Instantly Transcribe Google Video Chats With Otter.ai
Otter.ai is a robust service that can magically turn your conversations into transcriptions – those that usually require a little post-facto editing. Especially if the call quality was decent and the subject didn’t mumble like I did.
Now, if you install a simple Chrome extension , you can use otter.ai to automatically decrypt Google Meet calls in real time. This is incredibly useful if your work relies on Google Meet to communicate with colleagues.
The extension works for both free and paid otter.ai users. You will only be able to transcribe 600 minutes each month, with a maximum of 40 minutes per recording. If your meeting is going to be long, you can choose not to use the extension and instead, record it as two separate files and then decrypt them separately and merge them.
Also, keep in mind that the extension won’t automatically start recording Google Meet video chats that you participate in – a great privacy option, but this is something to keep in mind if you’re hoping to get transcripts of every meeting you ever have. First you need to click on the extension icon and make sure you are signed in to your otter.ai account. Once you do that, you will see this tiny window:
Click the Record button to start, which will turn the window into a live transcription of what otter.ai hears. Plus, you can even turn on closed captioning mode, which appears as an overlay at the bottom of the Google Meet window. (However, since Google Meet has its own subtitling feature, it’s up to you to decide which one you like best.)
You can end the transcription session by clicking the “pause recording” button and then the “stop recording” button that appears. Your transcription will be automatically saved to your otter.ai account – no editing or deletion in the extension. The audio of the meeting will also be saved to your otter.ai account.
The latter fact is crucial; if your work is incredibly security conscious or would not be happy about the content of some meetings existing anywhere outside the intranet, you cannot use the otter.ai extension. Do not violate nondisclosure agreements, privacy policies, or anything else that could lead to termination of employment. You might think you are innocently recording an appointment to increase your productivity, but your company’s IT and security teams may see things differently.