To transcribe a town hall meeting, send the full recording to the Potok bot on Telegram with speaker labels and timestamps on. Files up to 2 GB work, enough for an evening of debate. Then read the draft against the audio before it becomes a public record.
Transcribe a recording
Send your voice message, audio or video to @potok_now_bot on Telegram and the text comes back in the chat.
Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram
Files up to 2 GB · export to TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, SRT and VTT · speaker labels and timestamps · about 30 languages
Key facts
- Public records need care: a published transcript can be quoted back at the council, so wrong words matter.
- Many speakers means numbered labels will multiply, and residents who step up to the microphone need names from the sign-in sheet.
- Crosstalk during heated moments is where the draft is weakest and where most fixes are needed.
How to do it
- Use the official recording. If the council publishes video, take that file. It usually has the cleanest sound from the room system.
- Gather the speaker list. Get the agenda, the council roster and the sign-in sheet. You will match names to labels from these.
- Open the bot. Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram and start a chat with it.
- Switch on labels and timestamps. Do it before sending. A three-hour meeting is unusable without times to jump to.
- Send the file. Attach the recording. For a very large file, up to 2 GB, use the Upload button of the bot's mini app.
- Add agenda headings. Use the timestamps to split the text by agenda item, so readers can go straight to the vote or topic they care about.
- Name speakers and fix votes. Replace labels with names where you are sure. Check vote counts and motions by ear.
- Publish with a notice. Export PDF or DOCX and add a line saying the text was produced from the recording and may contain errors.
What the result looks like
[01:12] Speaker 1: We will now take public comment. Please state your street and keep to three minutes.
[01:20] Speaker 2: I live on Mill Road, and the new crossing has not solved the problem.
[01:29] Speaker 3: Thank you. The traffic office will respond in writing.
Sample text written by us to show the layout of a transcript. It is not the output of the recognition engine and not a real recording.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Where it works | Telegram bot @potok_now_bot; large files go through the bot's mini app |
| File size | Up to 2 GB |
| Export | TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, SRT, VTT |
| Speakers and time | Speaker labels and timestamps can be switched on |
| Languages | About 30 languages with good published results; a few more with warnings |
| Translation | The transcript is not translated into another language |
| Dictation | A separate Potok desktop app lets you dictate text into any program; it recognises Russian speech |
Common mistakes
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Guessing a resident's name | A wrong name attached to a statement can cause real harm. | Use the sign-in sheet or leave the label as an unnamed resident. |
| Posting the raw draft | Errors in votes and figures become part of the public record. | Check every motion, vote and number against the audio. |
| Ignoring overlapping voices | Speakers who talk at once are merged or dropped. | Mark those spots as unclear and listen again. |
| Skipping the agenda structure | A giant block of text is hard to search. | Add a heading for each agenda item with its start time. |
More
See the full list of languages, the tools and the glossary.
Frequently asked questions
Can a transcript be an official record?
Only if your body says so. Treat the bot's output as a draft and have a clerk check it before it is published.
How do I manage so many speakers?
Switch on labels, then map each number to a name using the agenda and sign-in sheet. Leave unknown speakers unnamed.
What is the best file to send?
The official recording with the room audio feed. Phone captures from the back of the hall give poorer words.
Can I split the meeting by topic?
Yes. Use timestamps to add a heading for each agenda item after the transcript is ready.
Which export is easiest to publish?
PDF fixes the layout for a website, and DOCX is useful while the clerk makes edits.
Sources
Each source was opened by hand on the date shown. Pages change, so open the source if a detail matters to you.
- Transcript (law) (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked
- Crosstalk (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked
Try it on your own recording
Send your voice message, audio or video to @potok_now_bot on Telegram and the text comes back in the chat.
Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram