Real-time meeting summarization

Real-time meeting summarization is the continuous condensing of a live conversation into an at-a-glance summary while the meeting is still happening — as opposed to post-meeting summarization, which produces a recap after the call ends.

How it works

A real-time summarizer:

1. Captures audio continuously — ideally the computer’s system audio, so no bot has to join the call.
2. Transcribes incrementally using streaming speech-to-text, producing interim results within seconds.
3. Summarizes on a rolling basis, re-condensing the conversation as it evolves so the summary always reflects the present moment. The best implementations show a rolling summary at several resolutions at once — the last few seconds, the last few minutes, and the whole call.

Why it matters

Post-meeting notes are great for recall and sharing, but they don’t help you in the moment — when you’ve lost the thread and need to respond. Real-time summarization is what lets you catch up the instant your name is called.

Real-time vs post-meeting summarization

	Real-time	Post-meeting
When you see it	During the call	After the call
Best for	In-the-moment awareness	Recall & sharing
Example	Canary	Otter, Granola, Fathom