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Getting Started with Transcription

Meeting transcription in Copera converts everything said during a meeting into text automatically. Instead of taking manual notes or asking someone to summarize, you can turn on transcription with a single click and get a complete written record of the conversation when it ends.

What transcription does​

When transcription is active, Copera records the meeting audio and sends it through an AI-powered speech-to-text service. After the meeting -- or after you stop the transcription -- the audio is processed and a full text transcript is generated. The transcript includes:

  • Timestamped utterances -- every spoken sentence is tied to a point in the meeting timeline.
  • Speaker labels -- the system automatically identifies different speakers and labels their contributions (see Speaker Identification for details).
  • Audio/video playback -- the original recording is available alongside the transcript, so you can click on any utterance to hear the original audio.

Starting transcription​

To start transcription during a meeting:

  1. Look for the transcription button in the meeting control bar (it looks like a document icon with a spark).
  2. Click the button to begin recording.
  3. A sound plays to confirm that transcription has started, and all participants see a visual indicator that the meeting is being transcribed.

You can also choose to start a video transcription that captures both audio and video, which gives you a richer playback experience when reviewing the session later.

Who can start and stop transcription​

Any participant in the meeting can start a transcription. However, only the person who started the transcription can stop it. This prevents accidental interruptions -- if someone else tries to toggle the transcription button, it will not stop a recording that was started by another participant.

What happens while transcription is running​

While transcription is active:

  • The meeting audio is being captured continuously.
  • Active speaker data is tracked in the background to help with speaker identification later.
  • All participants see a visual indicator that transcription is in progress.
  • Participants can continue using all other meeting features normally -- screen sharing, whiteboard, document collaboration, and chat all work alongside transcription.

Multiple transcriptions in one meeting​

You are not limited to a single transcription per meeting. You can start and stop transcription multiple times during the same session, creating separate transcript segments. Each segment is saved independently with its own:

  • Audio/video recording
  • Transcript text
  • Speaker assignments
  • Participant list (based on who was present during that specific recording)

This is useful when you want to record only certain parts of a meeting, or when different groups of participants are present at different times.

Accessing transcripts after the meeting​

Once the transcription is processed, you can access it through the meeting channel's Sessions tab. Each session shows the transcriptions that were recorded, and clicking on one opens the full transcript viewer with playback controls, speaker panels, and AI-powered features.

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Transcription processing happens asynchronously after the recording stops. Short recordings are usually ready within a few minutes, but longer meetings may take more time. You will be able to see the transcript once processing is complete.

Session-based access​

Transcription access is tied to the participants who were present during the recording. Only people who were in the meeting while a specific transcription was active can access that transcript by default. For more details on how access works, see Transcription Access Control.

How transcription is billed​

Transcription is not sold as a per-hour add-on. It draws from your workspace's pooled AI credits — the same shared pool every AI capability in Copera uses. Free workspaces get a $5/month gift (non-cumulative); each Pro seat adds $40 and each Max seat adds $500 to the pool. Any member of the meeting can start a transcription as long as the workspace has credits available. AI actions generated from a transcript (summaries, action items, key decisions) also draw from the same pool.