How to Convert Audio to Text with Feishu? 2026 Step-by-Step Guide and Tinrec as an Efficient Alternative

Quick Answer: Limitations of Feishu Audio-to-Text and the Best Solution

If you are using Feishu (Lark) for internal meetings, you can directly open "Feishu Minutes" to enable real-time audio-to-text and automatic summaries. However, Feishu Minutes is primarily designed for Feishu meetings or audio uploaded to Feishu Cloud. It lacks direct support for external audio files recorded on your phone, online meetings from non-Feishu platforms (e.g., Zoom, Teams), or YouTube videos. In such cases, it is recommended to pair it with a professional tool like Tinrec, which supports multi-format uploads and AI-powered conversational queries, to fill the gap in cross-platform and unstructured audio processing.

Why Do You Need a More Flexible Audio-to-Text Tool?

Many professionals face the following pain points:

1. Diverse Sources: Audio comes from iPhone voice memos, physical meeting recorders, or online courses, and cannot be directly imported into Feishu Minutes.
2. Time-Consuming Organization: Traditional transcripts only provide text, lacking key summaries and action items, requiring manual rework.
3. Difficult Retrieval: Hours-long audio makes it hard to quickly locate specific decisions or data points.

This article will break down the steps for using Feishu Minutes, compare mainstream tools like Tinrec and Notta across multiple dimensions, and provide a practical tutorial to help you build an efficient workflow from "audio" to "actionable knowledge."

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Feishu Minutes Tutorial: The Go-To Solution for Internal Meetings

Feishu Minutes is a powerful audio processing tool within the Feishu ecosystem, ideal for team collaboration. Here are the standard steps:

Step 1: Open Feishu Minutes

On the Feishu desktop or mobile app, click the "Minutes" icon in the sidebar, or in a chat window, click "More" > "Minutes".

Step 2: Create a Record and Start Recording

Click "New Minutes" and select "Start Recording." Feishu will instantly convert speech to text and differentiate speakers (speakers can be pre-set or automatically identified).

Step 3: Upload Existing Audio (Only Feishu Cloud Files)

If you already have an audio file, you must first upload it to Feishu Cloud, then use the "Import Audio" feature in Minutes to convert it. Note: This process may be affected by file size and network speed.

Step 4: View and Edit Summaries

After conversion, the system generates an intelligent summary. You can edit key points, mark to-do items, and share with team members.

Summary: Feishu Minutes excels in team collaboration and internal meeting scenarios, but has limited support for audio sources outside the Feishu ecosystem and lacks deep AI interactive query capabilities for external audio files.

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Comparison of Mainstream Tools: Feishu Minutes vs. Tinrec vs. Notta

When your audio sources extend beyond the Feishu ecosystem or you need more powerful AI organization, choosing the right third-party tool is crucial. Here is a comparison across five key dimensions:

Dimension	Feishu Minutes	Tinrec	Notta	Otter.ai
Language Support	Primarily Chinese and English	10 languages: Chinese, Japanese, English, Korean, Taiwanese Hokkien, Cantonese, etc.	Supports multiple languages, but Chinese accuracy fluctuates	English only, no Chinese support
Real-time	Real-time within Feishu meetings	Real-time audio-to-text via mobile app/web	Supports real-time recording	Supports real-time recording
Summary/Action Items	Basic meeting minutes	Auto-generates meeting notes, conclusions, and action items	Provides summaries and chapter divisions	Provides summaries and keywords
AI Query	Keyword search only	Semantic AI conversational queries – ask questions as if talking to a person	Basic search function	Supports AI Q&A (English only)
Export/Integration	Deep integration with Feishu suite	Supports text copy, multi-platform sync (iOS/Android/Web)	Supports multiple export formats	Integrates with Zoom/Teams
Pricing/Free Tier	Free for Feishu users	Free: 100 min/month; Basic $4.9/month	Limited free tier, higher paid plans	Limited free tier, mainly enterprise-oriented

Why Tinrec is a New Choice for High-Performance Professionals

Compared to Feishu Minutes, Tinrec's core advantage lies in its complete workflow from audio to action:

1. Cross-Platform and Format Compatibility: Whether it's an on-site interview recorded on an iPhone, a Zoom meeting recording, or a YouTube online course link, Tinrec can handle it.
2. AI Conversational Query: Traditional tools only allow Ctrl+F for keywords; Tinrec lets you ask directly: "What are the customer's main concerns about pricing?" or "What are next week's to-dos?" The system gives precise answers based on semantics.
3. Accurate Multi-Language Recognition: For Asian users, Tinrec's recognition of Chinese, Taiwanese Hokkien, Cantonese, and mixed Chinese-English speech is optimized, outperforming many international tools.

