Create a note from a transcript

Once you have a transcript, Oudden can turn it into an editable note using the selected template. You choose when to generate it. Stopping a recording or finishing an audio import does not generate a note automatically. This guide applies to meetings, interviews, lectures and other audio recordings.

Prepare the transcript

1. Stop the meeting recording and wait for processing to finish. If you imported an audio file, wait for its transcription to complete.
2. Check that the transcript contains the conversation you want to summarise.
3. Open the note where that transcript is stored.

If the transcript is empty or one side is missing, use the checks in Work with a transcript first. Generating a note cannot recover speech that was not recorded.

Choose a template

Open the template selector below the note title and choose a suitable template. You can use an available standard template or your own saved one. The template guides how the conversation is organised into a note.

The four built-in formats are:

• Meeting Notes: an overview, discussion points, decisions, open questions and action items.
• One-on-One: priorities, progress, support, mutual feedback and commitments.
• Project Sync: current status, decisions, risks, milestones and action items.
• Customer Discovery: the customer’s context, workflow, needs, words, concerns and next steps.

To adapt a format or create your own, see Create and customise a note template. For help with its wording, see Write instructions for a template.

Selecting a different template does not rewrite an existing note by itself. Use the generation action to get a new result.

Generate the note

Click Generate note and wait for the result. Oudden uses the completed transcript and selected template, including its meeting context and section instructions. The generated title and content appear in the note editor. Manually written note text is not the source for this generation. To ask AI to change that text, use chat.

If the note already contains text, Oudden asks before generating a replacement. Read the warning: continuing replaces the title and all note content, including your own written notes. Cancel if you want to keep them unchanged, or copy anything you need before continuing.

Speech recognition runs locally, but note generation uses an online AI service. You need a network connection and an available AI allowance on your plan. Free audio transcription does not mean unlimited AI generation; see plans for the current terms.

Review and edit

While the note is being generated, its title and content cannot be edited.

Read the result before sharing it. Check names, decisions, deadlines and who is responsible for each action. You can edit the text in the note editor, add headings or lists, and turn action items into a checklist.

The original transcript remains available in its own view. Switch back to check a statement against the conversation. Changes to the note do not rewrite that transcript.

Generate again

You can choose another template or generate the note again after continuing the meeting recording. Stop recording first, then use Regenerate note.

If the note contains text, confirm the replacement only when you are ready to replace your current version. To undo the body replacement while the same editor remains open, click inside the note body and press ⌘Z on macOS or Ctrl+Z on Windows. This does not restore the previous title; change the title separately if needed.

Adding more speech or changing the template does not automatically update previously generated notes.

If generation fails

• Check that recording or audio import has finished and the transcript is not empty.
• Check the connection and any AI allowance message shown by Oudden.
• If Oudden says the transcript is too long, it cannot generate a note from it in one pass.
• The note was saved but could not be displayed: click Retry in the note to load the saved result. This does not start another AI generation.
• If the problem persists, contact support with the error message. You do not need to send your meeting content to describe the issue.

Related guides

• How to record a meeting
• Transcribe an audio file
• Work with a transcript
• Meeting recording settings
• Create and format notes
• Create and edit notes with AI
• Share a note and manage access
• Copy and export notes