In short
Recording client calls on a Mac works best as a routine: settle permission and storage before the call, record cleanly during it, and after it send what was agreed and delete what you do not need. This checklist goes through each stage.
It works with any recorder; where Notey does a step, it says so.
Before the call
1. Check what the client has agreed to
- Read the contract and any NDA for anything about recordings, transcription, AI tools or where client data may be stored. Some clients forbid third-party transcription services or cloud storage outside a region.
- Check the client's own policy if they have given you one. Large clients often have a rule on notetaker bots in particular.
- Check your own organisation's policy if you work for one.
If a contract says client conversations must not be processed by an outside transcription service, that rules out a large part of the market and points to transcription on your own machine. Where does meeting audio go? has the questions to ask of any tool.
2. Ask for permission
Ask in writing when you send or accept the invite, and again out loud at the start. Something like: "I'd like to record our calls so my notes are accurate. The recording stays on my laptop and I delete the audio after two weeks. Is that all right?" Write down that they agreed. How to ask for consent to record has more wording and what to do when someone says no.
3. Decide retention now
Decide how long you keep the audio, the transcript and the notes, and say so when you ask. The audio usually has the shortest life.
4. Set up the Mac
- Headphones. On speakers your microphone also hears the client, and on a two-track recording their words end up on your side.
- The right microphone. Check the call app's microphone setting and System Settings › Sound › Input. They can disagree after you connect a headset.
- Avoid a Bluetooth microphone if transcripts matter. Many headsets drop to a lower-quality mode when their microphone is in use; listen on the headset and speak into the Mac.
- A ten-second test before an important call. Play it back and listen for both sides.
During the call
5. Start the recording, and say so
With Notey, which records your microphone and your Mac's audio as two separate tracks on the Mac:
- Join the call. In Zoom, Teams, Slack, FaceTime, or a call in Chrome, Safari, Arc or Edge, Notey's floating button says the call has started and asks whether to record. In other apps, press Start.
- Choose Allow once the client has agreed. Nothing is saved before that.
- Check the red dot and the elapsed timer in the menu bar. They show only on your screen — the client sees nothing — which is why step 2 of this checklist is not optional.
If you arm the next call in advance, it covers one call and lapses after an hour. If you record from a calendar, the next meeting Notey will record is shown on Home with Turn off beside it. Both are useful for back-to-back client days, and neither replaces asking.
6. Note decisions, not sentences
With a recording running you do not need to transcribe by hand. Write down decisions, numbers you will need to check, and commitments with a name and a date. Client meeting notes has a template.
7. Stop when the client part ends
If the call continues into an internal debrief after the client leaves, stop the recording first, or start a separate one. It keeps the client's record to the client's conversation.
After the call
8. Read the transcript before you rely on it
Names, numbers and jargon are where every recogniser makes mistakes. Check them against what you heard. For English calls, Notey reads the recording again on your Mac and keeps the words the recognisers agree on after the call, unless you have already edited the transcript.
9. Write up and send what was agreed
A short follow-up email confirming decisions and open questions is often the most useful thing a recording produces. With an account and a paid plan, Notey can draft a summary with action items, minutes or a follow-up email from the transcript. Only the transcript's text is sent to do this, never the audio. Everything the AI wrote is labelled as AI-generated, and your edits are marked. Read and correct it before it goes to the client.
To send it, export the note as Markdown to the clipboard and paste it into your email.
10. Delete on schedule
Apply the retention period you decided in step 3. In Notey, deleting a meeting removes its recording, transcript and notes, and with sync on, from every one of your Macs. You cannot yet delete only the audio and keep the transcript, so export the text first if you want it. Sync never uploads recordings, not even encrypted; they stay on the Mac that made them.
11. Be ready to answer the client
Clients may ask what you hold about a call. Know where your recordings are, how to find a meeting, and how to delete it on request. With Notey the recordings and transcripts are on your Mac; nothing goes to a transcription service, and with no account nothing leaves the Mac at all.
The checklist on one screen
- Contract, NDA and client policy checked for recording and AI.
- Permission asked in writing and at the start; agreement noted.
- Retention decided and stated.
- Headphones on, microphone checked, ten-second test done.
- Recording started after agreement; indicator checked.
- Decisions and commitments noted, not sentences.
- Recording stopped before any internal debrief.
- Transcript checked for names and numbers.
- Follow-up sent, AI-drafted parts read and labelled.
- Audio deleted on schedule.
- Able to find and delete any call on request.
For how different call apps handle their own recorders, start with how to record a Zoom meeting on a Mac. Consultants will find more on building this into a working week in AI notes for consultants.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need my client's permission to record a call?
In many places the law requires everyone's agreement, and even where it does not, clients' contracts and policies often say something about recordings. Ask every time, and keep a note that they agreed.
Should I keep the audio of a client call?
Only as long as you need it. Many people keep the notes and the transcript and delete the audio once the notes are checked. Decide the period before you start, and tell the client.
Can I send the client an AI summary of our call?
Yes, once you have read and corrected it. Say that it was drafted with AI; Notey labels everything its AI wrote and marks the parts you edited, and the labels go with an exported note.
What if the client uses its own notetaker bot?
That is their decision about their recording. Whether you also record is a separate question, and you should ask it separately.