Can you record a Zoom meeting for free?

Yes. Zoom's free Basic plan includes local recording, with meetings capped at 40 minutes. Wave's free plan includes 30 minutes of recording a month with a full transcript and AI summary.

How do I get a transcript of a Zoom meeting?

Record the meeting with Wave and the transcript is automatic: speaker-labeled, usually ready within a few minutes of the call ending, with an AI summary of decisions and action items.

Can Wave record a Zoom meeting without a bot?

Yes. Wave for Mac and Windows captures your mic and your computer's audio, so it records any Zoom call with nothing joining the participant list. Prefer a visible note taker? Connect your calendar and the Wave bot joins your scheduled Zoom meetings instead.

Does Zoom tell people a meeting is being recorded?

Zoom's own recording shows a recording indicator in the meeting window. Recording with Wave for Mac and Windows shows nothing in the meeting, so telling people is your responsibility; the Wave calendar bot is visible in the participant list.

Record a Zoom Meeting — With a Transcript, Not Just a Video

Q: Can you record a Zoom meeting?

Yes. In Zoom, the host can record, participants need the host's permission, and cloud recording requires a paid Pro, Business or Enterprise account. With Wave AI, you can record from your side using Wave for Mac and Windows, or let the Wave calendar bot join. Follow local recording laws and tell participants when required.

Q: How do I record a Zoom meeting as a participant?

In Zoom, a participant must request permission from the host, and the account's settings decide who may ask. Wave for Mac and Windows records the call from your own computer instead, so you don't need the host to enable anything. Let participants know you're recording where the law requires it.

Last updated: November 3, 2026

To record a Zoom meeting with a transcript, use Wave AI: its calendar bot joins your scheduled Zoom calls, or Wave for Mac and Windows records the call from your own computer with no bot and no host permission. Either way you get a speaker-labeled transcript and an AI summary, free for 30 minutes a month.

How to record a Zoom meeting

Can you record a Zoom meeting?

Yes. In Zoom itself, hosts can record, and participants must ask the host for permission. Cloud recording, which saves a recording to Zoom's cloud, needs a licensed user on a paid Pro, Business or Enterprise account, and only hosts and co-hosts can start it. Wave records from your side, whoever is hosting.

Record a Zoom meeting with the Wave calendar bot

Best for scheduled meetings when you want a visible, disclosed note taker.

Sign in to the Wave mobile app or app.wave.co and connect your Google or Outlook calendar.
Any Zoom meeting on that calendar is picked up; the Wave bot joins at start time as a visible participant.
If the meeting has a waiting room, the host admits the bot like any other guest.
After the call, the transcript and AI summary appear in your Wave library.

Record a Zoom meeting without a bot, as a participant

Wave for Mac and Windows records your microphone and the Zoom audio playing on your computer, so nothing joins the meeting and the host doesn't need to grant permission.

Install the Wave desktop app on your Mac or Windows PC.
Tell the other participants you are recording where the law requires it.
Start a recording in Wave with System Audio and your microphone on, then join the Zoom call.
Stop when the meeting ends. Wave writes the speaker-labeled transcript and summary.

Compare AI note takers that work without a bot

What Zoom's own plans include

When we checked Zoom's documentation on November 3, 2026, these were the rules for Zoom's built-in recording and AI features.

Local recording (to computer files) is available on free Basic accounts and paid plans; participants need the host's permission.
Cloud recording requires a licensed user on a Pro, Business or Enterprise account, and only hosts and co-hosts can start it.
A recording indicator appears in the meeting window while Zoom records.
Zoom's free plan caps meetings at 40 minutes and limits AI meeting summaries to 3 hosted meetings a month.

The problems you know too well

Only the Host Controls Recording

In Zoom, participants have to ask the host for permission to record, and cloud recording stays with hosts and co-hosts. If you're a guest, the record button often isn't yours to press. Wave records from your side, no matter who's hosting.

Transcripts and AI Notes Depend on the Plan

Zoom's cloud recording needs a paid account, and its free plan limits AI meeting summaries to a few hosted meetings a month. Wave writes a transcript and summary for every recording, free for 30 minutes a month.

A Recording Isn't Notes

Even when Zoom recording works, you're left with a video to scrub through. Wave delivers a searchable, speaker-labeled transcript plus an AI summary with decisions and action items.

Features

Everything you need to capture every conversation

Wave for Mac and Windows — No Bot, No Permission

The Wave desktop app records your microphone and Zoom's audio together, capturing both sides of any call from your own computer, including the native Zoom app. Nothing joins the meeting.

Calendar Bot for Scheduled Zoom Calls

Connect your Google or Outlook calendar and the Wave bot joins your Zoom meetings as a visible participant, then delivers the transcript and summary automatically.

Chrome Extension for Zoom on the Web

Joining from the Zoom web client? The Wave Chrome extension records the browser tab and your microphone with one click.

Speaker-Labeled Transcript

Every Zoom recording becomes a full transcript with automatic speaker labels. Voice ID remembers people across calls, so you name someone once and Wave labels them next time.

AI Meeting Summary

Key decisions, action items and follow-ups are extracted after the call ends. Paste them into Slack, email or your docs instead of rewatching the recording.

Searchable Meeting Library

All your Zoom recordings live in one searchable place with every other meeting you capture. Ask Wave a question about any of them and get an answer cited from the transcript.

Perfect for

Client and sales calls on Zoom where you're the guestTeam meetings and standupsInterviews conducted over ZoomWebinars and training sessions you attendZoom calls on a free accountRecording a Zoom meeting without asking the host

FAQs

Common questions

Wave Desktop v2: The Full App on Your Computer — No Bots Required

Wave Desktop is now a full-featured app for Mac and Windows. Record meetings without bots, place phone calls, and access your entire Wave library right from your computer.

Meeting Recording Laws: What You Need to Know

Understand meeting recording laws across the US and abroad. Learn one-party vs two-party consent rules and how to record meetings legally.

The Wave Guide to Meeting Recording

Four ways to record any meeting with Wave — meeting bots, desktop app, phone calls, and mobile. Pick your method and never miss a detail.