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Workplaces have a lot of ways to communicate beyond just email and phone calls, and today one of the most popular team collaboration tools is Slack. The web-based platform allows people in the same office or around the globe to chat and share files.
When your team needs in-person communication instead of online chats, Slack allows you to initiate audio or video meetings. These can be very useful when:
- It’s easier to discuss something than type back and forth
- The discussion involves several people and it’s difficult to keep track of things in an online chat format
- Your team works remotely or is spread out geographically and you want regular face-to-face meetings
- You want real-time input and collaboration on a project
There are also times when you need to record a video meeting and transcribe the meeting notes. Transcriptions are helpful for:
- Archiving information from meetings
- Creating detailed and accurate meeting minutes
- Reminding attendees about important discussion items, assignments, and due dates
- Capturing detailed information about an upcoming project
- Allowing absent team members a chance to review what happened at a meeting
- Remembering exact quotes, statistics, or other context after a meeting is over
- Offering accessibility for people who are deaf or hard of hearing and need a written transcript from a meeting
Overview of Slack Video Meeting Recordings
Slack video meeting recordings capture the entire meeting so you can transcribe it or reference it for later use. Typed chat messages in Slack are something you can easily search, but when you have a meeting by video, that information won’t be searchable in Slack.
For that reason, recording a video meeting and getting a written meeting transcription can help you search and reference all the discussion items at a later time.
How to Record Slack Video Meetings
There are several ways that you can initiate a video meeting in Slack, either using Slack’s internal video and audio meeting tools, or with third-party app integrations.
Slack Video Calls
Start a call with a single person by selecting their name on your “direct message” list and clicking the phone icon in the top right corner:
Once the call begins you can add others, share your screen, and take several other actions
There are some limitations to Slack video calls, primarily that there is no built-in feature to record the video or audio, so you have to use a third-party recording app.
Third-Party Applications
Slack has several integrations with third-party video conferencing platforms. Most of these require a subscription in addition to your Slack subscription. Before you can use the third-party applications, you must add the app to your workspace. If you have a preferred tool, you can set it as the default for video meetings in Slack.
Zoom
Type /zoom in a Slack channel for a meeting link. Collaborate on video or audio calls, share your screen, and record the entire video and audio from the call. A paid subscription is required to use the Slack integration with Zoom ($14.99 to $19.99 per month, per host).
Webex-Cisco
Access Webex meeting tools from the “shortcuts” menu to start a meeting, schedule a meeting, show upcoming meetings, or list recordings available. Integrate your audio, video, and content sharing for group meetings, including a “virtual whiteboard” and chat. You must have a host account on a Cisco Webex site and can only record meetings with a paid subscription ($14.95 to $29.95 per month, per host).
Skype
Type /skype into Slack to start an instant meeting and send a notification to the channel. Team members can join from anywhere, including mobile devices. You can join as a guest without a Skype account, so you can use Skype with people from multiple companies who may not all have paid accounts ($5.50 per user per month, or available through Office 365).
BlueJeans
Type /bluejeans into Slack and run HD video meetings or webinars with up to 100 interactive participants. You can use a desktop or mobile device to start the meeting or stream it in a meeting room. Paid subscriptions range from $12.50 to $17.50+ for enterprise accounts.
GoToMeeting
Type /g2m to start a GoToMeeting in Slack. Channel members get a link to join. It offers call recording, screen sharing, and other collaboration tools, and has some easy tools to allow people to join the call by phone. Plans are available for $14 or $19, or there are enterprise solutions for meetings with 250+ attendees.
Microsoft Teams
Type /teams-calls to start a meeting with Microsoft Teams. This integration is still in the beta version right now, so you may experience a few glitches.
Google Hangouts
Slack also offers an integration with Google Hangouts, which is a video call platform available free to anyone with a Google login. You cannot record calls with the free version, but there is an option to “live stream” to a private YouTube channel to get a recording. This requires quite a bit of setup in advance.
Rev offers a free online voice recorder that makes it easy to record audio from any meeting, even without a paid subscription to one of the platforms above.
How to Transcribe Slack Video Meetings
Once your video meeting is finished, the next step is figuring out how to transcribe Slack video meetings. Rather than tediously typing it yourself, Rev makes it simple to order transcripts of any Slack video meeting recording (note: this is for a transcript of the audio after the meeting is over, not closed captioning during the meeting).
Step 1: Upload your audio or video file directly through the web. All file uploads are secure and confidential.
Step 2: Rev’s 50,000 transcription professionals start working on your file immediately, with services available 24/7. Transcript accuracy is guaranteed to be 99% or better. Turnaround is quick, with some transcriptions available in a matter of hours.
Step 3: Receive a link to an editable transcript that you can download and share on Slack or anywhere else you prefer. The link will be emailed to you.
Step 4: You’re finished! That was easy.