The Ultimate Guide to AI Zoom Translation: Live and Recording

Whether you’re participating in a meeting or hosting an event, Zoom translation can open up new possibilities. It bridges the gap between speakers of different languages, creating a connection across borders. With AI-powered tools, sharing knowledge and ideas has never been easier.

In this blog, we’ll walk you through using Maestra for Zoom translation—whether in real time or through recordings. Plus, we’ll share 10 best practices to help you maximize the accuracy and impact of your translations.

Let’s get started.

Does Zoom have a translation feature?

As of January 2025, Zoom offers translation in two ways: live interpretation via a human interpreter, and via AI-powered translated captions. In this blog, we’ll focus on the second method.

In Zoom, users can automatically translate speech in real-time by displaying it as captions in another language. For example, if the meeting is conducted in English, non-English speakers can see translated captions in their preferred language, bridging language barriers during the session and fostering effective communication.

Zoom translation is available:

For Zoom Workplace Business Plus or Zoom Workplace Enterprise Plus accounts

Through Zoom Translated Captions add-on

Zoom states that translated captions may not be accurate. Therefore, we’ll now guide you through how to translate Zoom meetings live with Maestra.

How to Live Translate Zoom Meetings with Maestra

It is really easy to translate Zoom meetings in real time with Maestra. Here are the steps to follow if you’re using the Zoom app:

Log in to your Maestra account and select “Real-Time” from the left-side menu.

Click “Go To Web Captioner”. The tool will open in a new tab.

In the bottom right, make sure the “Pro” option and the globe icon are enabled for real-time translation.

Choose the source and target languages, which you can find right next to the globe icon.

Click “Start Captioning”, and grant Maestra microphone access if you already haven’t. Now, as the Zoom meeting progresses, Maestra will automatically translate the conversation and display real-time captions in your selected language.

Click “Stop Captioning” when you’re done.

To download the transcript of the meeting, click the head icon in the bottom right corner and choose “Save transcript”. You can then download it as a text file or Word document.

*You can customize the appearance of captions by clicking “Settings”, which is also accessible from the head icon. Here you can also replace or hide specific words or phrases during captioning, connect the tool to other platforms like OBS Studio or vMix, and perform additional actions.

What if you’re using Zoom Web? In that case, you can utilize Maestra’s live translation Chrome extension for seamless AI-powered Zoom translation in real time.

Visit Maestra’s “Live Voice Translation & Transcription” extension page on the Chrome Web Store and click “Add to Chrome” to install it.

After installation, locate the extension icon near your browser’s search bar and click on it.

Select “Live Voice Translation & Transcription” from the menu to open the extension window.

Log in to your Maestra account.

Once logged in, select the source language and the target language. Make sure the “Enable Live Translation” option is turned on. You can also enable the “Save File to Dashboard” option to save the transcript to your Maestra dashboard, where it can be easily edited using the intuitive text editor.

Click “Start Capture” to begin. The extension will detect the audio from your Zoom meeting and translate it to your chosen language in real time, displaying the translated captions directly on your screen.

How to Translate Zoom Recordings with Maestra

You can also translate Zoom recordings with Maestra after the meeting, which is a fast and effortless process. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

Log in to your Maestra account.

Click “Voiceover” in the left-side menu.

Click “+New Voiceover” in the top right corner.

Upload your Zoom recording, or use the Zoom integration to select files. Specify the number of speakers if you wish.

Choose the source language and enable the “Translate to another language” option. Then select the target language.

Select your preferred translation engine. (Pro users can opt for advanced engines like DeepL or OpenAI.)

Click “Submit” to begin the translation process.

Once the processing is complete, click on your file to access the editor.

On the left side, you’ll see the transcript of your Zoom meeting, both in source and target language.

Click “Synthesize Audio”, which is marked by a red button.

A pop-up window will appear, displaying AI voices in the target language. Click the play button near each AI voice to listen to a sample. Once you’ve chosen a voice, click “Synthesize”.

The “Synthesize Audio” button will turn green, indicating the process is complete. You can now play the Zoom meeting recording with a voiceover in the target language.

To download the translated Zoom recording, click “Export” in the top right corner and choose “Media”. Feel free to export the recording with subtitles and include lip sync if you wish.

*To download the meeting transcript, select “Transcript” in the “Export” section and choose your preferred format.

*By subscribing to Maestra, you can gain access to its powerful AI features for meetings. You can summarize transcripts, organize them into chapters, analyze sentiment, extract keywords, and more.

10 Best Practices for Accurate Zoom Translation

Before we conclude our blog, we want to share 10 best practices for accurate Zoom translation, whether you’re leveraging real-time AI tools or converting recorded meetings into text. These tips will help you achieve precise and reliable results.

AI-Powered Zoom Live Translation

Translating a Zoom Recording with AI

-Test the AI tool in advance. Conduct a mock meeting with a colleague before to simulate real-world conditions and fine-tune settings. -Inform participants about AI translation. Send a pre-meeting email, and encourage participants to speak clearly and pause when needed to improve translation quality. -Ensure stable internet connection. Use a high-speed Wi-Fi network or a wired connection. -Provide context for the AI tool. Share key terms with the AI tool in advance, if possible. -Minimize background noise. Join the meeting from a quiet location or use a microphone with noise-canceling features.

-Use high-quality recordings. Minimize background noise, ensure speakers are audible, and avoid interruptions. -Enable speaker identification and timestamps. Label speakers clearly to help participants follow along the translated meeting with a transcript in the target language. -Maintain context. If the AI tool has a custom glossary like Maestra, provide it with key terms to improve translation accuracy and consistency. -Edit the transcript before translation. Review the text to see and correct any errors, unclear phrases, or misidentified speakers. -Add subtitles to the video. Use the translated transcript to generate subtitles in the target language automatically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Zoom have an AI translator?

Yes, Zoom has AI translation capabilities. It can translate spoken language into text in real time, helping users communicate in different languages. However, keep in mind that Zoom live translation primarily works in captions and is available to users with specific Zoom plans.

How much does Zoom translation cost?

Real-time Zoom translation requires a Zoom Workplace Business Plus or Zoom Workplace Enterprise Plus account. As of January 2025, the Business Plus plan costs $15.99 per month per user, while Enterprise Plus pricing is available upon request from Zoom Sales. Both plans include access to translated captions.

How do I turn on Zoom translation?

Here’s how to enable Zoom translation on user level:Sign in to the Zoom web portal, click“Settings” , and scroll down to the“Meeting (Advanced)” section. Toggle on the option for“Translated captions” if it’s not already enabled. You can visit Zoom’ssupport page for more information.

How do I translate a Zoom video into text?

You can use Maestra’s video to text tool , which supports 125+ languages. All you need to do is upload your video recording, and the AI software will convert speech to text accurately in seconds. You can always edit the transcript with the user-friendly text editor, and export it in the format you prefer.

Can I use Google Translate with Zoom?

Yes, you can use Google Translate with Zoom, but keep in mind that it’s not an effortless method. You’ll need to type or speak what is being said in the call into Google Translate, which can be time-consuming and disruptive during conversations. Instead, you can use Maestra’s AI live translation tool , which provides accurate real-time captions during virtual meetings.