Fathom Review: The Best AI Tool for Instant Meeting Recaps?

Imagine walking out of a meeting and instantly having a clear, concise summary in your inbox without jotting down a single note. No more scrambling to recall key points or wishing you had a better memory. Sounds like a dream, right? That’s exactly what Fathom AI delivers.

The average professional spends around 5 hours and 6 minutes per week in meetings and nearly 4 hours preparing for them. That’s almost 10 hours a week dedicated to meeting-related activities! With Fathom, you can reclaim that time and focus on what really matters: engaging in conversations and driving results.

Fathom AI is a game-changing AI meeting assistant that automatically records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings with impressive accuracy. It works seamlessly with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, so you never miss a critical detail again!

In this Fathom review, I’ll discuss the pros and cons, what it is, who it’s best for, and its key features. Then, I’ll show you how to use Fathom AI to record your meetings. I’ll finish the article by comparing Fathom with my top three alternatives (MeetGeek, Otter.ai, and Fireflies.ai).

But is Fathom the right tool for you? Let’s dive in to help you decide!

Verdict

Fathom AI is a powerful meeting assistant that automatically records, transcribes, and summarizes conversations to help professionals stay focused and save time. While its seamless integrations, unlimited recordings, and AI insights make it stand out, its reliance on live meetings and potential privacy concerns may be drawbacks for some.

What is Fathom?

Fathom AI is an intelligent meeting assistant that was founded by Richard White and a team of AI specialists. The company has secured significant funding (including a $17 million Series A round in 2024) to develop its AI-powered meeting tools. Their core mission? Helping professionals focus on conversations instead of note-taking.

The first time I used Fathom, I was skeptical. Would it really capture everything accurately? But the value proposition became crystal clear when I could fully engage with others during my meetings while Fathom quietly did its thing in the background.

How the AI Transcription & Summarization Works

Fathom uses advanced natural language processing (NLP) to transcribe your entire meeting in real time with high accuracy, typically between 85% and 90%. But it doesn’t stop at transcription! The AI analyzes the conversation and identifies key points and action items made during the meeting.

What impresses me most is how it distinguishes between casual discussion and actual important content. This is particularly useful in maintaining focus on critical information while minimizing distractions.

Fathom’s AI assistant, called “Ask Fathom,” lets you interact with their call recordings, ask questions about the meeting content, and generate insights. This feature helps you quickly extract important information and even write follow-up emails based on the meeting content.

The platform offers customizable summary templates to tailor the output to your specific needs. Fathom also automatically syncs meeting summaries and tasks to integrated CRM systems, streamlining post-meeting workflows.

Last but not least, Fathom offers features like video recording and clip sharing. It goes beyond just transcription and summarization!

Supported Platforms & Integrations

Fathom integrates seamlessly with most major video conferencing platforms, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet. You simply connect Fathom to your calendar, and it automatically joins scheduled meetings as a participant.

After the meeting, it creates a comprehensive summary. No more digging through pages of messy notes!

If you find yourself missing important details or wasting time writing post-meeting summaries, Fathom might be the solution you need. The time you’ll save is worth the subscription fee!

Who is Fathom Best For?

Fathom AI is best for those needing AI meeting transcription and summarization capabilities. Here are some of the key user groups:

• Professionals can use Fathom AI to record, transcribe, and summarize key discussions from Zoom calls for better productivity.
• Students can use Fathom AI to take notes during online classes and study sessions for improved learning.
• Researchers can use Fathom AI to capture and organize insights from interviews and virtual conferences.
• Content Creators can use Fathom AI to extract key ideas and quotes from virtual interviews and brainstorming sessions.
• Remote Workers can use Fathom AI to enhance communication and productivity in virtual meetings.
• Teams can use Fathom AI to align on decisions and action items to improve their collaboration.
• Consultants, Salespeople, and Customer Success Teams can use Fathom AI to accurately document meetings and close more deals.

