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Zackriya Solutions profile image Sujith S
Sujith S for Zackriya Solutions

Posted on • Edited on • Originally published at meetily.ai

How to Install Meetily: Complete Desktop Setup Guide (Windows & macOS)

#productivity #privacy #ai #webdev

⚠️ This guide is outdated

A newer version of Meetily is available with an updated installation and licensing flow. The steps in this guide
may no longer match the latest version of the app.

Read the updated install guide →

Want to take control of your meeting transcriptions with 100% privacy? This comprehensive guide will walk you through installing Meetily—a free, open-source AI meeting assistant that processes everything locally on your device.

What you'll accomplish:

  • ✅ Install Meetily on Windows or macOS in under 15 minutes
  • ✅ Configure audio capture for any meeting platform
  • ✅ Select the optimal Whisper model for your hardware
  • ✅ Set up AI summarization with local LLMs
  • ✅ Record and transcribe your first meeting

Prerequisites:

  • Windows 10/11 or macOS 10.15+
  • 8GB+ RAM (16GB recommended)
  • 10GB free storage space
  • Internet connection (for initial download only)

Why Choose Meetily?

Before we dive into installation, here's what makes Meetily special:

  • 100% Privacy: All processing happens locally—your meeting data never leaves your device
  • Free & Open Source: MIT licensed, no subscriptions or per-user fees
  • Bot-Free: Invisible to meeting participants (no "Meetily Bot" joining calls)
  • Works Offline: Internet only needed for initial setup
  • Platform-Agnostic: Works with Zoom, Teams, Meet, Discord, any meeting software
  • 8,100+ GitHub Stars: Trusted by privacy-conscious developers worldwide

Part 1: Installation

Option A: Install on macOS

Method 1: Download from Website (Easiest)

The simplest way to install Meetily is directly from our website.

Step 1: Visit Downloads Page

  1. Go to meetily.ai/downloads
  2. Select macOS from the platform selector
  3. Choose between Community (free) or Pro version
  4. Click "Download for macOS"

Step 2: Install Application

  1. Open the downloaded .dmg file
  2. Drag Meetily icon to Applications folder
  3. Eject the installer disk image

Step 3: Launch Meetily

  1. Open Applications folder
  2. Double-click Meetily
  3. If security warning appears, right-click → "Open" → Confirm

Troubleshooting macOS Security:
If macOS blocks Meetily with "App cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified":

xattr -c /Applications/Meetily.app
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Then try opening again. This removes the quarantine flag from the downloaded app.

Method 2: GitHub Releases (For More Control)

For developers who want to verify releases, check changelogs, or download specific versions:

Step 1: Download Installer

  1. Visit Meetily GitHub Releases
  2. Look for the macOS .dmg file in the latest release
  3. Download and unzip if needed

Step 2: Install Application

  1. Double-click the .dmg file
  2. Drag Meetily icon to Applications folder
  3. Eject the installer disk image

Step 3: Launch Meetily

  1. Open Applications folder
  2. Double-click Meetily
  3. If security warning appears, right-click → "Open" → Confirm

Option B: Install on Windows

Method 1: Download from Website (Easiest)

The simplest way to install Meetily is directly from our website.

Step 1: Visit Downloads Page

  1. Go to meetily.ai/downloads
  2. Select Windows from the platform selector
  3. Choose between Community (free) or Pro version
  4. Click "Download for Windows"
  5. Save the .exe installer to Downloads folder

Step 2: Prepare for Installation
Before running the installer:

  1. Right-click the downloaded .exe file
  2. Select "Properties"
  3. Check "Unblock" checkbox (if present)
  4. Click "OK"

Step 3: Run Installer

  1. Double-click the installer file
  2. If Windows Defender SmartScreen appears:
    • Click "More info"
    • Click "Run anyway"
  3. Follow installation wizard:
    • Accept license agreement
    • Choose installation directory (default recommended)
    • Create desktop shortcut (optional)
    • Click "Install"

