How much time do you spend in meetings writing notes? And how often do you leave a meeting, get pulled into the next thing, and realise later you have forgotten key decisions or action items?

Otter.ai solves both problems. It joins your meetings automatically, listens and transcribes in real time, and produces a summary with action items when the meeting ends. You can be fully present in the conversation instead of split between listening and writing.

How it works

Otter.ai integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. Once connected to your calendar, it joins your meetings automatically as a participant. It transcribes speech in real time, labelling who said what based on voice recognition.

After the meeting, you receive a full transcript plus an AI-generated summary covering the key discussion points and any action items mentioned. You can search the transcript for specific words or topics, share it with people who missed the meeting, and refer back to exact quotes.

For in-person meetings, you can open the Otter app on your phone and record directly.

The practical difference this makes

The most immediate benefit is focus. Knowing that Otter is capturing everything, you stop worrying about writing things down and give the conversation your full attention. Decisions made verbally are captured automatically, not forgotten.

For teams, shared transcripts mean everyone has the same record of what was agreed. No more "I thought we decided X" disputes. The transcript is the source of truth.

For business owners who have a lot of client meetings, Otter is particularly useful. You can share the summary with the client after the meeting, which is a professional touch that also protects you if anything is later disputed.

Interview and research use

Beyond meetings, Otter is excellent for interviews and research conversations. Journalists, recruiters, consultants, and researchers use it to record and transcribe conversations, then search and reference them later without needing to re-listen to recordings.

For job interviews, having a transcript means you can focus on the candidate during the conversation and review exactly what was said afterwards.

Limitations

Transcription accuracy is high but not perfect, particularly with strong accents, technical jargon, or overlapping speech. Automated speaker labels sometimes mix up voices in larger groups. Always review the transcript rather than treating it as error-free.

Otter requires permission to join your meetings, which some clients or participants may not welcome. It is good practice to tell people at the start of a meeting that it is being recorded and transcribed.

Pricing

Free: 300 minutes of transcription per month. 30-minute limit per conversation. Good for occasional use. Pro: £8/month (approximately). 1,200 minutes per month, longer meetings, and additional features including custom vocabulary for industry terminology. Business: From £20/user/month. Team features, admin controls, and unlimited imports.

How to get set up

Go to otter.ai and click Sign Up
Sign in with Google or create an account with your email
To transcribe a meeting, click Import Audio or connect your calendar to let Otter join automatically
If using Zoom or Teams, Otter will appear as a participant in the call and start transcribing in real time
After the meeting, open your Otter dashboard to read the transcript and search for any keyword

Time to get started: Under 5 minutes Do you need a credit card? No — free tier available (300 minutes per month)

Otter.ai