In short. Automatic transcription turns a meeting's audio into text using a speech-recognition model. In Italian it works well with clean audio and one person speaking at a time; it gets worse with echo, overlaps, noise, proper names and technical terms. The result is an excellent draft, not a document to sign without re-reading. When choosing a tool you should look at four things: the quality of the captured audio, speaker handling, where the audio is processed, and how you correct the text.
How it works, simply put
A transcription system receives an audio file or stream and splits it into segments, usually following speech pauses. A speech-recognition model turns each segment into text. In recent years the most widespread models, such as OpenAI's Whisper (released under an open licence and used by many programs), recognise dozens of languages, Italian included, although quality is not equal across all of them.
A meeting, though, is not an audiobook. There are several people, different microphones, interruptions. That is why a tool designed for meetings usually adds more steps: separating speakers, removing echo, filtering "hallucinations" (sentences the model invents in silences), and ordering the text by time.
What to expect in Italian
You will find no accuracy percentages here: they depend too much on audio, speakers and model, and the figures going around rarely refer to real meetings. Here is instead what, in practice, tends to happen.
Usually fine:
- complete sentences, spoken clearly, in a call with a good microphone;
- common office-work vocabulary;
- essential punctuation and capitals.
Usually needs correction:
- proper names of people, companies and products, especially foreign or uncommon ones;
- acronyms and your sector's technical terms;
- numbers, amounts and dates, which must always be double-checked;
- passages where two people speak together;
- mid-sentence language switches (very frequent in Italian, with English terms);
- strong regional accents or a voice far from the microphone.
A useful principle: the more costly the mistake, the more you must verify. A "no" transcribed as "not" matters little in an informal note and a lot in a contractual decision.
What affects quality most
1. The incoming audio
It is the main factor. A good microphone, close by, in a non-echoing room, is worth more than any software setting. In calls, the others' voices come from the computer's audio and yours from the microphone: capturing them on separate tracks helps a lot, because it avoids mixing echo and voices. More in recording a meeting on Mac and Windows.
2. The model and the language
Bigger models make fewer mistakes but need more compute. Some tools do two passes: a fast one while the meeting runs, a more accurate one at the end on the full audio. Setting the language instead of leaving it to auto-detect reduces errors when the audio contains much material in other languages.
3. The vocabulary
A glossary of names and terms (colleagues, clients, acronyms) lets some tools prefer the correct spellings. If you can provide one, do it.
4. The speakers
Knowing who spoke matters as much as knowing what was said. Speaker separation (diarisation) works best when voices are distinct and turns do not overlap. In a room with a single microphone, telling four people apart is much harder than in a call where each has their own audio.
How to choose a tool
Before the "cute" feature, check five things.
- Language. Does it explicitly declare Italian support? Test with one of your real recordings, not with the demo.
- Where the audio goes. Is it processed on your computer or sent to a server? In which country? How long is it kept? These are the questions to ask before using it with confidential meetings; more in local or cloud transcription.
- How it captures audio. Does it need a bot joining the call, an extension, or does it record straight from the computer? A bot is visible to others and may require the host's authorisation.
- Correction. Can you edit the text and replay the exact point? A transcript you cannot verify is of little use.
- Real cost. Per-minute, per-seat or free-with-limits plans? Check what happens when the hours run out.
Trial checklist
Before choosing, record ten minutes of a real meeting (with attendees' consent) and check:
- are the main proper names correct?
- do numbers and dates match the audio?
- are speakers reasonably distinct?
- are the English parts handled without producing nonsense text?
- do no invented sentences appear in silences?
- how long does correction take, compared with taking notes by hand?
The last point is what decides: a useful tool is one that saves you time after correction.
Good practices for better transcripts
- Use headphones with a microphone or an external microphone; avoid the laptop microphone in an empty room.
- Ask participants not to talk over each other, at least on decisions.
- Have participants introduce themselves at the start: it also helps link voices and names.
- In a room, put the microphone in the middle of the table, not next to the fan or the projector.
- Re-read immediately, while you remember the meeting: correcting after a month is much slower.
- Do not paste the raw transcript into an official document: turn it into minutes first.
Frequently asked questions
Is automatic transcription in Italian reliable?
It is reliable as a first draft in good audio conditions. Not enough to replace a re-read, especially on names, numbers and technical terms.
Does it need an internet connection?
It depends on the tool. Some send audio to an online service, others process on-device and work offline too. Check what the vendor declares.
Does it recognise who is speaking?
Many tools separate speakers and call them "Speaker 1, 2…". Attaching a real name needs extra data, for example the calendar invitee list, and must be checked anyway.
What if the meeting is partly in English?
A common case in Italy. Some models handle isolated English terms well, long language switches less well. If a meeting is almost entirely in one language, pinning it in settings helps.
Can I transcribe a meeting without telling the others?
Recording and personal-data rules depend on context. You can find general information in recording a meeting and the GDPR; for your case ask a professional.