Introduction

This guide provides detailed instructions on recording meetings with NoteWave. Whether you're recording live, uploading a file, or importing from a URL, this article covers everything you need to know.

Three Recording Methods

NoteWave offers three flexible ways to record and transcribe your meetings. Choose the method that best fits your workflow:

1. Live Recording

Record in real-time using your device's microphone. Perfect for in-person meetings or when you want to capture a conversation as it happens.

2. File Upload

Upload pre-recorded audio files in MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, OGG, FLAC, WebM, or Opus format, up to 500MB.

3. Paste a Meeting Link

Send the NoteWave notetaker to a live or about-to-start Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet call.

Live Recording

Live recording captures audio in real-time from your device's microphone. Here's how to get started:

Step-by-step guide:

Click Record in the left sidebar
Select the Live Recording tab
Allow microphone access when your browser prompts you
Fill in the meeting details:

Meeting title (required)
Meeting type/category (optional)
Select language (defaults to English)
Add participants (optional, helps with speaker identification)

Click Start Recording
Speak naturally. You'll see audio visualization as you record
Click Stop when finished
Wait for processing (typically 2-5 minutes)

Best Practices for Live Recording

For optimal transcription accuracy, use a quality microphone, minimize background noise, and ensure speakers speak clearly. Adding participant names before recording helps with speaker identification.

File Upload

Already have a recording? Upload it directly to NoteWave for transcription.

Upload process:

Go to Record and select the Upload tab
Drag and drop your file or click to browse
Supported formats: MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, OGG, FLAC, WebM, Opus
Maximum file size: 500MB
Fill in meeting details (title, type, participants, language)
Click Upload & Transcribe
Track upload progress and wait for processing

Processing Time

Larger files take longer to upload and process. A 1-hour meeting typically processes in 3-5 minutes, but very long meetings (over 2 hours) may take up to 15 minutes.

Paste a Meeting Link

For a meeting that is live or about to start, paste its join link and NoteWave will send the notetaker as a visible participant.

How to send the notetaker:

Navigate to Record and select Paste Link
Paste the full Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet join link
Confirm that NoteWave recognises the meeting platform
Click Join Meeting
Admit NoteWave Notetaker from the waiting room or lobby if prompted
Keep the meeting running normally; the transcript begins processing after the call ends

Recording Already Finished?

If you already have the source audio, use the Upload tab instead. Keep the original file until processing has completed and you have reviewed the transcript.

Speaker Identification

NoteWave automatically identifies different speakers in your recording. To improve accuracy, you can add participant names before or after recording.

How it works:

NoteWave uses AI to detect different speakers (Speaker 1, Speaker 2, etc.)
If you add participant names, NoteWave attempts to match speakers to names
Matching works best when participants are mentioned by name during the meeting
You can manually edit speaker labels in the transcript after processing

For detailed guidance on speaker mapping, see the dedicated article in the Workflows section.

After Recording

Once your recording is processed, you'll receive a notification. You can then:

View the full transcript with speaker labels
Read the AI-generated summary
Review automatically extracted action items
Export using the available PDF or Word options
Share with named recipients or a controlled share link
Chat with Echo AI about the meeting (Pro plan)

All recordings are saved to your Meetings library for easy access anytime.

Recording Your First Meeting