Good notes start with a good source. If you also have to take notes during a conversation, you're only half listening. With a recording, you can give the conversation your full attention and leave the write-up to a draft that you check yourself later. But which way of recording should you choose: in person, online or by uploading a file?
Three routes under Record
In Rapportly, you'll find three tabs under Record:
- In person: you record a conversation using the microphone on your laptop or phone.
- Online meeting: you capture a video call.
- Upload: you add an existing audio or video file.
Recordings never start automatically. You decide when to start and stop. Afterwards, you have the recording transcribed so you can use it as the source for meeting notes, a report or a conversation bundle.
First: tell people you're recording
Before you press record, tell the participants that you're recording the conversation and why. It's courteous, and it avoids surprises later. One simple sentence is enough: "I'm recording this conversation so I can write up proper notes afterwards. Is that OK with you?"
If someone says no, you don't record. You can then provide your own notes as text afterwards; Rapportly can create a draft from those too.
Recording in person
This is the most common route for face-to-face meetings: a client visit, an advice meeting at the office or a discussion in the meeting room.
- Open Record and choose In person.
- Check the microphone, the participants and whether everyone has agreed to the recording.
- Click Record conversation. You can pause along the way.
- Stop the recording when the conversation is over and check that it has been saved.
- Have the audio transcribed and read through the transcript.
Tips for a usable recording
- Put the phone or laptop in the middle of the table, not next to a coffee machine or air conditioning unit.
- Encourage people to take turns speaking as much as possible.
- Briefly say who is at the table at the start. That helps when you read it back.
Recording an online meeting
For video calls, choose Online meeting. Important to know: to capture the audio of the other participants as well, you need the right browser window or the extension that can record tab audio. Screen sharing isn't available in some in-app browsers; the interface will tell you if that's the case.
- Open Record and choose Online meeting.
- Check which recording source is offered and whether the participants have agreed.
- Start and end the recording using the recording controls.
- Check that the recording and transcript appear under Library, Recordings and transcripts.
The first time, do a short test recording with a colleague. That way you know for sure you can hear the other side before it's a real client meeting.
Uploading an existing file
Already recorded the conversation with a dictaphone, your phone or a meeting tool? Then you don't need to redo anything.
- Open Record and choose Upload.
- Select the file. Rapportly accepts m4a, mp3, wav, ogg, webm and mp4. The interface states a maximum of 100 MB per file.
- Start the transcription and follow its status.
- Read through the transcript before you use it as a source.
Is your file larger than 100 MB? Then export it as an audio file first (for example m4a or mp3) rather than video. That usually makes it a lot smaller.
What works when?
| Situation | Best route |
|---|---|
| Client visit or meeting at the office | In person |
| Video call in the browser | Online meeting |
| Already recorded with another device or tool | Upload |
| Recording not allowed | Provide your own notes as text |
After recording: check the transcript
You'll find every recording under Library, Recordings and transcripts. There you can see whether processing is still running, finished or has failed. Only use a transcript once you've read it through. Pay particular attention to names, technical terms, amounts and passages that are missing because people were talking over each other.
Something gone wrong? Note down the error message you see and don't keep blindly restarting. Ask for help with the part of the app, the time and the message, but without any client content.
Once the transcript is in order, choose it as the source for meeting notes or for Meeting notes + follow-up email. You can read what belongs in good meeting notes on writing meeting notes. For internal meetings, see taking minutes, and there's more about transcription itself on speech to text.