Stop the meeting and keep the local recording
In Zoom, local recording writes a folder when the meeting ends. Do not delete it.
Runs in this browser · Nothing uploaded · Weekly trial
Transcribe a Zoom recording.
The file has no transcript.
A local Zoom recording is an M4A or MP4. Cloud transcripts exist only on paid Zoom plans. This page turns that file into text on your machine.
Runs in this browser. The file never leaves this device.
Where Zoom saves a local recording
On a Mac the default folder is Documents/Zoom. Open the meeting folder named with the date, then use audio_only.m4a or the MP4. Windows often uses Videos/Zoom unless you changed it. Microsoft Teams and Google Meet local downloads work the same way if you have the file.
Zoom recording has no transcript
Zoom writes a transcript only for cloud recordings on a paid plan. Local recording is the default on a free account. The audio is yours; the words are not written down until something transcribes them. This page is that step, in the browser, without an upload.
Transcribe audio_only.m4a
audio_only.m4a is the smaller file and the better drop for this trial. The MP4 also works if it is under 15 minutes and your browser can decode the audio track. A two-hour gallery view will hit the cap; take the audio file instead.
Zoom recording to text, without a bot
The next Zoom call can be captured on the Mac without hunting a folder afterwards. Vemoir records microphone and system audio, with no bot in the participant list. This page only transcribes a Zoom recording you already have.
Who is speaking?
Speaker labels are not inferred here. Zoom sometimes embeds names in cloud VTT; a local M4A usually does not. Vemoir for Mac separates speakers on device.
Swiss German transcription
If the call was in Swiss German, Whisper will usually emit Standard German. That is a side effect of the public model, not a dedicated dialect engine.
How to transcribe a Zoom recording
Open Documents/Zoom
On a Mac this is usually /Users/you/Documents/Zoom. Windows uses the Videos/Zoom folder unless you changed it.
Open the dated meeting folder
The folder name includes the meeting date and topic.
Pick audio_only.m4a or the MP4
audio_only.m4a is the smaller file. The MP4 also works if it is under 15 minutes.
Drop the file on this page
The transcript is made in this browser. Download TXT or SRT when it finishes.
Before you start
Does this join the Zoom call?
No. There is no bot and no calendar access. You transcribe a file after the meeting ends.
Can I use a Teams or Meet download?
Yes, if you have an MP3, M4A, WAV or MP4. The how-to below is written for Zoom’s folder because that is the file people search for.
Will Safari download the model again?
The model is stored in this browser. A second visit on the same device should be a cache hit. WebGPU on Safari 18 (Apple silicon) is the comfortable path.
Does Zoom’s free plan include a transcript?
Not for a local recording. Cloud transcription is a paid Zoom feature. This page reads the audio file you already have.
Is the M4A uploaded?
No. After the model is cached, you can confirm in the Network tab that the audio is not posted.
What if the file is longer than 15 minutes?
The page stops before the model runs. Use Vemoir for Mac for the full meeting.
Are speaker names in a local M4A?
Usually not. Cloud VTT can carry names. This browser pass does not infer them.
Do I need a Zoom account on this page?
No. You only need the file on disk.
Skip the folder hunt next time.
Vemoir for Mac records the Zoom call on the machine as it happens. No bot joins the participant list.