What you'll accomplish
By the end of this guide, you'll have Otter.ai recording, transcribing, and summarizing your staff meetings automatically. Instead of spending 30–45 minutes writing meeting minutes after every huddle, you'll have a clean summary with action items ready within minutes of the meeting ending.
What you'll need
- A free Otter.ai account at otter.ai (free plan: 300 min/month, transcriptions up to 30 min each)
- A smartphone with the Otter.ai app installed, OR a computer with a microphone
- Time needed: 15 minutes to set up, then 2 minutes per meeting to prepare
- Cost: Free (basic) / paid plans for longer meetings
How-To Guide: Auto-Generate Staff Meeting Notes with Otter.ai
Step 1: Create Your Otter.ai Account
Go to otter.ai and click Get Started Free. Sign up with your work email. Verify your email. Download the Otter.ai mobile app on your smartphone (available on iPhone and Android) — this is the easiest way to use it in an in-person meeting.
What you should see: You're logged in and see a clean home screen with a record button.
Troubleshooting: If you don't want to use a phone, you can also use Otter.ai directly in your browser at otter.ai — it uses your computer's microphone.