Recording Meetings for AI Processing

Meetings are a universal productivity challenge. The average professional spends 23 hours per week in meetings, yet most of that time produces no documented outcomes. AI can transform how we capture and extract value from meetings—but it all starts with proper recording.

Why Recording Matters for AI

AI tools need input to work with. A recording provides:

• Complete context - Every word, not just what someone remembered to write down
• Speaker attribution - Who said what, crucial for assigning action items
• Timestamp accuracy - When specific decisions were made
• Searchable history - Find that discussion from three months ago

Without a recording, you're asking AI to work with incomplete notes or memory—which defeats the purpose.

Platform Recording Options

Zoom

Zoom offers both local and cloud recording options:

Local Recording (Free accounts):

• Click "Record" button during meeting
• Saves MP4 video and M4A audio to your computer
• Best for: Personal meetings, small teams

Cloud Recording (Pro accounts and above):

• Automatically saves to Zoom cloud
• Generates automatic transcripts (variable quality)
• Separates audio tracks by speaker
• Best for: Teams, recurring meetings, compliance needs

Settings to enable:

1. Go to Settings > Recording
2. Enable "Cloud recording" or "Local recording"
3. Turn on "Record a separate audio file for each participant" for better transcription
4. Enable "Audio transcript" for Zoom's built-in transcription

Microsoft Teams

Teams integrates recording with Microsoft 365:

Standard Recording:

• Click "More actions" (three dots) > "Start recording"
• Saves to SharePoint or OneDrive
• Automatic transcription included with most plans

Teams Premium Features:

• AI-generated meeting notes
• Speaker timeline and chapters
• Intelligent recap with action items

Key settings:

1. Meeting policies control who can record
2. Transcription can be enabled/disabled per meeting
3. Recordings auto-expire after a configurable period

Google Meet

Google Meet recording requires a Workspace subscription:

Recording Options:

• Click "Activities" > "Recording" > "Start recording"
• Saves to organizer's Google Drive
• Automatic transcription available in supported languages

Best practices:

• Enable "Attendance tracking" to know who joined
• Use "Live captions" during the meeting (these aren't saved but help participants)
• Check Drive storage—recordings consume significant space

Audio Quality Tips

Poor audio leads to poor transcription. Follow these guidelines:

For In-Person Meetings

Setup	Recommendation
Small room (2-4 people)	Laptop mic often sufficient if quiet
Medium room (5-10 people)	USB conference mic (Jabra, Poly)
Large room (10+)	Professional AV system or multiple mics

For Remote Meetings

• Use headsets - Reduces echo and background noise
• Mute when not speaking - Eliminates typing, breathing, ambient noise
• Stable internet - Poor connections cause audio dropouts that break transcription
• Quiet environment - AI transcription struggles with overlapping sounds

Common Audio Problems

Problem	Solution
Echo/feedback	Use headphones or mute speakers when speaking
Background noise	Enable noise suppression in Zoom/Teams settings
Quiet speakers	Ask participants to speak up or move closer to mic
Crosstalk	Establish speaking order or use "raise hand" feature

Consent and Legal Considerations

Recording meetings involves privacy and legal requirements:

One-Party vs. Two-Party Consent

• One-party consent (most US states): Only one person needs to know about recording
• Two-party/all-party consent (California, Illinois, etc.): Everyone must agree
• International: GDPR and other regulations may apply

Best Practices

1. Always announce recordings - "This meeting is being recorded for note-taking purposes"
2. Get verbal acknowledgment - Or use the platform's consent prompts
3. Provide opt-out option - Allow people to turn off video or leave sensitive portions
4. Document consent - Platform recordings often log who was present when recording started

Company Policies

Check with your organization about:

• Approved recording tools
• Data retention requirements
• Where recordings can be stored
• Who can access recordings

File Management

Recordings generate large files. Plan for storage:

File Sizes (Approximate)

Duration	Audio Only	Video (720p)	Video (1080p)
30 min	15-30 MB	200-400 MB	500-800 MB
1 hour	30-60 MB	400-800 MB	1-1.5 GB
2 hours	60-120 MB	800 MB-1.5 GB	2-3 GB

Organization Tips

• Naming convention: YYYY-MM-DD_MeetingType_Topic.mp4
• Folder structure: Organize by project, team, or recurring meeting type
• Retention policy: Delete recordings after transcription unless needed for compliance
• Audio extraction: Many AI tools work better with audio-only files (smaller, faster)

Preparing for AI Processing

Before sending recordings to AI transcription:

1. Check audio quality - Listen to a sample; re-record critical meetings if quality is poor
2. Note speaker names - If the tool supports it, prepare a speaker list for attribution
3. Identify key moments - Timestamps for decisions, action items (helps with verification later)
4. Extract audio if needed - Video files work but are larger; audio-only is often sufficient

Key Takeaways

• Recording is the foundation of AI-powered meeting notes—invest time in getting it right
• Each major platform (Zoom, Teams, Meet) has different recording options and limitations
• Audio quality directly impacts transcription accuracy—use appropriate microphones
• Always obtain consent and follow legal/company requirements for recording
• Organize and name files consistently for easy retrieval and processing