Let’s face the truth – no one likes note-taking during online meetings. It is just simply not effective to multitask during virtual meetings. Balancing speaking and note-taking while trying to focus on other participants is challenging and overwhelming. Fortunately, automatic note-takers are here to help you to make your online meetings more productive.
I know you might feel weird about changing old habits when it comes to note-taking. At least, it was weird for me. However, when I considered how much time I spend in online meetings in a month, I realized that it is a good place to start if I want to improve my productivity.
However, it is not just about boosting productivity. It is also about saving time and costs. You no longer need to bring an additional team member to take notes, or you do not need to participate in all the low-priority meetings. These are only some of the most obvious advantages of an automatic note-taker.
After testing, trying, and reviewing almost all the automatic note-taking tools on the market and spending more than a year with them, I found the best ones. Let’s dive in!
What is an automatic note-taker?
Automated meeting notes refer to the process of using apps for your online meetings. An automatic note-taker utilizes artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and speaker identification technologies. In short, natural language processing is crucial to understanding text and spoken words as humans can. Speaker identification technology gives a speaker ID for each meeting participant so you can track who said what during the meeting.
An automatic note-taker automatically joins your online meetings and starts taking notes. Each automatic note-taker has a bot, so other meeting participants will also be aware that there is a recording and note-taking in the background.
Whenever you start using an automatic note-taker, you can add your preferences regarding when you want the meeting bot to join your meetings, who should receive the call transcript and more. These options can be customized depending on the specific automatic note-taker.
Benefits of automatic note-takers
Let’s quickly take a look at the main features and advantages of automatic note-takers. While most of the listed tools can deliver these, there are some exceptions. Don’t worry; I will highlight these later.
Automatic note-taking and recording
One of the main benefits of an AI note-taker is real-time transcription and recording. So, it seamlessly joins your online meeting and starts taking notes. Once the meeting ends, it sends you the recording and the full meeting transcripts.
AI-powered summaries
Automatic note-takers summarize your meetings and send you the key points discussed during the meeting. They generally send you the meeting agendas, action items, and key takeaways from the online meeting.
What is fantastic is that you can easily share or send the AI meeting notes to your team members so they know what happened without participating in the meetings.
Transcription of audio and video files
Besides online meetings, you can use AI note-takers to transcribe audio and video files. It works the same when taking notes in online meetings. So, it will send you the meeting summaries as well.
Meeting analytics
Thanks to the AI features, automatic note-takers analyze your meetings and provide you with some valuable insights.
Overall, the analytics feature helps you improve your meeting performance by providing key insights from past meetings.
Team collaboration
Some of the listed AI-powered note-takers have many features ideal for teams. For instance, you can edit the meeting notes together with your team members or organize your meeting notes in team folders.
Tips before choosing an automatic note-taker
Before subscribing to any automatic note-takers, I recommend you to check these points:
- Meeting platform: The first question is which platforms you use for daily online meetings. Most automatic note-takers support the major video conferencing platforms (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet); however, some work great with less popular platforms as well.
- Languages: There are huge differences in terms of language support. While one automatic note-taker supports only English, the other can transcribe meetings in more than 69 languages. So, if you are using other languages besides English, consider this aspect as well.
- Integrations: It is fantastic when you can integrate your AI note-taker with your current tool kit. Check the integrations to avoid constantly switching between your apps.
- Pricing: While every AI-powered note-taker has free and paid plans, there are major differences. If it is hard to decide between each plan, consider the monthly transcription limit, storage capacity, allowed limit for video and audio transcription, and features, as they are the most important elements of an automatic note-taker.
- Purpose: I recommend different tools for individuals or small teams. Sometimes, one automatic note-taker is simply great for individuals but not a good fit for teams. Before making a decision, always think about whether you will have team members or if it is just for you.
