So you’ve got a pile of old meeting recordings—maybe from Zoom, Teams, or some mystery folder called “2022-Meetings-BACKUP.” Now you want to bring them into Otter so you can search, share, and actually use all that stuff instead of letting it rot on a hard drive. This guide walks through every step, from prepping files to actually organizing transcripts. Whether you’re dealing with ten files or hundreds, you’ll know what’s worth your time (and what isn’t).
This is for anyone who’s got legacy meeting audio or video and wants to make Otter actually useful—without losing days to busywork.
Step 1: Figure Out What You’ve Got
Before you even open Otter, you need to know what you’re working with.
- Inventory your recordings. Are these audio files (.mp3, .wav, .m4a) or video files (.mp4, .mov)? Otter can handle both, but audio-only is faster to process.
- Check sizes and lengths. Otter’s import process can choke on huge files or multi-hour recordings. If you have a handful of monster files, consider breaking them up (more on that later).
- Ditch the junk. Not every call needs to be preserved forever. Get rid of duplicates, test calls, or anything that’s just background noise.
Pro tip: If you’re pulling from Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet, try exporting meeting metadata (like date, title, and participants). This’ll save time later.
Step 2: Prep Your Files
A little prep goes a long way. Here’s what to do before importing:
- Rename files clearly. “2023-03-14 Sales Kickoff.mp4” is way better than “Recording (5).mp4.”
- Organize into folders. Set up folders by year, project, or team—whatever makes sense for you. This keeps batch uploads sane.
- Trim giant recordings. Otter can technically handle long files, but anything over 2 hours gets slow and messy. Use a free tool like Audacity or QuickTime to chop up marathon meetings.
- Convert to supported formats. Otter works best with .mp3, .wav, .m4a, .mp4, and .mov. If you’ve got some weird format, use a free converter (don’t buy anything for this).
What to ignore: Don’t waste time obsessively tagging every file or adding metadata right now. You’ll do that inside Otter after import.
Step 3: Import Recordings Into Otter
Now you’re ready to bring everything into Otter. The exact steps depend on your plan:
For Otter Basic (Free) Users
- You can only import audio (not video), and there’s a hard limit on minutes per month.
- If you hit the monthly cap, you’ll have to wait or upgrade.
For Otter Pro, Business, or Enterprise
- You can import both audio and video files.
- Higher monthly limits, but still not unlimited. Check your quota.
How to Import
- Log into Otter and go to “My Conversations.”
- Click the “Import” button (usually at the top right).
- Drag and drop your files, or select them one by one.
- Otter will process the audio and generate transcripts.
Batch importing: You can select multiple files at once, but don’t go crazy—Otter can get bogged down if you dump in 50+ files at the same time. Do it in batches of 10–20.
Heads up: Otter doesn’t support importing folders directly, so you have to select files. Annoying, but not a dealbreaker.
Pro tip: If you care about dates, Otter uses the import date, not the recording date. You’ll have to manually adjust or add context in titles/notes.
Step 4: Organize and Clean Up Transcripts
Once your files are processed, Otter will generate transcripts. This is where the real work starts.
Naming and Sorting
- Rename transcripts. The imported file name becomes the transcript title. Edit these so they’re clear and searchable (“Q1 Review with Marketing” beats “Recording.mp4”).
- Add keywords or tags. Otter doesn’t have true tags, but you can add keywords to the title or summary for better searchability.
- Use folders. Create folders in Otter that match your import structure—by project, team, client, or year.
Editing Transcripts
Otter’s AI is decent, but not perfect—especially with older, low-quality audio.
- Skim for big errors. Don’t try to fix every “um” and “uh.” Just make sure names, action items, and key points are accurate.
- Add speaker names. If Otter botched the speaker labels, fix the most important ones. Don’t obsess over every line.
- Highlight important sections. Use Otter’s highlight tool for decisions, tasks, or anything you’ll need to find fast later.
What to skip: Don’t waste time formatting transcripts or fixing every typo unless you’re publishing them. If it’s just for internal reference, “good enough” is fine.
Step 5: Make It Findable (and Actually Useful)
What’s the point of importing all this if you can’t find anything later?
- Use Otter’s search. It’s actually pretty good. Searching for keywords, phrases, or names usually works—assuming your transcripts are named and cleaned up.
- Share with your team. You can share folders or individual transcripts. If others need access, set permissions now (don’t wait until you’re drowning in requests).
- Pin or star key conversations. For truly important meetings, pin them or keep them in a dedicated “Must Reference” folder.
Limitations to know:
- Otter’s organization tools are basic. No nested folders, no true tagging. You have to work with what’s there.
- Search depends on transcript quality. If the audio is bad or the meeting was chaos, even Otter’s AI can’t save you.
Step 6: Triage and Iterate
Don’t try to wrangle every old recording in one go.
- Start with the most valuable meetings. Import and organize those first.
- Take breaks. This process takes time, especially if you have hundreds of files. Don’t burn out.
- Review what’s working. After importing a batch, see what’s actually useful and what’s just noise. Adjust your process as you go.
What to ignore: Don’t fall for the myth that every meeting needs to be saved, transcribed, and perfectly organized. Focus on what helps you (and your team) do actual work.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Stay Sane
Getting your legacy meetings into Otter isn’t magic, but it’s not rocket science either. Focus on the stuff you’ll actually reference. Don’t chase perfection—just aim for “findable and useful.” You can always clean up more later, but you’ll never get back the hours lost to over-organizing.
Keep it simple, take it step by step, and remember: clutter is the enemy. Happy organizing.