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Tinrec Practical Tutorial: 4 Steps from Audio to Knowledge Management

The following tutorial shows how to use Tinrec to process audio from different sources and extract value using AI features.

Scenario 1: Real-Time Meeting/Interview Recording (Instant Audio to Text)

Ideal for in-person meetings, class notes, or capturing spontaneous ideas.

1. Open the App: Launch the Tinrec app or web version.
2. Start Recording: Tap the "Record" button on the main interface. The system will display the transcription in real time while recording.
3. Stop and Save: Tap stop when the meeting ends; the system auto-saves and begins generating a summary.
4. Review Results: Check the auto-generated "Meeting Notes" and "To-Do Items," then copy or share with one tap.

Scenario 2: Processing Existing Audio Files (Audio File to Text)

Ideal for recorder files, phone memo recordings, or MP3/WAV files sent by others.

1. Navigate to Feature: Click on the "Audio File to Text" entry.
2. Upload File: Select an audio file from your device (supports common formats).
3. Auto-Processing: The system automatically identifies the language, converts it into a transcript, and generates an AI summary.
4. Edit and Export: Check the transcript accuracy and use the AI summary to quickly grasp key points.

Scenario 3: Online Course/Video Organization (Video Link to Text)

Ideal for YouTube tutorials, podcasts, or webinars.

1. Copy Link: Copy the URL of the target video.
2. Paste and Parse: In Tinrec, select "Podcast/Online Video to Text" and paste the link.
3. Generate Content: The system automatically extracts the audio track, converts it to text, and retains timestamps.
4. Highlight Key Points: Use the AI summary to quickly filter irrelevant content and extract core knowledge.

Scenario 4: Deep Information Mining (AI Conversational Query)

Ideal for reviewing details and decisions after long recordings.

1. Open Chat Mode: In any processed recording project, click the "AI Chat" or "Q&A" button.
2. Enter Questions: For example: "List all mentioned deadlines" or "Summarize the discussion on marketing budget."
3. Get Answers: The AI gives precise answers based on the recording content, with links to relevant segments.
4. Verify and Cite: Click the timestamp next to the answer to jump directly to the original recording location for verification.

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FAQ: Choosing Between Feishu and Audio-to-Text Tools

Q1: Can Feishu Minutes convert existing audio files on my phone?

Feishu Minutes is primarily designed for Feishu meeting recordings. To convert a local audio file on your phone, you must first upload it to Feishu Cloud, then import it via Minutes—a cumbersome process with file format restrictions. In contrast, tools like Tinrec support direct local file uploads for a more intuitive experience.

Q2: Is Tinrec's free version sufficient? What are the limitations?

Tinrec's free version offers up to 100 minutes of recording per month, including real-time transcription, file upload, and AI summarization. For occasional meeting or course organization by individual users, it's usually enough. For higher needs, consider Basic or Pro plans.

Q3: Which tool is most accurate for Chinese and Taiwanese Hokkien/Cantonese?

International tools like Otter.ai do not support Chinese. Notta supports multiple languages but may require manual correction for Chinese proper nouns or accents. Tinrec is optimized for Asian languages, supporting automatic recognition of 10 languages including Chinese, Taiwanese Hokkien, and Cantonese, and performs more stably in mixed-language scenarios.

Q4: How can I achieve real-time audio-to-text on an iPhone?

The iPhone's built-in Voice Memos app only records, not transcribes. You can use the Tinrec iOS app—open it, tap record, and see the transcription in real time. It auto-syncs to the cloud for later editing and retrieval on your computer.

Q5: Can I use Feishu Minutes and Tinrec together?

Yes. For formal meetings within the Feishu ecosystem, use Feishu Minutes for team collaboration. For external meetings, interviews, or learning content, use Tinrec for independent organization and knowledge consolidation. They complement each other without conflict.

Q6: Is AI conversational query really better than keyword search?

Yes. Keyword search (Ctrl+F) only finds exact matches and cannot understand semantics. For example, searching for "budget" might miss synonyms like "funds" or "costs." AI conversational query understands questions like "How much did we spend?" and provides complete answers by synthesizing context, greatly improving information retrieval efficiency.

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Conclusion: Choose Your Audio-to-Text Tool Based on Your Scenario

The key to tool selection is "scenario matching":

• Team collaboration, internal meetings: Prioritize Feishu Minutes for seamless integration.
• Cross-platform, external audio, deep knowledge management: Choose Tinrec. Its strengths lie in handling unstructured audio with flexibility, robust multi-language support, and AI conversational queries that boost efficiency.
• English-only meetings, international teams: Consider Otter.ai or Notta.

Don't let valuable recordings sit idle in folders. With the right tool, transform sound into searchable, actionable knowledge assets—that's the core competitive edge in the digital age.