Best automatic note-takers
To help you decide, here is a summary of the best automatic note-takers:
| Automatic note-taker | Meeting platforms | Language | Free plan | Transcription minutes in the free plan | Transcription storage in the free plan | Paid plans |
| Fireflies | 12+ platforms, including Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams | +70 languages | Yes | 3 meetings | 800 mins | Pro: $10/month per user Business: $19/month per user Enterprise: $39/month per user |
| MeetGeek | Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams | +30 languages | Yes | 5 hours of transcription/month | 3 months | Pro: $15/month per user Business: $29/month per user Enterprise: From $59/month |
| Tl;dv | Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams | +30 languages | Yes | Unlimited | Unlimited | Pro plan: $18/month per user Business plan: $59/month per user Enterprise plan: Contact sales |
| Fathom | Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams | +25 languages | Yes | Unlimited | Unlimited | Standard plan: $19/month per user Pro plan: $29/month per user |
MeetGeek
Best automatic note-taker overall
MeetGeek is a reliable automatic note-taker that is ideal for teams and individuals. It automatically records, transcribes, and summarizes Zoom, Google Meet, and MS Teams meetings in the major languages. MeetGeek provides top meeting summaries after calls that you can easily edit and share with others. Its user-friendly interface, excellent AI-powered summaries, and accurate transcripts make it my top choice.
Key features
- MeetGeek records and sends you meeting notes in 20 languages.
- Using MeetGeek, you can transcribe audio and video files as well.
- You can edit the meeting notes and summaries with your team members.
- MeetGeek automatically sends action items, tasks, and essential highlights from your meetings to you and whoever you want.
- All your meeting recordings and notes are in one centralized place, where you can organize them using folders.
- MeetGeek analyzes your meeting performance and pinpoints where you need to improve.
- You can connect MeetGeek with project management, collaboration, CRM tools, and more.
Pricing
- Free plan
- Pro: $15/month per user
- Business: $29/month per user
- Enterprise: From $59/month
Pros and cons
Pros
- It has the best AI meeting summary feature that effectively captures the important moments.
- MeetGeek has accurate automatic meeting notes.
- You can seamlessly connect MeetGeek to various popular tools.
- It has one of the best analytics features.
Cons
- It offers only one year of transcript storage if you choose the Pro plan.
Reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (170+ reviews)
- Producthunt: 5/5 (90+ reviews)
Fireflies AI
Best automatic note-taker for teams
Fireflies is an AI-powered note-taker that transcribes, records, records, and summarizes online meetings. Its bot, called Fred, works with all the many meeting platforms, including Zoom, Google Meet, Webex, Microsoft Teams, and GoTo Meeting. It is a versatile automatic note-taker supporting almost 70 languages.
Key features
- Fireflies can accurately transcribe meetings, video, or audio files in over 70 languages.
- It works with Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Blue Jeans, Skype, Dialpad, Webex, Lifesize, and GoTo Meeting.
- When the call is over, Fireflies will send you a meeting summary that includes outlines, keywords, and action items.
- You can easily find information in your meeting notes as you can filter action items, dates, metrics, and more.
- It has excellent collaboration features like shareable soundbite snippets and folders.
- Fireflies analyzes your meetings and provides insights into key metrics, including speaker talk time, sentiment, and monologue time.
- You can integrate Fireflies with popular third-party apps like Notion, ClickUp, monday.com, Slack, etc.
Pricing
- Free plan
- Pro: $10/month per user
- Business: $19/month per user
- Enterprise: $39/month per user
Pros and cons
Pros
- It is a budget-friendly option for teams.
- It has highly accurate transcripts.
- Fireflies have extensive collaboration features, such as adding comments, pins, and reactions to specific parts of the conversation, making teamwork easier.
- I love the versatility in terms of languages, meeting platforms, and integrations.
Cons
- Sometimes, Fireflies have difficulties transcribing accents.
- It has a size limit when uploading video or audio files in the free plan.
Reviews
- G2: 4.8/5 (370+ reviews)
- Producthunt: 4.2/5 (90+ reviews)
You can find the full review here: Fireflies AI Review: Why is EVERYONE using it for meeting notes?
