Microsoft Meeting Transcription Explained

As professionals in the digital age, we likely all agree that meetings are a necessary yet often inefficient part of work.

Luckily, Microsoft Teams' integrated transcription services offer an easy way to capture meeting details, accelerate note-taking, and maximize productivity.

In this post, we'll explore everything you need to know to unlock Microsoft Teams' transcription capabilities, from setup and configuration to best practices for accuracy and practical applications.

Introduction to Microsoft Meeting Transcription

Microsoft's meeting transcription feature offers professionals an automated way to capture dialogue and transform spoken words into text during online meetings. This capability streamlines note-taking and enables meeting participants to stay focused on the conversation instead of manual documentation.

Understanding Microsoft Meeting Transcription

Microsoft meeting transcription works by using speech recognition technology to listen to meeting audio in real-time and convert it into text transcripts. The transcription occurs on Microsoft servers in a secure environment and the text can then be accessed during or after the meeting.

Key things to know:

Works for Microsoft Teams meetings and events when enabled by organizer
Creates searchable, time-stamped transcripts stored securely in Microsoft Stream or OneDrive
Provides live captions during meeting and transcript download after
Uses advanced speech models for accurate transcription results

Exploring Microsoft Teams Meeting Transcription

The meeting transcription capability is natively built into Microsoft Teams. As an organizer or presenter, you can turn on live transcripts for any Teams meeting.

To enable it:

Go to Meeting options > Transcription > Turn on
Allow transcription in Teams meetings policy for your organization

The transcript will then appear during the meeting, scrollable and searchable. It's also saved to Microsoft Stream or OneDrive for later reference.

Advantages of Transcribing Meetings in Teams

Key benefits of using Microsoft Teams meeting transcription include:

Accurate meeting minutes and documentation
Increased accessibility for those hard of hearing
Easy knowledge sharing across teams
Enhanced searchability of meeting content
Ability to stay focused on meeting discussion
Time savings compared to manual note taking

With AI-powered transcription built into Microsoft Teams, professionals can boost meeting productivity, alignment, and accessibility without any extra effort.

Can you get a transcript of a Microsoft Teams meeting?

Microsoft Teams meetings can be transcribed in real-time to generate a text transcript. This feature allows meeting participants to view a live transcription of the meeting audio alongside the video call.

Here are some key things to know about Microsoft Teams meeting transcription:

How to enable meeting transcription

Meeting organizers or presenters can turn on live transcripts for any Teams meeting. Just select "Turn on live captions & transcription" in the meeting controls.
Transcription can also be enabled at an organizational level through Teams admin settings. Admins can configure policies to allow meeting transcription by default.

Viewing the live meeting transcript

The meeting transcription appears alongside the meeting video/audio feed. It includes speaker names (unless hidden) and timestamps.
The transcript text is interactive. You can select any part of the text to jump to that point in the meeting recording.
You can pin the transcript pane so it's always visible even if you switch to another app during the meeting.

What the transcript includes

The meeting transcript contains the full text of what is said out loud during the session. It's generated by Microsoft's speech recognition technology.
If meeting participants chat via text during the meeting, that content will not appear in the live transcript. Text chat is kept separate.
The transcript text is analyzed to detect action items, so these can be flagged for follow-up after the meeting.

If the Teams meeting is being recorded, the transcript text is saved automatically with the recording.
The meeting organizer can then download the transcript and share it alongside the recording in Microsoft Stream, OneDrive, SharePoint etc.

So in summary - Microsoft Teams has integrated microsoft meeting transcription capabilities to improve meeting productivity. Transcripts provide a searchable, text-based record of the meeting discussion that can be referenced long after the session.

Does Microsoft Teams automatically transcribe meetings?

Microsoft Teams includes built-in transcription capabilities to automatically generate text transcripts of meeting recordings. This can help meeting participants recall important discussion points and action items.

Here are some key things to know about Microsoft Teams meeting transcription:

How Transcription Works in Teams

Meeting organizers or presenters can enable live transcription during a Teams meeting. This creates real-time captions visible to participants.
Transcripts are also automatically generated when recording a Teams meeting to Microsoft Stream or OneDrive.
Transcripts appear alongside the meeting recording for later review.

Enabling Transcription

Transcription can be enabled at two levels in Microsoft Teams:

Individual meeting - The meeting organizer or presenter can turn on live transcription when scheduling or starting a meeting.
Organization-wide - Admins can configure transcription and captions to be allowed or required by default for all meetings in the Teams admin center.

Benefits of Transcription

Key benefits of using meeting transcription in Microsoft Teams include:

Better meeting notes - Transcripts provide an accurate record of the discussion without needing someone to take manual notes.
Accessibility - Live captions make meetings more inclusive for deaf or hard-of-hearing participants.
Recall - Transcripts make it easy to quickly find and recall information later.
Searchability - You can search a transcript to find key discussion points.

So in summary, Microsoft Teams can automatically generate transcripts for meeting recordings through AI-based speech recognition. This feature needs to be enabled, but can then provide useful capabilities around meeting productivity, accessibility, and knowledge management.

How do I enable transcription in Teams meeting?

To enable meeting transcription in Microsoft Teams, follow these steps:

Log in to your Teams account and visit the Admin center

Sign in to Microsoft Teams with an admin account
Click on your profile picture and select "Admin center"

Navigate to Meeting policies

In the left sidebar, click on Meetings > Meeting policies

Toggle on "Allow transcription"

Scroll down to the Audio and video section
Under Allow transcription, toggle the button to the on position

Enabling this setting allows meeting organizers and presenters to turn on live transcripts for their Teams meetings.

With live transcription enabled, Teams can generate a text version of the audio discussions in real-time. This transcript is then available to download or share after the meeting.

Key benefits of using Microsoft Teams meeting transcription:

Capture discussions without needing to take manual notes
Ability to search the meeting transcript for quick information access
Accurately track decisions, action items and key points from meetings
Help non-native language speakers follow along meetings better
Increase accessibility for those who are deaf or hard of hearing

So by toggling just one setting in the Teams Admin center, you unlock powerful transcription capabilities for more productive online meetings.

How do I transcribe MS teams meeting recording for free?

Transcribing Microsoft Teams meeting recordings is easy and free. Here are the steps:

Enable meeting transcription

As the meeting organizer or a presenter, you can turn on live transcription during a Teams meeting. Go to the meeting controls and select "Turn on live captions & transcription".

View the meeting transcript

Once your meeting ends, you can access the transcript in multiple places:

In the meeting chat - Scroll up to view the automatically generated live transcript.
Recordings tab - Go to the meeting event, open the Recordings & Transcripts tab and download the meeting transcript.
Microsoft Stream - If you have set meetings to record to Stream, find the recording here and view the Transcript tab.
OneDrive/SharePoint - If you have set meetings to record to OneDrive or SharePoint, you can view transcripts there.

With Microsoft's meeting transcription feature in Teams, you can easily transcribe Teams meeting recordings without any additional costs. Enable it directly in the meeting controls for live transcripts, and access automated transcripts after meetings end.

Customize transcription

As the meeting organizer in Teams, you can customize transcription and caption settings:

Allow transcription for all meetings or disable it.
View live transcription during meetings.
Download transcripts after meetings end.

In the Teams Admin center, you can also configure transcription and captions for Teams meetings at an organizational level.

So transcribing Teams meetings is simple and Microsoft meeting transcription handles it automatically for free. Just turn it on and access the transcripts later!

Setting Up Microsoft Teams Transcription

Microsoft Teams includes built-in transcription capabilities to automatically generate text transcripts of meetings. This helps meeting participants focus on the discussion instead of manual note-taking.

Here are the key steps involved in setting up transcription in Teams:

How to Enable Transcription in Teams Admin Center

As an admin, you can configure transcription at the organization level through the Teams admin center:

Navigate to Meetings > Meeting policies in the Teams admin center
Edit the desired policy, scroll down and enable the setting Allow transcription
Click Save to apply the updated policy

Enabling this allows meeting organizers and presenters to turn on live transcripts and recordings with transcripts for their sessions.

Configuring Transcription and Captions for Teams Meetings

Once enabled by your admin, meeting organizers can configure live transcription for their sessions:

When scheduling or starting an instant meeting, click More options > Turn on live captions & transcription
This will enable live subtitles during the meeting. The full transcript is available afterwards.
For optimal accuracy, advise participants to speak clearly and avoid excessive background noise.

If your organization records and transcribes meetings, it's important to inform participants and obtain their consent where required by law.

Some best practices around participant consent include:

Disclosing in invite that transcription/recording will occur
Verbally announcing transcription start during meeting
Giving participants options to pause/resume transcription

With the proper consent and configuration, Teams meeting transcription can greatly enhance productivity by allowing quick review and search of meeting discussions.

Executing Teams Meeting Transcription Without Recording

Teams meeting transcription can be enabled during a meeting without needing to record the full discussion. This allows meeting participants to view a live transcript as the meeting progresses.

Initiating Live Transcription

Follow these steps to turn on live transcription in a Teams meeting:

Start or join a Teams meeting as an organizer or presenter
Click on the "More options" menu
Select "Turn on live captions & transcription"
Live transcription will now appear during the meeting

Roles and Permissions for Live Transcription

The ability to enable live transcription is limited to the meeting organizer or presenters. Attendees cannot start transcription.

As soon as live transcription is started by the organizer or presenter, all participants will be able to view the transcript.

Understanding Live Transcription Limitations

Live transcription has some limitations to be aware of:

Only supports transcription for English language
Accuracy can be impacted by background noise or unclear audio
Transcript is not saved after the meeting ends

While useful for real-time visibility, live transcription does not replace recording and transcribing the meeting for later reference.

Post-Meeting Transcription: Teams Recording and Beyond

Transcript Teams Recording After Meeting

To access the transcript of a Teams meeting recording after the meeting has ended, navigate to the meeting recording in Microsoft Stream and select the "Transcript" tab. This will display the automatically generated transcript synced to the audio/video recording.

The transcript may take some time to process after the meeting concludes. Once ready, it can be downloaded as a VTT or SRT file, or copied directly as text. The transcript also enables users to click a line of text to jump to that point in the video recording.

