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 isn't. Each audio segment is sent through a European proxy to a hosted transcription service and discarded the instant the text returns, under Zero Data Retention and with no model training. No audio is stored at either end. Only the transcript and summary are saved, encrypted at rest in the EU (AWS eu-west-1). 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.