within minutes. Depending on the quality of the audio, you may need to make small tweaks to the text, but this is quick and easy to do on our app or online editor.

How to transcribe a Google Meet recording using Transcribe

1. Record your Google Meet meeting

To record your Google Meet meeting, recording needs to be enabled by one of your organization's admins. Once that's happened, anyone can record a meeting.

To record, click the 3 dots on the bottom right of your meeting screen, then select "Record Meeting". To end the recording, click the 3 dots again and select "Stop Recording". Recordings are automatically saved in your Google Drive.

2. Download the Transcribe app or launch the online editor

3. Import your recording to Transcribe

You can import directly from Google Drive, or download the file and upload it in one of the following formats: m4v, mp4, mov or avi.

4. Choose your language

Select the language of your video recording from more than 120 languages and dialects.

5. Start the transcription process

Your Google Meet transcription will be ready within minutes! Make yourself a cup of tea, have a stretch, pet your dog (just enjoy a couple of minutes of free time on us), and we'll send you a notification when your transcription is complete.

6. Your transcription is ready!

Now that your Google Meet transcription is ready, you can proofread and polish the text in the app, online or in your preferred file format in a fraction of the time it would have taken you to write it yourself.

With our standard version you can export your transcribed text to TXT, or upgrade to our PRO service to export to PDF, DOCX, JPG and SRT. SRT is a file format specifically for captions. It's made up of time coding and plain text, which video software reads and extracts in order to display subtitles on your video.

Find out more about how to transcribe video using Transcribe.

How to transcribe a Google Meet recording for free

With Transcribe, you can enjoy the first 15 minutes of transcription time for free, so if your Google Meet recording is on the shorter side then this could work out as an entirely free option.

Once you've used up your free credit and seen for yourself whether our service meets your needs, you can buy additional credit for just $5 an hour, or get 10 hours for just $35. Better yet, upgrade to our PRO service for $10 a month and you'll receive 5 hours of transcription time each month (just $2 an hour!).

How to use your Google Meet transcription

There are a wide range of things you can do once you've got your transcription. Here are some ideas:

  • Create concise notes to share with your colleagues and classmates for extra kudos.

  • Turn the transcription into subtitles to make your video content more accessible.

  • Repurpose the meeting into other educational or training materials, or into reports and articles to support your business' marketing activities.

Ready to transcribe your Google Meet recordings? Download the Transcribe app or launch the online editor to get started.


Written By Katie Garrett

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