Tl;dv
Best free tool for automated meeting notes
Tl dv, or “too long; didn’t view,” records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings in more than 30 languages. It is an excellent solution for individuals seeking a free solution for automated meeting notes. Tl;dv works great with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams.
Key features
- Tl;dv records and takes notes during online meetings.
- It can transcribe video and audio files as well.
- You can ask anything about the meeting, and Tl;dv will find the related details.
- Besides auto transcription, Tl;dv will send you meeting summaries with the key points.
- Tl;dv can create clips, and you can easily share these moments with others.
- You can organize your meeting notes using folders using Tl;dv.
- You can assign tags to the meeting notes to quickly filter on next steps, open questions, etc.
- Business members can access the analytics features.
Pricing
- Free plan: Available
- Pro plan: $18/month per user
- Business plan: $59/month per user
- Enterprise plan: Contact sales
Pros and cons
Pros
- It has a generous free plan.
- The tags feature offers a great way to quickly filter on specific points during the call.
- Very intuitive user interface.
- Numerous integration options.
- It sends you accurate transcripts with speaker tags.
- I love you can ask Tl;dv about the meeting, and it will collect the relevant information.
Cons
- The Business plan is pricey.
- The clip feature is still slow.
- You can access the analytics features only if you are a Business plan member.
Reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (190+ reviews)
- Producthunt: 4.6/5 (180+ reviews)
If you are interested in tl;dv, you can find the full review here:Â My Honest Tl;dv Review After Using It For +18 Months (2024)
You get a 30% discount for the first six months using my link.
Fathom
Fathom is an AI note-taking tool that provides real-time transcription and meeting summarization, making it easier to track essential points and action items. Its integration with popular video conferencing tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet ensures seamless use across different platforms in 28 languages.
Key features
- Using Fathom, you can automate meeting notes, as it records, transcribes, and summarizes your online meetings.
- You can share clips from specific parts of your meetings.
- Fathom integrates with many popular third-party apps.
- You can use different templates on how Fathom should prepare the meeting summary.
Pricing
- Free plan
- Standard plan: $19/month per user
- Pro plan: $29/month per user
The main differences between the paid plans are the features, integrations, and brandings. While the free plan has unlimited transcription, it has a limited feature set compared to the paid plans. For example, the free plan does not have team collaboration features but also includes limited options for AI summaries.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Fathom has a generous free plan.
- You can choose from different templates to prepare the meeting notes.
- A simple tool for automated meeting notes.
Cons
- You need to download the desktop app before using it.
- It can not transcribe video or audio files.
Reviews
- G2: 5/5 (2600+ reviews)
- Producthunt: 4.8/5 (200+ reviews)
Wrap-up: Trying an automated note-taker
Automated note-taking is a great way to improve productivity. Implementing an automatic note-taker can save time and money, but most importantly, your nerves. Effectively listening to other meeting participants, manually taking notes, speaking, and asking the right questions can be tough and frustrating.
If you are looking for ways to improve your and your team’s efficiency, automated meeting notes are worth a try, especially if you are part of a sales team or work remotely. Besides trying the free plans, many automatic note-takers offer a free trial when you have a chance to try the features in the paid plans. I hope I helped you find the best note-taking tool for you, and I wish you productive meetings.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an AI that takes notes for you?
There are many AI-powered note-taking apps and tools that can replace manual note-taking. These tools use natural language processing and speaker identification technologies to capture discussions effectively during meetings.
What is the best AI for meeting notes?
Ultimately, it depends on your preferences, but MeetGeek is a top choice if you use MS Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet for virtual meetings. It can simplify note-taking, and you just need to focus on the meeting participants. Thanks to its wide range of features, it is also ideal for individuals and teams.
Why automated meeting notes are better than manual note-taking?
Automated note-taking saves you time and money. You no longer need to bring an additional team member to your meetings to take notes so he can focus on other, more critical tasks. Alternatively, if you attend the online meetings alone, you can focus on others instead of multitasking. An AI meeting assistant works like a personal assistant and ultimately allows you to dedicate your attention to the most important workflows.
Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. Read the full privacy policy here.
