How to Write Meeting Minutes from a Recording
CorrectNow Editorial Team · 5 min read
Taking minutes while also taking part in a meeting is hard. You either miss the discussion or miss the notes. Recording the meeting lets you join in fully and write the minutes afterwards with the audio as your reference.
Good meeting minutes are short. They record what was decided, who will do what, and by when. This guide explains how to turn a recording into minutes that people will actually read.
Tell people the meeting is being recorded
Let everyone know at the start that you are recording and why. Rules on recording differ between countries and workplaces, and some require everyone's agreement. Many organisations also have their own policies, so follow those where they exist.
Explain that the recording is for writing the minutes, and say how long it will be kept. People speak more freely when they know how a recording will be used.
Record the meeting clearly
For an in-person meeting, place the recorder in the centre of the table. For an online meeting, use the platform's recording feature if your organisation allows it. Ask people to speak one at a time and to say their name before speaking if the group is large or does not know each other's voices.
It also helps to have a printed or shared agenda in front of everyone. When people know which item is being discussed, the conversation follows a clearer order, and the recording becomes much easier to navigate later. Note the time when each agenda item starts if you can; it will save you searching through the audio.
Transcribe, then skim for structure
Upload the recording to a transcription tool to get the text. If the meeting is long, split the audio into parts first; on the CorrectNow audio to text page each file can be up to 8 MB. Put the parts together in one document in order.
You do not need to clean the whole transcript. Instead, skim it with the agenda beside you and mark where each agenda item starts. That gives you the outline of the minutes.
Listen again to the parts where decisions were made or tasks were handed out. These moments are short but important, and they are often phrased loosely in conversation, so make sure you capture exactly what was agreed and who agreed to do it.
What to include in meeting minutes
Minutes are a record of outcomes, not a script of the conversation. Keep discussion brief and focus on what changed because of the meeting.
- Meeting name, date, time and place or platform.
- Who attended and who sent apologies.
- Each agenda item, with a one- or two-line summary of the discussion.
- Decisions made, stated clearly.
- Action items, each with an owner and a due date.
- Date of the next meeting, if set.
Write in clear, neutral language
Use plain, neutral wording and avoid recording personal opinions or heated remarks word for word unless your organisation requires it. Write decisions as complete sentences so nobody has to guess what was agreed. Past tense is common for discussion and decisions, while actions are written as tasks.
Check the details against the recording: names, figures, dates and deadlines. These are what people will act on.
Keep the format the same from meeting to meeting. When minutes always follow the same order, readers know exactly where to look for decisions and actions, and comparing one meeting with the next becomes much easier.
- Incorrect: The committee agreed to approve the budget, Priya will send the final figures. – Correct: The committee agreed to approve the budget. Priya will send the final figures. (Two complete sentences joined only by a comma form a comma splice; split them.)
- Incorrect: Each team need to submit there report by Friday. – Correct: Each team needs to submit its report by Friday. (“Each team” is singular, and “there” should be a possessive.)
Review and share the minutes promptly
Send the draft to the chair for a quick check before circulating it, and share the minutes while the meeting is still fresh in people's minds. Give attendees a way to point out errors.
Run a final spelling and grammar check before sending. CorrectNow can help here by explaining each correction, so you can decide whether it fits. Once the minutes are approved, delete or archive the recording according to your organisation's policy.
Frequently asked questions
Should meeting minutes be a word-for-word record?
Usually not. Minutes record decisions, action items and a brief summary of discussion. A full transcript is a separate document if one is needed.
Do I need permission to record a meeting?
Tell everyone you are recording and follow local law and your organisation's policy. Some places require the agreement of everyone present.
How soon should minutes be sent?
As soon as practical after the meeting, so people can act on decisions while they still remember the discussion.
What makes an action item clear?
A specific task, one named owner and a due date. If any of the three is missing, people tend to assume someone else will do it.
Transcribe a meeting recording · Proofread your meeting minutes