Prepare the recording
Check the microphone and tell participants that the conversation is being recorded. Say the meeting title and date at the beginning so they are easy to find in the transcript. In a noisy room, use an input source close to the speakers.
Keep the original file after the meeting. Do not edit it before the first transcription; the source is useful when a sentence needs verification.
Get the text
Cloud transcription can be faster to start than installing a local model. Echo sends audio directly to the OpenAI or Grok API you select. You need an internet connection and your own provider key, stored in macOS Keychain.
Turn a transcript into outcomes
- highlight decisions and changes;
- collect tasks with owners and deadlines;
- mark unanswered questions;
- verify names and numbers against the audio;
- keep a short summary beside the full transcript.
For a Mac-focused workflow, read meeting transcription on Mac. For phone conversations, use call transcription, and for research work see interview transcription.
Conclusion
Recording and transcribing meetings works best as a short chain: prepare the audio, create the transcript, verify important facts, and format the decisions. That process saves time and makes commitments visible.