Microsoft Teams Transcription Download Options

There are a few ways to download meeting transcripts from Microsoft Teams:

Microsoft Stream - Navigate to the meeting recording and select the Transcript tab. Click the "Download transcript" button to save the SRT or VTT file.
OneDrive - If the meeting recording was saved to OneDrive, the transcript file will also be available for download there.
SharePoint - For meetings recorded on Channels or other SharePoint sites, the transcript can be accessed in the Document Library.

Downloading the transcript file allows you to store it locally or integrate with other systems. The text can also be copied manually from the Transcript tab.

Integrating with Microsoft Stream, OneDrive, and SharePoint

Since Microsoft Teams integrates tightly with other Microsoft 365 apps, meeting recordings and transcripts are automatically saved to tools like Stream, OneDrive, and SharePoint.

Specifically:

Microsoft Stream hosts the recordings and transcripts for later playback and sharing.
OneDrive provides individual storage for each user to manage meeting artifacts.
SharePoint enables meeting recordings, transcripts and notes to be securely stored on team sites and portals.

This allows meeting assets to be managed securely within the Microsoft ecosystem. Transcripts can be searched, edited, shared and integrated just like any other document.

Best Practices for Meeting Transcription in Teams

Microsoft Teams offers automated transcription for meetings to generate text transcripts. This can enhance productivity by providing searchable records of discussions. Here are some tips for getting the most out of this feature:

Enhancing Transcript Accuracy

Accurate meeting transcripts rely on good audio quality. As the meeting organizer:

Remind attendees to speak clearly and not talk over each other
Ensure microphones are working properly beforehand
Minimize background noise when possible

Speaking clearly and slowly, with only one person talking at a time, will improve transcription.

Editing and Annotating Transcripts

After a Teams meeting with transcription enabled:

Open the meeting recording from Stream
Edit any transcription errors directly in the text
Add time-stamped comments to highlight key discussion points

Annotating transcripts makes them more usable for extracting decisions and action items later.

Leveraging Transcripts for Meeting Minutes

Teams meeting transcripts provide a handy starting point for comprehensive minutes:

Copy transcript text into a Word doc
Organize content using bullet points, highlights, etc.
Incorporate important context from annotations
Summarize conclusions, actions, and next steps

Automated transcription reduces the effort of taking minutes. With some editing and formatting, it can result in clear documentation of meeting outcomes.

Advanced Features and Third-Party Integration

Using Meeting Transcription Services

Third-party transcription services like Otter.ai, Trint, and Descript can provide automated meeting transcriptions through AI and machine learning. These services offer features like:

Automated speaker separation to attribute dialogue
Custom vocabulary training for industry-specific terms
Transcript search, editing, and sharing capabilities
Integration with services like Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams

For example, Otter.ai has a Teams app that can automatically transcribe meetings, while Trint works by uploading meeting recordings. Such services provide an alternative option if Teams' built-in meeting transcription does not fully address a team's needs.

Transcribing Non-Teams Meetings

While Microsoft Stream focuses on recording and transcribing Teams meetings, solutions exist to transcribe meetings from other platforms like Zoom. Otter.ai has integrations to automatically transcribe Zoom meetings, while services like Trint allow transcribing recorded Zoom meetings to text by uploading the video files.

This enables teams to consolidate meeting notes and get transcripts regardless of the platform used. The transcripts can then be shared across tools like Teams, Slack, Google Docs and more.

Incorporating Automatic Transcription Technology

Services like Zoom leverage automatic speech recognition (ASR), natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to provide features like Zoom automatic transcription.

As Microsoft continues enhancing Teams' built-in transcription, they could incorporate similar technology to offer automatically generated transcripts without needing to record meetings. This would complement existing transcription capabilities and give organizers more flexibility.

However, factors like audio/video quality, background noise, and accents can impact accuracy. So some manual review and editing may still be necessary to allow transcription that maximizes usability.

Conclusion: Embracing the Future of Meeting Transcription

Microsoft's meeting transcription feature offers transformative benefits for productivity and collaboration. By automatically generating searchable transcripts, it saves professionals time and effort while capturing critical information.

Recapping the Benefits of Meeting Transcription

Key advantages of Microsoft's transcription technology include:

Convenience - Transcripts are created automatically without any manual note taking.
Accuracy - Transcriptions leverage state-of-the-art speech recognition for reliable results.
Searchability - Generated transcripts can be easily searched to find key discussions.
Accessibility - Transcripts aid those who are hearing impaired or non-native speakers.
Accountability - Having a textual record ensures commitments aren't forgotten.

Looking Ahead: The Evolution of Transcription Features

As transcription technology continues advancing, Microsoft will likely add capabilities like:

Real-time translation - Making meetings borderless by removing language barriers.
Automated summaries - Providing condensed overviews of long discussions.
Insights - Using AI to analyze transcript content for hidden trends.
Customization - Allowing users to adapt transcriptions to their unique needs.

By embracing transcription, teams can maximize meeting outcomes while minimizing manual effort. The future of intelligent transcription promises even richer benefits through continued innovation.