Stupid Simple Mac Tip #79 – Otter This World
We’ve all had interesting dreams that dissolve at first light only to be forgotten forever – it’s incredibly frustrating, but what can you do once the moment has faded?
I’ve tried Native American dreamcatchers, but only ever captured spiders, dust, and snoring.
The same frustration can occur in Zoom meetings when brainstorming provokes a breakthrough idea or perfect expression of a thought…only to be lost before writing it down.
This time, modern technology can help — thanks to the folks at Otter.ai.
Otter is a third-party app that marries AI voice recognition with your Zoom interface to transcribe meetings in real-time. With zero training, it works eerily well to provide a transcript of your call and can even display a scrolling readout during the session (like having closed captioning AND a court reporter).
You’ll never lose another “EUREKA!” moment or struggle to recall what you said…if only I could have Otter follow me around in real life!
Another great use is during meetings with prospective clients (equivalent to an attorney’s client intake interview), where I want to provide undivided attention AND preserve every fact. Otter lets me do both. Without the need to take furious notes, I can be fully present and still have every word documented (and searchable).
In the interest of privacy, courtesy, and legality, I seek permission from all parties with a brief phrase at the opening of my appointments:
“I’m planning to record and transcribe our conversation in real-time – that way, we don’t have to take detailed notes or worry about remembering all the details of any breakthroughs. Let me know if that works for you, and I’ll be happy to send a copy after the call.”
Invariably, everyone agrees, is thankful for the transcript and ends up asking me about the app so they can install it themselves. You’re already one step ahead, knowing it’s Otter.ai.
Live Zoom transcription requires the business subscription at $20 a month but is otter-ly worth it and will make you a much more productive otter-ney. I promise you’ll be otter-nally grateful.
OK, enough with the puns and on to productivity!
At least grab the free two-week trial, and if you have any problems setting it up, drop me a line at [email protected]. I’ll call you up, walk you through it, and you’ll be left with transcribed instructions
