Zoom's Native Transcription Service - Short Review

Product Overview: Zoom’s Native Transcription Service

Zoom’s Native Transcription Service is a powerful feature designed to convert the audio of Zoom meetings and webinars into text, enhancing the usability and accessibility of recorded content. Here’s a detailed look at what the service does and its key features.

What it Does

Zoom’s Native Transcription Service automatically transcribes the audio from meetings or webinars that are recorded to the cloud. This feature is particularly useful for capturing every detail discussed during a meeting, making it easier to review, share, and reference later.

Key Features and Functionality

Availability and Prerequisites

• The transcription feature is available only for users with a Pro, Business, Education, or Enterprise Zoom account. It requires enabling cloud recordings as a prerequisite.

Transcription Process

• Once a meeting is recorded to the cloud, the audio is automatically transcribed into text. The transcript is then saved as a separate VTT (WebVTT) file, which can be viewed, edited, and downloaded from the Zoom web portal.

Display and Sharing Options

• The transcript can be displayed within the video itself, similar to closed captions, and users can choose whether to enable or disable this feature when sharing the recording.
• Transcripts can be shared via email or accessed directly from the Zoom web portal.

Editing and Customization

• Users can edit the transcript text to improve accuracy, add capitalization, and include punctuation, which are not automatically included in the generated transcript.
• The transcript is divided into sections with timestamps, making it easier to navigate and reference specific parts of the meeting.

Multilingual Support

• Zoom’s transcription service supports multiple languages, allowing users to choose the default language for a recording and regenerate the transcript if needed.

Live Transcription

• In addition to post-meeting transcription, Zoom also offers live transcription during meetings. This feature, enabled by the host, converts spoken words into text in real-time, displaying it as subtitles or a full transcript in a side panel.

Search and Storage

• Admins can search all audio transcripts within the account, and users can search for specific text within individual transcripts.
• Transcripts are stored on the Zoom cloud server and can be accessed, viewed, and downloaded from the web portal.

System Requirements

• To ensure smooth functioning, the system must meet certain requirements, including a compatible operating system (Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.10 or later, Linux Ubuntu 12.04 or later), a dual-core 2 GHz processor, 4 GB of RAM, and a minimum bandwidth of 1.5 Mbps for both upload and download.

Benefits

• Enhanced Accessibility: Live transcription and closed captions improve accessibility for participants who may have hearing difficulties or prefer to read the content.
• Improved Accuracy: Users can edit transcripts to ensure accuracy and readability.
• Efficient Review: Transcripts make it easier to review meetings without having to watch the entire recording.
• Multilingual Support: Supports multiple languages, catering to diverse user needs.

In summary, Zoom’s Native Transcription Service is a robust tool that enhances the utility of Zoom meetings by providing accurate, editable, and accessible transcripts, both in real-time and post-meeting. This feature is particularly valuable for professionals and organizations needing detailed records of their meetings.