Fathom Key Features

Fathom AI is a powerful AI meeting assistant that boosts productivity and streamlines communication. Here are the key features you should be aware of:

• Transcription and Recording: Automatically records and transcribes meetings with high accuracy. It supports the most popular video conferencing platforms like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet.
• AI-Generated Summaries: Generates AI summaries highlighting key points and action items. You can choose from different summary templates in the settings.
• Ask Fathom: An AI assistant that lets you interact with call recordings, ask questions, request summaries, or generate follow-up emails. It’s like ChatGPT for your calls!
• Video Clips & Sharing: Create and share video clips from specific parts of meetings.
• CRM Integration: Automatically sync meeting summaries and tasks to integrated CRM systems like Slack, Salesforce, and HubSpot.
• Customization & Privacy: It offers customizable meeting templates and automatic meeting joining and recording preferences.
• Multi-Language Support: Supports 28 languages.

How to Use Fathom

Here’s how I used Fathom AI to record and share clips with colleagues:

1. Create a Free Fathom Account
2. Set Up Preferences
3. Download Fathom
4. Familiarize Yourself with the Dashboard
5. Connect Your Video Conferencing Platforms
6. Install the Chrome Extension
7. Add Fathom to Your Meetings
8. Access the Summary & Action Items
9. Share Clips with Colleagues

Step 1: Create a Free Fathom Account

I started by going to fathom.video and hitting the “Get Started” button.

Step 2: Set Up Preferences

Getting started with Fathom only takes a few minutes. After you sign up for your Google or Microsoft account and connect your calendar, Fathom will ask you about your preferences.

Choose whether you want Fathom to auto-record:

• All of the meetings in your calendar (most common)
• Only external meetings
• Record manually (app is required)

And share:

• Summary and recording (recommended for GDPR)
• Summary only
• Nothing

With attendees. Hit “Continue” when you’re happy with your preferences.

From there, Fathom will ask you about your role, the department you work in, and how you plan to use it.

Step 3: Download Fathom

You’ll then be able to download Fathom to your device to start using it. It doesn’t take long!

Step 4: Familiarize Yourself with the Dashboard

Once your account is created, you can access your dashboard online. This is where you can get helpful resources and view your calls. I was pleasantly surprised by how clean the interface was.

One thing that confused me initially was finding my meeting templates. They were tucked away in the settings menu instead of being front and center.

These templates help streamline meetings by providing a structured format for note-taking and summaries. There are plenty of templates to choose from, including sales, customer success, or just general.

You’ll also be able to create shareable playlists of highlights from your calls. This helps organize feedback from multiple meetings, capture key moments, and share customer testimonials.

Next to playlists is Alerts, where you can get notified of important keywords and phrases mentioned in your team’s calls. You can immediately watch those parts of the call as they occur.

Step 5: Connect Your Video Conferencing Platforms

From your Fathom account, you’ll want to go to your settings to connect your video conferencing platforms, access premium features, and integrate apps. For video conference integration, Fathom offers a Chrome browser extension that takes no time to install.

The integration process with my regular meeting tools was effortless. Fathom connects with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet.

If you feel hesitant about giving access to your calendar, check their privacy policy.

Step 6: Install the Chrome Extension

If you’re using Google Meet, you can install the Chrome extension. Doing so will show a Fathom button in your Google Meet window where you can click it to start recording with Fathom!

Before your first meeting, there are a few setup requirements worth knowing about:

• For the best performance, Fathom recommends using a stable internet connection.
• Make sure your microphone permissions are enabled.
• The system works best when speakers identify themselves at the beginning of the meeting. This helps the AI accurately attribute comments to the right people.

Step 7: Add Fathom to Your Meetings

To add Fathom to your meetings, locate it on your desktop. It’ll be a blue icon with the Fathom logo. Double click to open it.

This will open a small window where you can hit “Add to Meeting” to paste your meeting URL for Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams. You’ll also be able to view your recordings and access general settings by hitting “Menu.”

Fathom will notify you of upcoming Zoom, Google Meets, or Teams meetings. Click “Join Meeting” to use Fathom on the call.

