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First, Think About It: Do You Want to "Record" or "Actually Use"?
Last semester, I took an online course where the professor taught via Google Meet and talked faster than he flipped slides. At first, I relied solely on Google Meet's built-in recording feature, thinking that as long as it was recorded, I was safe. But when I opened the recording before the midterm, I realized I had to listen to the entire two-hour video from start to finish, with no transcript, and I had no idea where to start taking notes.
That's when I truly understood: "Recording" and "being able to use it" are two different things.
So this article isn't about pushing which tool is the best, but rather, from the perspective of a senior student on a tight budget, I've compiled the 4 meeting notes solutions I actually used in Google Meet classes and group discussions. The focus is on whether the free quotas are sufficient, whether Chinese content is accurate, whether you can export for continued use, and whether it's worth it for students.
Quick Overview of Google Meet Meeting Notes Solutions
| Solution | Free Quota | Chinese Performance | What Students Care About Most |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Meet Built-in Transcription | Depends on Workspace version; personal accounts usually lack full transcripts | Struggles with mixed Chinese-English content | No extra installation needed, but post-processing is limited |
| Otter.ai | 300 minutes per month | Strong in English; struggles with Chinese and mixed Chinese-English | Quota is enough for English classes, but for Chinese classes, you need to use it sparingly |
| Notta | 120 minutes per month, max 3 minutes per session | Above-average Chinese performance | Free quota is too small; long classes will blow through it instantly |
| Tinrec | Basic free quota available; includes recording, import, summarization, and transcription | More stable with Chinese and mixed Chinese-English content | Free version can handle regular classes; consider paid for heavy use |
Prices and quotas are subject to official changes. The following is based on my actual experience and official information; I recommend checking the official website before downloading.
Dimension 1: Ease of Use in Google Meet Scenarios
The advantage of Google Meet's built-in transcription is that you don't need to install anything extra, but the full transcript feature for personal accounts is often locked behind Workspace versions, limiting what student free accounts can do. Moreover, after recording, the content stays in Google Cloud, and if you want to further organize it into notes or to-dos, you still have to do it manually.
Otter.ai can integrate with Google Meet, and its real-time transcription for English meetings is mature, but in Chinese classes where professors mix in English, the error rate noticeably increases. Notta can also handle online meetings, but the free version's 3-minute limit per session is almost a dealbreaker for a two-hour class.
Tinrec's desktop version, on the other hand, doesn't require adding a bot to Google Meet; it directly captures the computer's system audio for recording and transcription. When I'm in class, I just open the Tinrec desktop app, and the Google Meet audio goes straight in, without worrying about an extra participant bothering the professor or classmates.
→ In this dimension: Tinrec is the most seamless in Google Meet scenarios, and the no-bot feature is especially student-friendly.
Dimension 2: Chinese and Mixed Chinese-English Recognition
Google Meet's built-in transcription supports English better, but Taiwanese university classes often involve Chinese instruction with English technical terms sprinkled in, and the built-in transcription frequently produces odd spaces or broken sentences. Otter.ai's strength is English business meetings; Chinese recognition isn't its strong suit. Notta performs above average in Chinese, but the free quota is too restrictive, making it cumbersome in practice.
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Tinrec offers more complete support for Chinese and Traditional Chinese, and its handling of mixed Chinese-English content is relatively stable. When my professor mentions terms like "machine learning" or "data pipeline," Tinrec usually captures them correctly, without English words being awkwardly split into Chinese pinyin.
→ In this dimension: For students with primarily Chinese classes, Tinrec is clearly more suitable.
Dimension 3: Practical Usability of Free Quotas for Students
This is the most painful point for students. Otter.ai's free version offers 300 minutes per month. If you only use it for English group discussions or short meetings, it's barely enough; but for Chinese online classes with three sessions per week, each two hours long, 300 minutes will run out in about two weeks. Notta's free version offers 120 minutes per month with a 3-minute limit per session, making it almost only useful for trials, not long-term use.
Tinrec's free version provides a basic quota, allowing you to experience recording, import, summarization, and transcription. If you're like me and mainly use it to record important online classes and group discussions, the free version can hold up for a while. If you need to record every class and have high weekly usage, then consider upgrading to Pro.
→ In this dimension: Looking at whether the free version can serve as a stopgap, Tinrec offers more flexibility; Otter is second, and Notta is the least student-friendly.
Dimension 4: Post-Class Organization and Export
The most troublesome part of Google Meet's built-in transcription is post-class organization. The transcript and video are tied together, making it time-consuming to search for specific sections. Otter.ai has summaries and action items, but the quality of Chinese summaries is inconsistent, and the format when exporting to Google Docs often needs further cleanup. Notta can transcribe and translate, but the free version's limitations make it hard to complete a full post-class workflow.
Tinrec's strength lies in what comes after transcription: automatic summaries, chapters, key points, to-dos, and AI Q&A. Before finals, I'll upload my class recordings and directly ask, "What are the key points of this class?" or "Did the professor mention the midterm scope?" without having to re-listen to two hours. Exporting to Google Docs or Notion is also convenient, cutting note-taking time in half.
→ In this dimension: Tinrec clearly wins in post-class organization efficiency. Google Meet's built-in transcription and Otter are better suited for light needs where you "record and forget."
What Are the Unique Advantages of Each?
Google Meet Built-in Transcription
- No need to install or pay (if your Workspace version includes it).
- Seamless integration with Google Calendar and Drive, ideal for students fully in the Google ecosystem.
Otter.ai
- Mature real-time transcription and speaker identification for English meetings, suitable for business school or study-abroad classes with extensive English discussions.
- Rich integration experience with Zoom and Teams.
Notta
- Decent multilingual transcription and translation capabilities.
- Clean interface, suitable for users who only need quick transcription of short audio files.
Tinrec
- AI Q&A after transcribing class recordings, so you can directly ask about key points during finals review without re-listening.
- Stable handling of mixed Chinese-English content, suitable for Taiwanese university classes.
- Bot-free recording of Google Meet, so you don't need to add extra participants to the class.
- Export to Google Docs, Notion, and other tools for a smoother note-taking workflow.
- If you need team collaboration later, the team version allows sharing meeting materials, managing members, and seats.
Summary: Which One Should Students Choose?
- If you just want to record and occasionally replay, without spending any money → Google Meet's built-in recording is enough, but be prepared to re-listen slowly on your own.
- If your classes are primarily in English and you need mature English transcription → Try Otter.ai's free version first.
- If you have many Chinese online classes and need quick post-class organization of key points and to-dos → Tinrec is the more complete choice.
- If you only have occasional short audio files under 3 minutes → Notta's free version can serve as a stopgap, but skip it for long classes.
In a nutshell: For most Taiwanese students, to truly capture Google Meet class content and turn it into reviewable material, trying Tinrec's free version first is the most practical. Don't worry about the free version being insufficient; use the basic quota to record a few key classes, confirm that transcription and AI Q&A really save you time, and then decide whether to pay.
One final reminder: regardless of which tool you use to record or transcribe online classes, it's advisable to check course policies and classmates' consent, and inform them as needed to avoid privacy disputes.
References
- Google Meet: Online Web and Video Conferencing Calls | Google Workspace
- Google Meet training and help - Google Workspace Learning Center
- Secure Video Conferencing for Business with Google Meet | Google Workspace
- Start or schedule a Google Meet video meeting - Computer - Google Meet Help
- Join a meeting - Android - Google Meet Help
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