Step by step
- Record the call in Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams or on your phone. Availability of recording depends on your plan and your organization's settings.
- Download the file. Zoom, Meet and Teams save recordings in places that differ by plan and setting, so follow your tool's help pages.
- Open TooLongToListen and drag the file in. Recordings are usually video; the browser extracts the audio, and the video stays on your device.
- Sign in with Google and start. The free plan includes 10 minutes at sign-up.
- Read the text and copy it to your document or notes app.
- Write the notes with the template in meeting minutes from a recording.
What a transcript is good for
| Use | How |
|---|---|
| Notes for people who missed the call | Decisions and actions at the top, link to the text below |
| Follow-up email | Paste action items with owners and dates |
| Searchable record | Find who agreed to what |
| Captions for a webinar replay | Tick the captions option and download SRT or VTT |
Limits, stated plainly
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Audio per file | 3 hours |
| Source video | up to 16 GB |
| Speaker labels | not available |
| Live transcription | not available |
| Summary | included in Pro and Studio |
| Language | detected automatically; Portuguese is our main focus |
Calls with several people talking over each other, bad connections and heavy accents lower the quality of any transcript. Review names, numbers and dates before you send anything.
Make the recording better
- Ask people to mute when not speaking.
- Use a headset or a close microphone.
- State action items out loud: "Action: Sam sends the budget by Friday."
- Share the agenda first so names and terms appear early.
Consent and sensitive calls
Tell everyone the call is recorded. In the US, federal law and many states need one party's consent and some need everyone's. Your company may have stricter rules. Do not upload calls that contain regulated or confidential information unless your policy allows it, and read the privacy policy first. See privacy-first transcription.
Try it on your next call
Start at meeting minutes from a recording. If you also publish the call as a video, see upload an SRT file to YouTube.
Sources
- Zoom Support, recording help: https://support.zoom.com
- Google Meet Help, record a video meeting: https://support.google.com/meet
Frequently asked questions
How do I transcribe a Zoom recording?
Download the recording file from Zoom, drag it into TooLongToListen and start the transcription. The browser extracts the audio, so the video stays on your device, and the audio is processed on our own server.
Can I transcribe a Google Meet recording?
Yes, if your account is able to record. Recording availability depends on your plan and your administrator's settings. Download the file from where Meet saved it and upload it the same way.
Does the transcript say who spoke?
No. TooLongToListen does not separate speakers, so add names to decisions and action items while you review.
How long can a meeting recording be?
Each file can hold up to 3 hours of audio. Only a call longer than 3 hours needs to be cut into parts, each transcribed separately.
Do I need permission to record a call?
Tell everyone you are recording. In the US, federal law and many states need only one party's consent, while some states need everyone's. Your employer may also have rules. This is not legal advice.
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