Where call recordings come from
Phone call recordings reach people in different ways. Some phones have a built-in call recorder, and others need a recording app. Business phone systems and VoIP services often record calls and let you download them, usually as MP3 or WAV. Some people simply put a call on speaker and record it with a second device. Customer research and sales teams often get recordings from their calling software.
Whatever produced it, upload the audio file as it is. MP3, WAV, M4A, AMR, AAC and other common formats work, and so does video if the call was recorded as one. If the recording lives in Google Drive or Dropbox, you can paste the link instead.
Consent comes first
Laws on recording phone calls differ by country, and in the United States they differ by state. Some places allow recording when one person on the call agrees, and others require everyone on the call to agree. Making sure a recording was made lawfully, and that you are allowed to transcribe and keep it, is your responsibility. A simple habit that avoids most problems is to tell the other person at the start that the call is being recorded.
Why call audio is harder, and what helps
A traditional phone line carries only a narrow slice of the voice's frequencies, which is why calls sound thin. Speech recognition still works on this audio, but the missing high frequencies make some consonants harder to tell apart, so short words and unusual names are misheard more often than in a studio recording. Mobile calls add dropouts and compression when the signal is weak.
- Record from the phone or calling software directly when you can. A second phone recording a speakerphone adds room echo and makes the far side quieter.
- If you must use speakerphone, take the call in a quiet room and keep the phone close to the recorder.
- Internet calls on a good connection often sound fuller than a regular phone line, and usually transcribe better.
- Ask the other person to repeat or spell names, reference numbers and email addresses. That helps you and the transcript.
Reviewing the call transcript
The transcript comes back in timestamped paragraphs with a player that highlights each line as it plays. Calls are usually short, so a full listen-through is quick. If you transcribe calls regularly, a folder per client or project keeps them together and lets you export them in bulk. Focus on the details that matter later: names, prices, dates, order or case numbers and anything that was agreed. Click a line to replay it and fix the text in place.
Most calls have two people, and speaker identification can label each side. It is available on paid plans (Plus, Unlimited) or with a Minute Pack, not on Free or the no-sign-up trial. Set the number of speakers to 2 for a normal call, then rename them once, for example "Agent" and "Customer", and the whole transcript updates. When both sides talk at once or the voices sound similar, a line may land on the wrong speaker, so check the key exchanges.
Exports for call notes and records
Pick the export by where the call notes go:
- Copy or TXT to paste a call record into your CRM, ticket or support system.
- DOCX (Word) for an interview or research call you will quote from or annotate.
- PDF for a fixed record of what was said, filed with the customer or case.
- CSV to keep each line with its timestamp in a spreadsheet, which suits reviewing many calls side by side.
- The AI prompt export to paste the call into ChatGPT or Claude for a summary or follow-up email draft.