How to transcribe a Zoom meeting or a Zoom webinar with Zoom?

It is impossible to talk about the biggest platforms for hosting Virtual Meetings without putting Zoom, the best of the best, in the Conversation. Over the years, the Zoom software has been used to host meetings by over 500,000 companies worldwide. Zoom's 2019 S-1A Filing showed that 70% of Fortune 500 companies like Apple, Wells Fargo, and Walmart have integrated this online tool into their daily operations.

A lot of responsibilities are involved in running or working for a company and as such, one is likely to forget some important matters discussed in business meetings. The Transcribe Feature on Zoom frees people of this burden. A Business Executive or Employee can always refer to the Transcribed records to retrieve the necessary information.

This article seeks to break down the concept of Transcription and How to use the Transcribe feature on the Zoom app for Live Virtual meetings alongside some other interesting hacks. Happy Reading.

Creating Zoom Transcripts Using Zoom

Firstly, What is Transcription?

The word has several meanings. However, in the context of Virtual Meetings, transcription is the process of converting audio speech to written Text. Transcription provides a written record of the meeting and ensures smooth communication between the speaker and listeners.

The Transcript File is in Video Text Track (VTT) Format and can be found in the Recorded Meetings List. The texts appear as closed captions at the top of the screen and can be rewritten for better quality. The host can enable or disable it for viewers.

Attached to every part of the Transcript is a recording of the time it was written.

Requirements For Using The Transcribe Feature

The Transcribe Feature is not for free accounts. You just need a Paid License which comes with Premium accounts and could be Business, Education, or Enterprise.

You also need to Activate the Cloud Recording Feature.

In case you can't find the Transcribe Button even after meeting those conditions, simply reach out to the Support team on Zoom to help you enable it.

Creating A Transcript

The first step is to Start Live Recording on the cloud. Transcription and Cloud Recording will happen at the same time. The Transcript takes longer to process than the Recording file.

Hence, after recording, the host will receive 2 emails notifying him that the files are available for download. It will contain a link to the Cloud Recording and the other will contain a link to the Transcribed file.

Additional Settings

Editing The Transcript

After downloading the VTT File, open it with a Text Editor (like Vim and TextMate) or a Word Processing App (like Microsoft and Google Sheets). Another way you can add changes to it is through the Zoom Web Portal. Here are the steps:

- Log into the portal

- Select Recordings under the Navigation Menu.

- Search for the recorded Meeting and Click on it. All the Recording files for that meeting will be displayed.

- Play them one after the other.

- The Transcribed Text will display on the right side of the video. Highlight the text you wish to edit and click on the pencil icon.

After editing, select the Check icon. If the Transcribed Text is tagged to an Unknown Speaker, you can simply edit it to the right name. The edited text will be displayed immediately.

Displaying The Transcripts As Closed Captions

Although the Transcript is in the Video and Audio files, it is automatically disabled in its settings. Below is how to enable it:

- Log into the portal

- Click Recordings under Navigation Menu.

- Search for the recorded Meeting and Click on it. All the Recording files for that meeting will be displayed.

- Play them one after the other.

Select the CC Button at the Bottom of the video and the Text will display as a caption immediately.

It's important to note that Zoom only Transcribes in English.

How To Find A Text In A Transcript

If you're searching for a text in a transcript or a transcript in a stack of audio transcripts, just follow these steps:

- Login to the web portal.

- Go to the Navigation Menu and Select Recordings or

- If you're a group admin, go to Account Management and Select Recording Management.

- Enter your desired text in the Audio Transcript Search Box.

- Hit the Search button. Sections containing the text will be highlighted.

- Select view detail if you want to view the transcript. The Transcript will fully display on the right side of the screen.

- To reverse to the Highlighted Text, select the Audio Transcript Button.

Transcribe Zoom Meetings With Happy Scribe

Softwares like Zoom and Otter may be great for Transcribing Live Virtual Meetings, but they have their limitations. One of which is that they aren't favorable options for non-English speakers. Happy Scribe was created to meet that need.

Happy Scribe works to bridge the language barrier by providing Translated subtitles for Virtual Meetings. Language structure differs from one language to another, hence Happyscribe runs on an algorithm that contains these language structures and uses them to deliver high-quality translations.