How to Get a Transcript from a Zoom Recording
You already recorded the Zoom meeting. Here's when Zoom makes a transcript for you, and how to get one when it didn't.
Updated October 20, 2026Michael NguyenTested October 2026
Quick answer
Zoom only makes its own audio transcript for cloud recordings on Pro, Business, Education, or Enterprise accounts with audio transcription turned on, so a recording saved to your computer, or made on a free account, comes without one. Audo AI transcribes the Zoom recording file itself, the MP4 or the M4A, in 60 languages, labeling up to 8 speakers as Speaker 1, Speaker 2, and so on. The first 2 minutes are free with no sign-up, and a whole hour costs $1.20, with no subscription.
| Option | What you need | What you get | Languages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoom's audio transcript | A cloud recording on a Pro, Business, Education, or Enterprise account, with cloud recording and audio transcription turned on | A VTT file with the cloud recording, which may take extra time to process | 19 |
| A computer recording | Any account, free Basic included, on a computer (not on iOS, iPad, or Android) | MP4 video and M4A audio files in Documents/Zoom, with no audio transcript | None |
| Audo AI Transcribe | The recording file, MP4 or M4A, from either kind of recording | The text in speaker turns, SRT and VTT captions, and word timings; first 2 minutes free, then $1.20 an hour | 60 |
Listen and read along
Press play to see who says what.
Transcript
- Speaker 1
Oh, yes.
- Speaker 2
Different from Boxwood.
- Speaker 1
Sure, I, I bet. There's not much here. No, no, there's really not. Um, was there ever, uh, do you remember there being more businesses here, or has it always been- Not since we've
- Speaker 2
been here.
- Speaker 1
No? No.
- Speaker 2
No businesses. A hockey rink tried to get into Boxwood, but it was very actively opposed.
Made with Transcribe, speaker labels on
Does Zoom transcribe your recording for you?
Only some recordings. Zoom's audio transcript is a cloud recording feature: it needs a Pro, Business, Education, or Enterprise account, with cloud recording and audio transcription both turned on. If you have all three and still don't see the option, Zoom says to contact Zoom Support.
When it works, the transcript is a VTT file next to the cloud recording, and Zoom says it may take extra time to process after the recording is ready. It covers 19 languages, from English and Spanish to Japanese and Danish. A recording saved to your own computer gets no audio transcript from Zoom, and free Basic accounts can still record that way.
Where to find your Zoom recording file
To transcribe a recording yourself, you need the file. Zoom saves recordings as an MP4 video and an M4A with only the sound, and where they are depends on where you recorded:
- Computer recordings. By default they're in a Zoom folder in Documents: C:\Users\[Username]\Documents\Zoom on Windows, and /Users/[Username]/Documents/Zoom on a Mac. The recording settings in the Zoom desktop app open the folder where they're stored.
- Cloud recordings. Sign in to the Zoom web portal, open Recordings & Transcripts, and choose the Cloud recordings tab. Download the MP4 or the M4A from there.
How to transcribe a Zoom recording with Audo
Audo's Transcribe tool takes both of Zoom's files, so you can start from whichever one you have:
- Step 1: Add the file. Drop the MP4 or the M4A into Transcribe. The M4A has only the sound, so it's the smaller file and uploads faster. The transcript is the same either way.
- Step 2: Pick the language, or let Audo find it. Audo detects the language by itself, or you pick one of 60. Label speakers is on, so each voice gets its own turns: Speaker 1, Speaker 2, and so on, up to 8 people, in the order they first speak.
- Step 3: Download the transcript. You get the text in speaker turns, SRT and VTT captions, and word timings, all from one run. Replace Speaker 1 and Speaker 2 with the real names wherever you use the text.
Long meetings, classes, and interviews
Without an account, Audo takes files up to 100 MB. Signed in, files can be up to 10 GB and 10 hours long. A 2-minute recording is usually ready in under 10 seconds, and recent hour-long recordings came back in under 2 minutes.
The first 2 minutes of each file are free, 3 times a day. Whole files are $0.02 a minute, so a one-hour meeting costs $1.20 and a two-hour class $2.40, with no subscription. Files are deleted after 24 hours.
When Zoom's own transcript or a live note-taker is the better choice
Each option fits a different moment: before the meeting, during it, or after it.
- Zoom's audio transcript. If you're on a Pro, Business, Education, or Enterprise account, record to the cloud, and speak one of Zoom's 19 transcript languages, turn on audio transcription and Zoom adds a transcript to your cloud recordings.
- A live meeting note-taker. Tools such as Otter and Fireflies join the call and write notes as it happens. Audo doesn't join live meetings.
- Audo AI. If the meeting is over and you have only the recording, Audo transcribes the file after the fact, with speaker labels, in 60 languages.
Transcribe your Zoom recording
Drop the MP4 or M4A into Transcribe and get the text with who said what, plus captions. Free to try. No sign-up.
Questions
Can I get a transcript of a Zoom recording on a free account?
Not from Zoom itself: its audio transcript needs a Pro, Business, Education, or Enterprise account and a cloud recording. On a free account you can still record to your computer, then add that MP4 or M4A to Audo, and the first 2 minutes are transcribed free with no sign-up.
Why is there no transcript with my Zoom recording?
Zoom makes audio transcripts only for cloud recordings, on paid accounts with audio transcription turned on. A computer recording comes without one, and so does a cloud recording when audio transcription is off. If you think yours should have one, check your account's recording settings or ask Zoom Support.
Should I upload the MP4 or the M4A?
Either works, and the transcript is the same. The M4A has only the sound, so it's smaller and uploads faster. Use the MP4 when it's the only file you have.
Does it show who said what in a Zoom meeting?
Yes. Audo labels each voice Speaker 1, Speaker 2, and so on, up to 8 people, in the order they first speak. It doesn't know names, so replace the labels in the text you download.
What does it cost to transcribe a one-hour Zoom meeting?
$1.20. Whole files are $0.02 a minute, with no subscription, and you can try the first 2 minutes of any file free, 3 times a day, with no sign-up.