# Record a meeting

Start and stop from the Library, menu-bar panel, Dock or keyboard, and find Settings.

## Before the conversation

Make sure recording is appropriate and everyone has the notice or consent the conversation requires. Complete [setup](/docs/getting-started/) first. After changing audio devices, make a short test and listen back.

TapScribe captures audio playing on the Mac. Silence unrelated apps and notifications where practical so their sounds do not enter the recording.

Open TapScribe from **Applications** or the **Dock**. Once it is running, you can control the same recording from any of the places below. Starting in one place does not prevent you from stopping in another.

## Choose your recording control

| Place | Start | Stop |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Library | **Record meeting** in the toolbar or empty Library | **Stop recording** beside the timer |
| Menu-bar panel (HUD) | Click the waveform in the Mac menu bar, then the round record button | Click the square stop button in that panel |
| Menu-bar shortcut menu | Right-click or Control-click the waveform, then **Record** | **Stop Recording** in the same menu |
| Dock shortcut menu | Right-click the TapScribe Dock icon, then **Record** | **Stop Recording** in the same menu |
| Keyboard | **Control–Command–R (⌃⌘R)** | Press **Control–Command–R** again |

## Record from the Library

1. Open TapScribe from Applications or click its Dock icon to bring up the Library. You can also choose **Open Library** in the menu-bar panel or its shortcut menu.
2. Choose **Record meeting** in the Library toolbar. A new, empty Library also offers a prominent **Record meeting** button.
3. Wait for the recording timer to advance. To check the live **Me** and **Them** audio meters, open the menu-bar panel as described below.
4. Return to your meeting app and keep TapScribe running.
5. At the end, return to the Library and choose **Stop recording** beside the timer.

**Start and Settings:** the toolbar’s **Record meeting** is at the top right; **Settings…** is at the bottom left. An empty Library also has a central record button.

Empty Library with Record meeting at the top right and in the centre, and Settings at the bottom left

**While recording:** the top-right control changes to the elapsed timer and **Stop recording**.

Library during recording with the timer and Stop recording at the top right, and Settings at the bottom left

## Record from the menu-bar panel

The compact panel is also called the **HUD**. It lets you record without keeping the Library window in front of your meeting.

1. Click the TapScribe waveform in the Mac menu bar to open the panel.
2. Click the large round record button. Wait for **Recording** and the elapsed timer; **Starting recording…** means capture is still starting.
3. Check the meters: **Me** is your microphone and **Them** is audio playing through your Mac. Speak to check Me, and listen for meeting audio while checking Them. A silent source will not show activity.
4. Click outside the panel to dismiss it and return to your conversation. Dismissing the panel does not stop recording.
5. Click the waveform again and click the square stop button when you are finished.

Choose **Open Library** in the panel to see your recordings. You can also select an item under **Recent** to open it in the Library. The gear button opens **Settings**.

**Start and Settings:** click the large circle at the top left to record. The gear at the top right opens Settings; **Open Library** is near the bottom.

Ready-to-record HUD with the circular record button at top left, Settings gear at top right and Open Library below Recent

**Stop:** during recording, the circle changes to a square. Click it to stop; the red dot and timer show that recording is in progress.

Recording HUD with a square stop button at top left, red recording indicator and timer, and Settings gear at top right

If a control says recording is unavailable, follow the displayed guidance before trying again. Check [permissions and audio](/docs/permissions-and-audio/), model setup, the recording folder or your [trial and licence](/docs/trial-and-licence/) as appropriate.

## Record from a shortcut menu

For a quick command without opening the panel, **right-click or Control-click the menu-bar waveform**, then choose **Record**. While recording, that command becomes **Stop Recording**.

You can also **right-click the TapScribe icon in the Dock** and choose **Record** or **Stop Recording**. Both menus include **Open Library** and **Settings…**. The Dock icon shows a **REC** badge during recording.

## Keyboard shortcuts

Press **Control–Command–R (⌃⌘R)** to start recording; press it again to stop. Hold Control and Command together, then press R. TapScribe must already be running. This is a system-wide shortcut, so you can use it while your meeting app is in front.

The shortcut toggles the current state. Check the Library timer or menu-bar panel if you are unsure whether recording has started before pressing it again.

Open **Settings → General → Shortcut** to see **Record / Stop**. **Restore Default Shortcut** restores Control–Command–R. If the shortcut does not respond, use the Library or panel controls and check whether another app is using the same keys.

When TapScribe is the active app, **Command–comma (⌘,)** opens Settings.

## Where to find Settings

You can open the same Settings window from any of these places:

- **Library:** choose **Settings…** beside the gear at the bottom of the sidebar.
- **Menu-bar panel:** click the gear button.
- **Menu-bar shortcut menu:** right-click or Control-click the waveform and choose **Settings…**.
- **Dock:** right-click the TapScribe icon and choose **Settings…**.
- **App menu:** bring TapScribe to the front, then choose **TapScribe → Settings…**, or press **⌘,**.

Use **General** for the recording shortcut and opening at login, **Storage** for the recordings folder, **Workflow** for automatic transcript exports, and **Updates** for update checks. **About** shows the version and build to include in a support request.

## Stop and transcribe

1. Stop with any recording control above. All of them stop the same active recording.
2. Keep TapScribe running while transcription runs on your Mac.
3. Open the Library and select the completed recording when it is ready.
4. Play back an important passage and check the transcript before relying on exact wording.

Closing the Library window or dismissing the HUD does not quit TapScribe or stop recording. Use a stop control explicitly. If you try to quit during a recording, TapScribe asks whether to **Stop Recording and Quit** or **Keep Recording**. For the normal workflow, stop first and wait for transcription to finish before quitting.

Recording and transcription are separate jobs. A queued or transcribing earlier meeting does not mean a new recording is already underway; check the live recording indicator for the current capture.

## Send the transcript into your workflow

Keep the original recording in TapScribe and send a separate Markdown transcript to an Obsidian vault or another processing folder. Set the destination in **Settings → Workflow** and enable automatic export before your next recording. Follow [Export transcripts](/docs/exporting-transcripts/) for the complete setup, manual exports and recovery steps.

## Name the recording

Select the recording and use the pencil beside its title, or right-click its row and choose **Rename**. Give it a useful project or meeting name without exposing sensitive details unnecessarily. Changing a title does not automatically rewrite a Markdown copy already exported to another folder.

## If you cannot find the result

Check the Library and the current recording location under **Settings → Storage**. A change of storage location changes the library being shown; it does not move previous recordings. See [Storage and privacy](/docs/storage-and-privacy/) before moving or deleting folders. For a problem you cannot resolve, [report it to support](/support/#report-a-bug).

Source: https://tapscribe.app/docs/record-a-meeting/

Download and requirements: https://tapscribe.app/download/