What is Otter.ai?
Otter.ai is an AI-powered transcription service that automatically converts speech to text in real-time. It's designed to capture and organize conversations, making it an essential tool for meetings, interviews, lectures, and more.
Its core strength is providing accurate, searchable, and shareable notes without the need for manual note-taking. By integrating with popular calendar and conferencing apps, Otter.ai can automatically join and record your meetings, delivering a full transcript with speaker identification and summary keywords moments after the conversation ends.
Who is Otter.ai for?
Essential for anyone who attends meetings, interviews, or lectures and wants to focus on the conversation rather than taking notes.
Business Professionals
For accurate meeting minutes and action items
Students
To record and review lectures and study groups
Journalists
For transcribing interviews and press conferences
Researchers
To capture qualitative data from discussions
Main Features of Otter.ai
Transcription
Real-time, accurate speech-to-text conversion
Meeting Notes
Automatically generates summaries and identifies speakers
Summaries
AI-generated summaries to get the key points quickly
Integration
Connects with Zoom, Google Meet, and other platforms
Pros and Cons
✅ Pros
- Accurate real-time transcription
- Great integration with video conferencing
- Automatic speaker identification
❌ Cons
- Struggles with heavy accents
- Limited free tier minutes
- Requires good audio quality for best results
Otter.ai Tutorial - Getting Started
Step 1: Download and set up
Install the Otter.ai app on your device and create an account
Step 2: Connect your calendar
Link your Google or Outlook calendar to automatically join and record meetings
Step 3: Start recording
Use the app to record in-person meetings or let it auto-join virtual meetings
Step 4: Review and edit
Check the transcript for accuracy and add highlights or comments
💡 Pro Tips
- Test audio quality: ensure clear audio for better transcription accuracy
- Use speaker labels: train Otter to recognize different speakers
- Add keywords: include important terms in your vocabulary for better recognition
- Export options: save transcripts as text, PDF, or integrate with other tools
Frequently Asked Questions about Otter.ai
Yes, Otter.ai offers a generous free tier that includes a certain number of transcription minutes per month, which is great for occasional users. For more extensive use, paid plans are available.
Otter.ai is highly accurate, especially with clear audio quality. It can identify different speakers and provides a very reliable transcript that you can review and edit.
Yes, Otter.ai integrates seamlessly with popular video conferencing tools like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams to automatically transcribe your meetings.