How to Use Google Meet Transcription in 3 Steps (2024 Guide)

Like many other video conferencing platforms, Google Meet is now an integral part of our lives and we’re pretty used to challenges that may arise while using it. Sometimes it may be difficult to understand someone with a strong accent or deal with crosstalk. Luckily, Google Meet transcription can come to your aid in these kinds of situations.

In this blog, we will focus on how to use Google Meet transcription to live transcribe Meet calls. We will also explore another option, transcribing Google Meet recordings with Maestra, and the advantages this method brings.

Ready to improve your meeting experience? Let’s start.

Does Google Meet have transcription?

Yes, Google Meet has a built-in transcription feature. However, it only works for live meetings and needs to be manually activated during the meeting.

As of March 2024, it’s important to highlight that there are certain requirements for using Google Meet transcription.

You must have one of the following Google Workspace subscriptions:

Business Standard

Business Plus

Enterprise Starter

Enterprise Standard

Enterprise Plus

Teaching & Learning Upgrade

Education Plus

The feature is available for Google Meet users on a computer or laptop.

Google states that meeting transcripts of languages other than English aren’t accurate.

You can record meeting transcripts only if there is enough free space in:

Your organization’s Google Drive

The meeting host’s Google Drive

Why do you need Google Meet transcription?

Google Meet’s real-time transcription feature offers multiple benefits ranging from accessibility to detailed record keeping. Let’s look at them.

Accessibility and comprehensibility: Google Meet transcription makes meetings more accessible to deaf or hard of hearing individuals, enabling them to follow the conversation. Furthermore, it ensures no spoken words are missed even in noisy environments.

Enhanced focus: Thanks to automatic transcription, attendees do not have to excessively take notes. They can concentrate fully on the meeting, leading to better engagement.

Record keeping: Transcripts are particularly useful for meetings where crucial decisions are made, and having a record ensures all details are documented for future reference.

Searchability: You can easily search the transcript to find and review specific parts of the meeting discussion later on.

Sharing and collaboration: Transcripts can be shared with team members who missed the meeting, allowing them to catch up.

How to Live Transcribe a Google Meet Call

Before we explore the steps on how to live transcribe Google Meet calls with the platform’s built-in feature, let’s answer one of the key questions. 

Who can start Google Meet transcription?

The meeting organizer (the person who originally scheduled the meeting) or anyone assigned as the co-host by the organizer can start Google Meet transcription. Of course, both must have a paid Google Workspace account. A quick breakdown:

Account type	Who can start transcription?
Free Google account	Not available
Paid Google Workspace account	Meet organizer or co-hosts

How to Turn On Transcription in Google Meet

Now let’s move on to the step-by-step instructions on how to enable Google Meet transcription.

Start or join a Google Meet meeting on your computer.

Click on Activities (represented by triangle, square, circle) in the bottom right corner.

Click Transcripts > Start transcription > Start.

You should now see a blue Transcripts icon, displayed at the top left for everyone in the meeting.

How to Stop Transcription in Google Meet

What if you want to stop live transcription? Here are the steps to follow:

Click Activities.

Click Transcripts > Stop Transcription > Stop.

Important things to know:

Google Meet transcription stops automatically when all participants leave the meeting.

You can’t pause Transcripts. However, you can stop transcribing and start another transcription in the same meeting. You will receive a separate file for each transcript.

You must record your video meeting if you want to get a transcript of chat messages.

How to Find Your Google Meet Transcript

When the meeting ends, the host, co-hosts and the person who turned on Transcripts will receive an automated email with a link to the meeting transcript.

The transcript will be attached to the meeting’s Google Calendar event.

Important things to know:

Google Meet will also save the transcript in the meeting host’s “Meeting Recordings” folder under the Google Drive.

Longer meetings take longer to process, so allow more time for your automated email to arrive. It could take up to 24 hours.

All invitees in the host’s organization can access the link attached to the Google Calendar event.

How to Transcribe Google Meet Recordings with Maestra

Although Google Meet offers live transcription, it is better to record your meeting and then transcribe the audio or video file. Here’s why:

Accuracy: Live transcription can be prone to errors due to several factors such as background noise, multiple speakers talking at once, etc. On the other hand, when transcribing a recording, the software utilizes more sophisticated AI models trained on larger and more diverse datasets. This leads to higher accuracy and greater reliability.

Language limitations: Google Meet transcription only supports English. When you transcribe a recording, you can benefit from a transcription service that offers a wide range of languages.

Editing and formatting: Many transcription services offer editing and formatting options like timestamps and speaker identification. These will not only enhance usability and readability but also ensure a high-quality final transcript.

One of the easiest ways to transcribe a Google Meet recording is to use Maestra’s AI transcription software, which supports more than 125 languages. You just need to follow a few simple steps.

Log in to your Maestra account.

Click New Transcription at the top right corner of your screen.

Upload your Google Meet recording. 

Select the audio language of your recording.

Click Submit.

Transcription will automatically begin and you will receive your transcript within seconds. (Speakers and timestamps will automatically be detected.)

You can export your transcript as a Microsoft Word document, a PDF, or a plain text file.

Simple as that.

Maestra has a very high accuracy rate but you may still want to edit your transcript. You can easily use the tool’s built-in text editor to proofread your text and make changes.

Plus, you can also share your transcript via Maestra Teams and edit it collaboratively with your colleagues in real-time.

Want to give it a try? Upload your file to see Maestra’s leading speech-to-text technology in action.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Google Meet recording free?

You can record a Google Meet call if you have a specific Google Workspace subscription . If not, you can resort to a third-party screen recorder or a browser extension, but always use them with caution and check their reliability. Make sure you inform participants if you decide to record a Google Meet session, especially when using a third-party tool.

Is there an extension for Google Meet?

Yes, there are various Google Meet extensions ranging from productivity to customization tools. Check the “ Extensions ” section on the Chrome Web Store to explore options and read reviews. If you have a Google Workspace account, you can find pre-approved extensions on the Google Workspace Marketplace.

Is Google Meet transcription free?

Google Meet transcription requires a paid Google Workspace subscription. However, Google offers a few free transcription options within its products. Google Docs has a voice typing feature which lets you transcribe your speech to text directly in a Doc. Meanwhile, the free Live Transcribe app (available only on Android) can convert speech to text in real-time.

Can Google Meet do instant translation?

Yes, Google Meet offers live translated captions to meeting participants. However, as of March 2024, translated captions are available for certain Google Workspace editions and in certain languages. You can check Google Meet Help for more information.

How many languages does Google Meet support?

Google Meet supports a wide range of languages for closed captions; here is the full list . It is constantly expanding so be sure to check Google Meet Help Center for the most up-to-date information.

Summary

Giving step-by-step instructions, this blog provided guidance on how to use Google Meet transcription to live transcribe Meet calls. It also shared another method: transcribing Google Meet recordings with Maestra. Supporting 125+ languages, the latter can improve the accuracy of your transcripts thanks to the tool’s advanced AI speech-to-text technology.

What does the future of Google Meet transcription look like? With ongoing developments in AI and Google’s powerful Gemini language model, we can anticipate greater accuracy, broader language support, and even automatic identification of action items in Google Meet. The power of AI-powered transcription is truly limitless.