Zoom Transcription & Notes — Without a Bot

How Nod transcribes Zoom

Nod captures the audio your Mac is already playing through native macOS APIs, transcribes it, and builds a summary — so you never have to switch on Zoom's cloud recording, be the host, or pay for a Workspace tier. Because it captures at the operating-system level, it works whether Zoom is in the desktop app, a browser tab, or another window.

• No bot in the participant list, no recording banner
• No Zoom cloud recording required — works on free and paid plans
• Topics, decisions, and action items captured automatically
• A full transcript you can search across every call

No stored audio, EU-hosted

Capture is local on your Mac; transcription runs in the EU cloud — each audio segment is sent through a European proxy to a transcription service and discarded the instant the text returns, with Zero Data Retention and no model training. Only the transcript and summary are saved, encrypted at rest in the EU. See the security page.

Zoom transcript guides

New to Zoom transcripts? See how to get a Zoom transcript for every method, or Zoom notes without a bot for the bot-free approach in detail. Getting a transcript doesn't remove your duty to get consent — see meeting recording consent laws.

Frequently asked questions

Can I transcribe a Zoom meeting without a bot?

Yes. Nod captures your Mac's system audio and transcribes it without joining the call, so no participant appears in the people panel and Zoom's recording banner is never triggered.

Do I need Zoom's cloud recording to use Nod?

No. Nod transcribes the live audio separately, so you don't need to be the host, enable cloud recording, or be on a paid Zoom plan.

Does Nod store my Zoom recordings?

No. Audio is held in memory only long enough to transcribe — about five seconds — then discarded. Only the transcript and summary are saved, encrypted in the EU, with no model training.