Every business call tells a story. dialnote's call recording captures those stories so you can train new team members, resolve disputes, and keep your quality standards high. Recordings are automatically transcribed and summarized by AI, turning hours of audio into searchable, actionable insights.
Setting Up Call Recording#
Call recording is configured per phone number. Go to Settings → Phone Numbers, select a number, and open the Recording section. Changes save automatically as you make them.
The Recording section has two controls:
- Auto-record calls – Records every call to and from this number automatically. This is on by default when a number is created, so turn it off if you don't want automatic recordings.
- Call recording notification – Alerts participants when recording starts or stops. Turn it on, then pick a style for inbound and outbound calls separately.
Who can change recording settings
Only the number's owner (and your org's owner or admin) can edit recording settings. People with Call & text or View only access see the controls but can't change them.
AI transcription, summaries, and tags are separate toggles that live in the AI & Intelligence section of the same settings page — not in the Recording section. See AI transcription for how those work.
Recording Notifications#
Most regions require you to tell callers that a call is being recorded. When the notification toggle is on, dialnote offers two styles you can set independently for inbound and outbound calls:
| Style | What Participants Hear |
|---|---|
| Voice-based notification | A spoken message announcing the call may be recorded |
| Audio tone notification | A beep before recording begins |
For example, you might use a voice announcement for incoming customer calls but an audio tone for outbound sales calls. To play no notification at all, leave the Call recording notification toggle off — but check your local laws first.
Compliance note
Recording laws vary by location. Some regions require all-party consent, meaning everyone on the call must agree to be recorded. Check your local regulations and consult legal counsel if you're unsure.
Manual Recording During Calls#
If auto-record is off, you can still record individual calls manually. During an active call, click the Record button in the call controls. You'll see a recording indicator, and participants hear the configured notification.
The Record button changes as you use it:
- Not recording – a circle icon. Click to start recording.
- Recording – a red pause icon. Click to pause.
- Paused – an amber play icon. Click to resume.
Pausing instead of stopping keeps everything as a single recording, so you don't end up with multiple files for one call. This is handy when a caller needs to share sensitive details like a credit card number — pause the recording, take the info, then resume.
Manual recording is useful when you don't need every call recorded but want to capture specific conversations, like a complex support case or an important sales negotiation.
Accessing Your Recordings#
After a call ends, the recording appears in the conversation thread in your Inbox. Click the play button to listen directly in the browser. A progress bar lets you scrub through the audio.
Each recording shows:
- Duration – Total length of the call
- Transcript – Click to view the AI-generated transcript with speaker labels
- Summary – A quick overview with key points and action items
- Tags – AI-assigned categories based on the call content
Recordings are stored securely and associated with the contact's conversation history. This means you can review past calls when preparing for follow-ups or resolving customer issues.
AI Transcription and Summaries#
When AI Transcription is enabled, dialnote processes recordings automatically after each call. The transcript includes:
- Speaker identification – Labels for each participant (Caller, Agent, etc.)
- Timestamps – Time markers for easy navigation
- Searchable text – Find specific moments by searching keywords
AI Summaries take it further. After transcription completes, dialnote generates a brief summary highlighting what was discussed, decisions made, and any follow-up items. This saves you from listening to entire calls just to find one piece of information.
Processing time
Transcription typically completes within a few minutes after the call ends. Longer calls may take a bit more time. You'll see a "Transcribing..." indicator while processing is in progress.
Conference Call Recordings#
When you add participants to a call, dialnote records each participant individually. This per-participant recording means the AI can accurately identify who said what during transcription—even in a busy three-way call.
Conference recordings work the same way as regular recordings. They show up in the conversation thread, get transcribed automatically (if enabled), and support pause/resume controls.
Recording Storage and Retention#
dialnote stores recordings securely and serves them through a protected streaming endpoint. You can play back any recording directly in the browser with full scrubbing controls, and the audio is delivered in MP3 format.
Recordings are accessible as long as your account is active. Each recording is tied to its conversation, so your team can always find the right audio when reviewing a contact's history.
Pro tip
Use the search feature in your Inbox to find specific calls by keyword. Since AI transcription converts recordings to text, you can search for what was said—not just who called or when.
What's Next#
- AI transcription – Turn recordings into searchable text, summaries, and tags
- Number settings – All per-number options, including recording, in one place
- Making calls – In-call controls, including the record button
- Voicemail – Capture calls you can't answer