how-to-use-otter-ai

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title: "How to Use Otter.ai for Meeting Transcription 2026" description: "Learn how to use Otter.ai transcription in 2026 with this step-by-step guide. Set up, record, transcribe, and share meeting notes in under 10 minutes." slug: "how-to-use-otter-ai" date: "2026-04-06" updated: "2026-04-06" author: "NovaReviewHub Editorial Team" status: "published" targetKeyword: "how to use Otter.ai transcription 2026" secondaryKeywords:

• "Otter.ai meeting notes setup"
• "Otter.ai transcription tutorial"
• "Otter.ai Zoom integration"
• "Otter AI app guide"
• "automated meeting transcription" canonicalUrl: "https://novareviewhub.com/tutorials/how-to-use-otter-ai" ogTitle: "How to Use Otter.ai for Meeting Transcription (2026 Guide)" ogDescription: "Step-by-step Otter.ai tutorial: record, transcribe, and share meeting notes automatically. Works with Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet." ogImage: "/images/tutorials/how-to-use-otter-ai-og.jpg" ogType: "article" twitterCard: "summary_large_image" category: "tutorials" tags: ["Otter.ai", "Meeting Transcription", "AI Transcription", "Productivity", "Zoom Integration", "Meeting Notes"] noIndex: false noFollow: false schemaType: "HowTo"

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How to Use Otter.ai for Meeting Transcription 2026

You sit through back-to-back meetings every day, and by the time you open your notebook to write a summary, half the details are already gone. Sound familiar? That's exactly the problem Otter.ai solves. It listens to your meetings, transcribes every word in real time, and generates searchable notes you can share with your team.

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to use Otter.ai transcription from account setup to sharing polished meeting notes. By the end, you'll be able to transcribe any meeting — live or recorded — in under 10 minutes. If you're still choosing a transcription tool, check out our Otter.ai review for the full breakdown.

What You'll Need

Before you start, make sure you have the following:

• A computer or smartphone — Otter.ai works in the browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari) and has apps for iOS and Android
• An Otter.ai account — the free Basic plan gives you 300 minutes of transcription per month; paid plans start at $16.99/month for more minutes and features
• A microphone — your device's built-in mic works fine for in-person meetings; for virtual meetings, Otter captures audio directly from the call
• A video conferencing tool (optional) — Otter integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Cisco Webex

Estimated time to complete this tutorial: 10–15 minutes.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Create Your Otter.ai Account

Go to otter.ai and click Start for Free. You can sign up with your Google, Microsoft, or Apple account — this is the fastest option because it pre-fills your profile.

If you use a work email, choose the Business path during signup so Otter connects to your organization's calendar automatically. The free Basic plan includes:

• 300 transcription minutes per month
• 3 file imports (audio/video uploads)
• Real-time transcription for live conversations

Once you confirm your email, you'll land on the Otter dashboard. This is your home base for every transcription.

Step 2: Connect Your Calendar and Conferencing Tools

Click your profile icon in the top-right corner, then go to Settings > Integrations. Here you'll connect the tools you already use:

• Google Calendar or Outlook — Otter scans upcoming meetings and offers to transcribe them automatically
• Zoom — after linking, Otter joins your Zoom meetings as a silent participant and records everything
• Microsoft Teams — same concept as Zoom; Otter's bot joins and transcribes
• Google Meet — works through the browser extension or calendar sync

For Zoom specifically, Otter appears as a participant named "Otter.ai." It records audio and produces a transcript that's ready within seconds of the meeting ending. Your coworkers will see it in the participant list — nothing sneaky about it.

Step 3: Start Your First Live Transcription

Now for the main event. You have two ways to transcribe live audio:

Option A — From the dashboard: Click the Record button (microphone icon) in the top-right. Otter immediately starts listening through your device microphone. Start talking, and you'll see words appear in real time.

Option B — From a scheduled meeting: If you connected your calendar, go to My Meetings on the left sidebar. Click Record next to any upcoming meeting. When the meeting starts, Otter begins transcribing automatically.

During transcription, you can:

• Tap any word in the live transcript to add a comment or highlight
• Take a photo (mobile app) — Otter links it to the exact moment in the transcript
• Add speaker names — tap the speaker label and assign a name so Otter learns to recognize voices over time