If you have the Google Meet extension enabled, Fathom will automatically request to join. You can choose whether or not you want to permit it on your call.

Once you’re on the call, click “Start Recording” to use Fathom on the call (unless you have auto record on).

Optionally, highlight or bookmark to flag important parts of the call.

Step 8: Access the Summary & Action Items

After your call, Fathom emails you the summary and action items. Click on any content to view that part of the meeting.

Within Fathom, you have full access to the recording, meeting summary, transcript, and action items.

Step 9: Share Clips with Colleagues

You can easily grab the share link from any highlight to share clips with colleagues via email or Slack.

All of this content is also organized in your dashboard. I’ve found the search functionality to be incredible. You can search for specific topics across all your meeting transcripts, which has saved me hours of digging through notes!

Overall, Fathom AI made it incredibly easy to get started with a smooth onboarding process and seamless integration with my existing meeting tools. The clean dashboard and powerful search functionality have saved me time, though I initially had trouble finding the meeting templates in the settings menu.

Top 3 Fathom Alternatives

Here are the best Fathom alternatives I’d recommend.

MeetGeek

Otter.ai

Fireflies.ai

Fathom Review: The Right Tool For You?

After using Fathom, I was impressed by its accuracy and how effortlessly it summarized key points. The ability to interact with my recordings using “Ask Fathom” added even more value.

Fathom is perfect if you’re juggling multiple meetings and struggling to keep up with notes. If you rely on post-meeting summaries or frequently revisit past discussions, this tool will save you time and mental energy!

However, if you need to transcribe pre-recorded audio or want more advanced analytics, you might want to explore these other options:

• MeetGeek.ai is best for teams needing AI insights and meeting analytics beyond transcription.
• Otter.ai is best for students, educators, and journalists who need an affordable transcription tool with note-taking capabilities.
• Fireflies.ai is best for sales teams and business professionals who want the most language and video conference platform support.

If you’re looking for an AI meeting assistant that helps you stay present while capturing every detail, it’s worth giving Fathom a try.

Thanks for reading my Fathom review! I hope you found it helpful.

Fathom offers a free plan with unlimited recordings, storage, and transcriptions. It’s an excellent choice for individuals or small teams seeking basic meeting documentation without incurring additional costs.

Try Fathom AI for yourself and see how you like it!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Fathom trustworthy?

Fathom AI is considered trustworthy with its security features. However, you’ll want to check their Privacy Policy to ensure it aligns with your data protection needs and compliance requirements.

Is Fathom AI any good?

Fathom AI is highly regarded for its accuracy and efficiency in taking meeting notes. Users have praised its ability to save time and boost productivity during online meetings. It offers a user-friendly interface, a generous free plan with unlimited recordings and transcriptions, and excellent customer service.

Which is better, Fathom or Fireflies?

Choosing between Fathom and Fireflies depends on your specific needs. Fireflies is generally considered more comprehensive, with features like transcribing uploaded files and advanced analytics. It’s more suitable for larger teams or those needing more advanced collaboration tools. However, Fathom offers a superior free plan with unlimited transcriptions and recordings. It’s great for individuals or small teams prioritizing basic meeting documentation without additional costs.

Is Fathom AI free?

Yes, Fathom AI offers a free plan that includes unlimited recordings, storage, and transcriptions. However, the free plan does not include advanced AI features like AI-generated summaries or action item detection, which are available in paid plans starting at $15 per user per month when billed annually

Is Fathom AI legit?

Fathom AI is a legitimate tool, as evidenced by its strong user reviews. It has received positive feedback from users for its accuracy, ease of use, and ability to enhance productivity during meetings.

Is Fathom better than Otter?

Fathom AI is generally considered better than Otter AI in terms of transcription accuracy, language support, and integrations. However, Otter AI excels in real-time transcription and mobile accessibility.

Is Fathom part of Zoom?

Fathom AI is not part of Zoom but rather works alongside it as a third-party app. Fathom integrates with Zoom to boost meeting productivity with its AI note-taking and transcription, but it remains a separate entity developed and operated by its own company.