How To Transcribe Google Meet in Different Languages

How To Transcribe Google Meet in Different Languages

The need for effective communication across various regions has become crucial in our digitally driven world. Google Meet, as one of the leading video conferencing platforms, has made this easy with its transcription services. It allows you to transcribe Google Meet in different languages, making it a highly useful tool for international business meetings, educational sessions, or even casual conversations. Let's go into understanding the basics of Google Meet transcription services.

The transcription feature in Google Meet is powered by Google's speech-to-text technology. This essentially means that the audio from your meeting is converted into written text, also known as transcription. The beauty of this is that it doesn't just transcribe in English but supports many other languages, making it an extremely helpful tool in breaking language barriers in online meetings.

To transcribe Google Meet in different languages, you first need to turn on the captions feature. Once you start or join a meeting, you will find the captions button at the bottom of your screen. Turning this feature on will display what's being said in the meeting as text at the bottom of your screen. Please remember that the captions will be displayed in the language that's been set as the default language in your Google account settings.

A Step-by-Step Guide To Transcribe Google Meet in English

Before you begin the process of Google Meet multilingual transcription in English, you need to have a Google Account. If you don't have one, you can create one for free. Once you're logged in, you can start a new Google Meet session or join an ongoing one.

To transcribe Google Meet in English, follow these easy steps:

  • Step 1 Start or join a Google Meet session. You can either do this by clicking on the meeting link shared with you or by creating a new meeting yourself.
  • Step 2 Once you're in the meeting, look at the bottom of the screen. You'll see several options including "Turn on captions". Click on this option. As soon as you do this, Google Meet will start transcribing the ongoing conversation in real-time. The transcriptions will appear as subtitles at the bottom of the screen.
  • Step 3 If you want to save the transcriptions for future reference, you need to record the meeting. To do this, click on the three-dot menu on the bottom right corner of the screen and select "Record Meeting".
  • Step 4 Once the meeting is over, stop the recording by clicking on the three-dot menu again and choose "Stop recording". The recorded meeting, along with the transcriptions, will be saved in the meeting organizer's Google Drive.
A dictaphone used for listening to recordings

Transcribing Google Meetings in Other Languages

Google Meet multilingual transcription is now possible, thanks to the recent advancements in Google’s speech recognition technology, which supports several languages across the globe. Whether you need to transcribe a meeting in Spanish, French, German, or Mandarin, Google Meet has got you covered. Here's a detailed process on how to get started.

  1. Before moving forward, you should ensure that the language you want to transcribe is supported by Google's speech recognition technology. You can find the list of supported languages on Google's support page. Once you have confirmed this, you can set up the transcription process.
  2. To start with, open your Google Meet and join or start a meeting. In the bottom right corner, you will see three dots that signify more options. Click on this and choose the 'Turn on captions' option. This will automatically start transcribing your meeting in the default language, which is English.
  3. To change the transcription language, follow these simple steps:
  • Click on the three dots again and select 'Captions preferences'. A new window will pop up where you can select the language you want for your transcription.
  • Scroll through the options until you find your preferred language and select it.
  • Click Apply. Once you click 'Apply', Google Meet will immediately start transcribing the meeting in the language you have chosen.

Their transcription accuracy might vary depending on the clarity of the speech, the speaker's accent, and the background noise. It's also worth noting that the transcription service is not 100% accurate and may sometimes miss out on certain words or phrases or misinterpret them. However, overall, it is a highly useful feature that facilitates effective communication in multilingual meetings. It's important to note that the transcription feature is only available to Workspace customers and users with personal Google accounts. The transcription feature is not available for Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals customers.

A woman setting out a transcripted document

Tips and Tricks To Ensure An Accurate Transcription

Google Meet multilingual transcription can seem overwhelming, especially if you're not fluent in multiple languages. Do not worry; with the right tools and techniques, you can achieve accurate transcriptions in no time. Here are some tips and tricks to ensure you get the most accurate multilingual transcription.

1. Investing in a reliable transcription tool like Happy Scribe, with over 119 languages supported, is essential. Some of these tools integrate directly with Google Meet and offer real-time transcription services in multiple languages. They are equipped with advanced speech recognition technology that can accurately transcribe different accents, dialects, and languages. The Google Meet Transcribe feature, for instance, currently supports transcription in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and more.

Happy Scribe provides two meeting transcription methods:

  1. (after the meeting is recorded): https://www.happyscribe.com/how-to-transcribe-google-meet-meeting
  2. Happy Scribe also launched an AI Notetaker assistant with the features below.
  • Users integrate the AI Notetaker with their calendar application (Google Calendar or Microsoft Teams and Zoom as well).
  • They grant permission for the AI Notetaker to access their calendar and join scheduled meetings automatically.
  • The AI Notetaker automatically detects upcoming meetings from the user's calendar.
  • It is preparing to join supported platforms: Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom (which will be soon).
  • The AI Notetaker joins the meeting automatically.
  • It records and transcribes the audio in high fidelity.
  • So, you can either transcribe Google Meet meetings automatically (and send e-mail summaries, etc) or transcribe the meeting afterward; It's both possible with Happy Scribe.

2. Ensure that you have a good quality microphone and a quiet environment for your Google Meet calls. Background noise and poor sound quality can significantly affect the accuracy of your transcription.

3. The third essential tip is to speak clearly and at a moderate pace during the meeting. Speaking too fast or mumbling can make it difficult for the transcription tool to accurately capture your words. If your meeting involves multiple speakers, ensure everyone speaks one at a time to avoid overlapping conversations.

4.It is worth noting that most transcription tools also provide an option to manually edit the transcriptions. After the meeting, take some time out to edit the results for better accuracy.

A teacher have a chat with students on Transcription

Tthe Benefits of Transcribing Google Meet in Various Languages

Transcribing Google Meet meetings in different languages can create magic in communication and accessibility. Thanks to tools like Happy Scribe, you can either transcribe meetings automatically in real time or process recordings after that. This feature is very helpful for multilingual teams as it enables Google Meet multilingual transcription, with accurate scripts and even email summaries being prepared in various languages. Whether for international collaboration or documentation, these features ensure that not one critical detail goes unnoticed while providing inclusivity and efficiency in communication. The Happy Scribe AI Notetaker supports up to 36 languages, enabling multilingual meeting transcription.Users can search through their meeting transcripts, making it easy to find specific information.

Niek Leermakers

Niek Leermakers

Niek is a former tech journalist who swapped his pen for a Google Analytics in 2015 account and has been working in content marketing ever since. He really loves writing for Happy Scribe about media localisation and AI!