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Zoom Transcription Not Working?
Zoom's built-in transcription has limitations that frustrate users. Here's what goes wrong and what your options are.
Common Problems
Transcription Won't Start
- Why: Account permissions, license restrictions, or meeting settings
- Fix: Check your Zoom admin settings → Recording → enable "Audio transcript"
Poor Accuracy
- Why: Zoom's speech recognition struggles with accents, technical terms, and background noise
- Fix: Better microphone, quieter environment, or use a different tool
Missing Speaker Labels
- Why: Zoom's speaker identification is inconsistent, especially with similar voices
- Fix: Have participants identify themselves before speaking, or use a different tool
No Real-Time Transcript
- Why: Zoom only shows live captions, not a transcript you can scroll through
- Fix: This is a limitation — use a different tool if you need real-time access
Just Raw Text
- Why: Zoom gives you a text file, not structured notes with action items
- Fix: Manual processing, or use a tool that extracts structure automatically
Alternatives
Otter.ai
The transcription accuracy leader. Custom vocabulary for technical terms. Good search. Free tier: 300 min/month.
Fireflies.ai
Good all-rounder with lots of integrations. Works across Zoom, Meet, and Teams.
Fathom
Built for sales teams. Fast summaries, CRM integration. Very generous free tier.
Potato
Different approach — instead of just transcribing, it does work during the meeting. Someone asks "how do competitors handle this?" — the answer appears in 30 seconds. Shared workspace everyone sees. Experimental, but worth trying if you want more than transcription.
Zoom vs Third-Party Tools
| Zoom Built-in | Third-Party Tools | |
|---|---|---|
| Reliability | Hit or miss | Generally more reliable |
| Accuracy | Basic | Usually better |
| Speaker labels | Inconsistent | Usually better |
| Real-time access | Captions only | Varies by tool |
| Structured output | No | Yes (summaries, action items) |
| Cost | Included | Free tiers available |
Using Potato with Zoom
If you want to try Potato:
- Start your Zoom meeting as normal
- Paste the meeting link at meetpotato.com
- A bot joins and a shared workspace appears
Ask questions and get answers in 30 seconds. Need a document created? Ask during the call. Decisions and actions are captured automatically.
It's experimental — sometimes good, sometimes misses things. No signup required to try it.