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Yes, Microsoft Copilot can transcribe meetings and audio—but with some important conditions. Copilot itself doesn’t directly turn recordings into text. Instead, it integrates with Microsoft Teams and Word, which already have transcription features. In Teams, for example, if a meeting is recorded or transcription is enabled, Copilot can use that text to generate summaries, action items, unanswered questions, and more.

If you need a professional service, you can choose third-party transcription tools like VOMO, which can transcribe both audio and video and also provide AI-powered summaries.

How Copilot Handles Audio to Text

When you enable transcription in Microsoft Teams, the platform generates a real-time transcript of the conversation. Copilot builds on top of that transcript, allowing you to ask questions like “What decisions were made?” or “What tasks were assigned?”. This makes Copilot a practical audio to text assistant, as it doesn’t just transcribe but also interprets and summarizes the content.

If no one turns on transcription (or Copilot itself) during the meeting, there is no transcript for Copilot to analyze afterward. In such cases, you’d only have the option of manually creating notes or uploading a separate transcript into another AI tool.

Copilot in Teams Meetings: User vs. Admin Settings

Using Copilot in Teams requires some setup:

• User settings: If you have a Copilot license, you can enable Copilot during your meetings. You can decide whether it worksonly during the meeting(temporary transcript) orduring and after the meeting(persistent transcript).
• Admin policies: Administrators control the default policies in Teams Admin Center underMeetings > Meeting Policies. These settings can override user choices, meaning admins decide whether transcripts are saved, temporary, or disabled altogether.

Policies affect whether Copilot can remain active after a meeting or is restricted to live-only use. For example:

• On with saved transcript required (default)– Copilot always runs with transcription, and transcripts persist after the meeting.
• On with transcript saved by default– Copilot and transcription are available by default, but organizers can switch them off.
• On– Copilot runs only during meetings, with temporary transcripts that disappear once the meeting ends.
• Off– Copilot is disabled by default, though organizers may override this for specific meetings.

What Happens to Meeting Transcripts?

When transcription is enabled, Teams stores transcripts in the meeting organizer’s OneDrive (instead of Exchange Online, as was the case before late 2024). These transcripts can be shared internally with attendees but not automatically with external participants.

If Copilot is running during the meeting, it relies on this transcript for all its insights. Without a transcript, Copilot cannot generate notes or answer post-meeting questions.

Copilot Without a Transcript

Interestingly, you can still use Copilot in Teams meetings even if recording and transcription are disabled. In this case, Copilot processes temporary speech-to-text data in real time. This allows you to ask Copilot for summaries or action items during the meeting only. However, once the meeting ends, all temporary data is discarded, and Copilot will not appear in the Recap tab.

This option is useful for confidential meetings where you want AI assistance but don’t want transcripts stored long-term.

Does Copilot Transcribe Meetings?

Yes, Copilot can help transcribe meetings, but it works in combination with Microsoft Teams. When you record a Teams meeting, the platform automatically generates a live transcript. Copilot then uses that transcript to summarize key points, highlight action items, and create structured meeting notes. While Copilot itself does not capture audio, it enhances Microsoft’s built-in transcription feature by turning raw transcripts into clear, useful content.

Copilot vs. Other Transcription Tools

Compared with dedicated transcription software, Copilot’s strength lies in integration. While specialized tools may support multiple formats or more advanced editing, Copilot keeps everything inside Microsoft 365. It pairs transcription with advanced summarization, making it easier to repurpose transcripts into documents, presentations, or even video to text workflows for training or content creation.

FAQs About Copilot Transcription in Teams

Does Copilot transcribe meetings automatically?
No. Someone must enable Copilot or transcription during the meeting. Without it, Copilot has no transcript to work from.

Can I use Copilot after a meeting?
Yes, if transcription was turned on and saved. Copilot can analyze and answer questions about the transcript later.

Can Copilot work without saving a transcript?
Yes. If set to Only during the meeting, Copilot uses temporary speech-to-text data. But this data is erased once the meeting ends.

Can external participants use Copilot?
No. External attendees cannot interact with Copilot, even if they are licensed.

Where are transcripts stored?
Persistent transcripts are saved in the meeting organizer’s OneDrive, not in Exchange Online.

Does Copilot use meeting content to train AI models?
No. Copilot does not use your meeting data to train its models.

Final Thoughts: Should You Use Copilot for Meeting Transcriptions?

If you are already in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, Copilot is a convenient way to go beyond simple transcription. It transforms raw meeting transcripts into actionable notes, summaries, and insights. However, it requires proper setup and depends on Teams’ recording/transcription policies.

For organizations that need more flexible transcription across platforms, pairing Copilot with third-party services like VOMO offers the best of both worlds: reliable transcription plus advanced AI summarization.