How to Access Audio Transcripts in Zoom

Zoom can produce a written transcript of a meeting's audio. It does this only for meetings recorded to the cloud, and only if the audio transcript option was turned on before the recording started. This guide covers how to enable the feature, find the transcript after the meeting, and check that it is usable.

Before you start

Zoom's servers generate audio transcripts from a cloud recording. Nothing is transcribed on your computer, and recordings saved locally to your device do not get a transcript. You need the following:

• A paid Zoom license that includes cloud recording, such as Pro, Business, Education or Enterprise. Free Basic accounts do not include cloud recording.
• Cloud recording enabled for your account. If your organization manages Zoom, an admin controls this.
• Permission to record the meeting, either as host or because the host granted you recording rights.
• Sign-in access to the Zoom web portal, where both the setting and the finished files are found.

Recordings and transcripts are stored on Zoom's servers. Before you record, check your organization's retention rules, storage limits and consent requirements. Also confirm who can view shared recordings instead of assuming they are private.

Step-by-step instructions

Turn on audio transcripts

• Sign in to the Zoom web portal and open Settings.
• Select the Recording tab.
• Under Cloud recording, confirm that cloud recording is on. Then find the option to create an audio transcript in the advanced cloud recording settings and enable it.
• Save the change if prompted.

Labels can vary by plan, account type and portal version. If you cannot find the option, search the Settings page for the word transcript. The setting applies only to meetings recorded after you enable it. Older recordings do not get transcripts retroactively.

Record the meeting to the cloud

• Start the meeting as host, or join with recording permission.
• Click Record. If you are offered a choice between your computer and the cloud, choose Record to the Cloud.
• Stop the recording or end the meeting. Processing starts after the meeting ends.

Find and open the transcript

• Wait for processing to finish. Zoom normally emails the host when the recording is available, and the transcript can take longer than the recording to appear.
• In the web portal, go to Recordings and open your cloud recordings.
• Select the meeting topic to see its files. The audio transcript is listed alongside the video and audio files.
• Open the transcript to read it next to the recording, or download it. The downloaded file is in VTT format, a plain text file with timestamps.

To reverse the change, turn the audio transcript setting off. Existing recordings and transcripts stay in your cloud recordings until you delete them or a retention policy removes them.

Check the output

Play the recording with the transcript open and compare a few passages against the audio. Pay attention to:

• Timestamps: each line should match the moment it was spoken.
• Speaker labels: Zoom labels lines with the participant's display name when it can identify the speaker. Several people sharing one room microphone usually appear as a single speaker.
• Language: automatic transcription supports a limited set of languages. Confirm that your meeting language is available for your account.
• Corrections: if your account lets you edit the transcript in the web portal, save your edits before you download or share the file.

A VTT file opens in any text editor and in many video players and caption tools. The transcript is machine-generated, so verify names, numbers and technical terms before you rely on them.

Common problems and next steps

No transcript among the recording files

First confirm that the meeting was recorded to the cloud, not locally, and that the transcript setting was on before recording began. If both are true, the transcript may still be processing, so wait for Zoom's notification. A recording with very little speech may produce an empty transcript or none at all.

Transcript is inaccurate or incomplete

Transcript accuracy depends on audio quality. Before your next meeting, check three things in Zoom's audio settings: the correct microphone is selected as the input device, the input level is neither too quiet nor distorted, and background noise is low. A headset microphone close to the speaker usually helps. People talking over each other and speakers far from the microphone are common causes of missing or wrong words.

You need text during the meeting, not after

Audio transcripts are created only after a cloud recording is processed. For live text, use Zoom's captions or live transcription, which the host or admin must allow. If the host lets participants save captions, you can save them from the meeting as a text file. Saved captions do not require cloud recording, but they are a separate file from the audio transcript.

The option is missing or grayed out

A grayed-out setting means an admin locked it at the account or group level. Ask your Zoom admin to enable cloud recording and audio transcripts for you. If the option does not appear at all, your plan may not include cloud recording.