How to Transcribe Webex Recordings Quickly and Easily

Cisco Webex is a globally used service for video business conferences and virtual meetings. You often want to retain or pass along the information from these online events, but note-taking can be inconvenient, distracting, and inaccurate as you're trying to focus on the content. Besides, who needs that added pressure?

Try opting for a word-for-word transcript of what was said instead. No fussing with trying to capture everything in shorthand and all of the information is there exactly as it was shared the first time. It's simple and will save you time. Here's a guide to help you transcribe Webex recordings of your conferences.

How to Get a Cisco Webex Transcription

Webex is designed to be used on any device, and this goes for its ability to record as well. Before your meeting begins, start recording by opening your Webex assistant on whichever device you're using and locate the circular red record button (like you would see on a camera). Click that button, and a window will appear, labeled "Recorder Panel". Again, find the record button on that panel and click on it. You will now be recording the audio of your Webex meeting. Using the Recorder Panel, you can temporarily pause the recording by using the pause button or end the recording by clicking the stop button.

It's important to note that the whole recording will be saved as one file when you use the pause button. On the other hand, each time you use the stop button and start recording again, you'll create a new file.

When you start recording (or in some cases after stopping recording), another window will appear, labeled "Save Recorded Meeting As". You can name and save your recording at this time. The recording is also available later on from your Webex dashboard.

After the Meeting

Now you have recorded the meeting and saved the file to your computer. This file will be in formats unique to Cisco - WRF or ARF - which means you aren't ready to move on to Webex transcription service quite yet. Change the file format by doing the following:

1. Open the Webex Network Recording Player. If you don't have it downloaded yet, you can do that by following these steps.
   
   
2. Next, open the file you just saved from recording your Webex meeting. It will automatically start playing once you open it.
   
   
3. Now that the recording is open, select "File" then "Convert Format". MP4 is the most convenient format for sharing the file.
   
   
4. You will be prompted to save the file again, this time in the new format.
   
   
5. Once you name your file and pick its location, click "Okay". The file will now start converting.

The conversion process speed depends on the length of your recording. If you're in a rush, closing any unnecessary applications on your computer can speed things up.

A Step Above Speech-to-Text

Before you fully commit to requesting a transcript from a professional team, you might wonder about the automated real-time speech-to-text transcription now offered by Cisco Webex. While this may be an option worth exploring, this new technology is usually nowhere near as accurate as a job done by human transcription experts, especially when the speakers in the recording are overlapping or speaking in various accents.

You don't want to finish a meeting to find that your notes are incomprehensible or incomplete. If you value a finished product that is accurate, clean, and easy to understand, a Webex transcription service is the way to go.

Getting a Perfect Webex Transcript

Now that the recording is in a shareable format, you're ready to have it transcribed here by the GoTranscript team. That link will take you to GoTranscript's cost estimate page, where you will have the option to enter some information about the transcript you're requesting in order to see how much it might cost. Or, if you want to skip right to ordering your transcript, you can scroll down the page and find the words "Order Online" highlighted in orange. Click that, and you will have the option to upload a file for transcription. When picking a file, remember to choose your new MP4 format - it might have the same name as the WRF or ARF ones.

Soon after you upload your files and send them, GoTranscript will reach out to you with the finished transcript. You have the option of picking your file format, no more converting necessary. 

How to Utilize a Transcript

Now that you have your Webex recording transcription downloaded, you can use it in various ways to amplify your productivity and communication. You can edit it, divide the text into sections, or highlight specific notes, and share them with your colleagues. You can file it away for later use and refer back to it during future meetings. Because transcripts are word-for-word, you'll never need to worry about misquoting someone or leaving information out.