Step 4: Launch Meetily

  1. Click "Finish" in installer
  2. Meetily launches automatically
  3. Or: Find in Start Menu → "Meetily"

Troubleshooting Windows Defender:
Windows Defender may flag new releases. This is normal for open-source software without code signing certificates. You can:

  1. Click "More info" → "Run anyway" (safe for official releases)
  2. Add exception in Windows Defender if needed
  3. Verify download hash matches official release (for extra security)

Method 2: GitHub Releases (For More Control)

For developers who want to verify releases, check changelogs, or download specific versions:

Step 1: Download Installer

  1. Visit Meetily GitHub Releases
  2. Download the Windows .exe installer from the latest release
  3. Save to Downloads folder

Step 2: Install Application
Follow the same installation steps as Method 1 above.

Option C: Build from Source (Advanced Users)

For developers who want to customize Meetily:

Prerequisites:

  • Rust toolchain (rustup)
  • Node.js 18+
  • Python 3.10+
  • Git

Important: Before building, read the complete build documentation:

Quick Build Steps:

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/Zackriya-Solutions/meeting-minutes.git
cd meeting-minutes/frontend

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Development builds
npm run tauri:dev          # GPU accelerated build (recommended)
npm run tauri dev          # CPU-only build

# Production builds
npm run tauri:build        # or
npm run tauri build
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For detailed troubleshooting and platform-specific instructions, see the Building Guide.

Part 2: Initial Configuration

Once Meetily launches, you'll see the setup wizard.

Step 1: Welcome & System Check

The wizard verifies:

  • ✅ Sufficient disk space (10GB+)
  • ✅ Memory requirements (8GB+ RAM)
  • ✅ Audio permissions granted
  • ✅ FFmpeg availability (installed automatically if missing)

Click "Next" when all checks pass.

Step 2: Choose Transcription Engine & Model

Download model

Meetily offers two transcription engines—a unique feature no other open-source meeting assistant has:

Option 1: Parakeet Engine (Default, Recommended)

Parakeet is selected by default and provides the best balance of speed and accuracy for most users.

  • Best For: Real-time transcription with excellent accuracy
  • Performance: Optimized for fast transcription on modern hardware
  • Memory: Efficient with Int8 quantization (~1-3GB RAM)
  • Processing: Significantly faster than Whisper with lower resource usage

Available Parakeet Models:

  • Lightning (Recommended): Best balance of accuracy and speed for most users
  • Light: Lighter model for older hardware
  • Compact: Most compact option with minimal resource usage

Option 2: Whisper Engine (For Maximum Accuracy)

For users who need the highest accuracy and multilingual support.

  • Best For: Maximum accuracy, broad language support (99+ languages)
  • Processing: Established, well-tested models
  • Access: Basic models available by default, advanced Whisper models (Medium, Large) accessible in Advanced Settings
Model Size RAM Usage Speed Best For
Tiny ~75MB ~1GB Very Fast Quick notes, testing
Base ~140MB ~1-2GB Fast Casual meetings
Small ~460MB ~2-3GB Medium General use
Medium ~1.5GB ~4-5GB Slower High accuracy needed (Advanced Settings)
Large v3 ~3GB ~8-10GB Slowest Professional/critical meetings (Advanced Settings)

Which Should You Choose?

  • Use Parakeet (Default) if:

    • You want the best overall experience (recommended for most users)
    • You need real-time transcription without lag
    • You want lower CPU usage and battery consumption
    • You have any modern hardware from the last 5 years

  • Switch to Whisper if:

    • You need maximum accuracy for medical, legal, or critical meetings
    • You require 99+ language support
    • You have powerful hardware and can afford slower processing
    • You need specific language optimizations

Default Setup: Meetily uses Parakeet Lightning by default, which provides excellent accuracy and the fastest transcription speed.

Model Download:

  • After selecting your preferred engine and model, you'll be prompted to download it
  • Click "Download Model" to begin the one-time download
  • The model downloads to your local storage (no internet needed afterward)
  • You can change models later in Settings if needed

Step 3: Configure Audio Sources

Microphone Selection:

  1. Click "Microphone" dropdown
  2. Select your input device:
    • Built-in Microphone (laptops)
    • External USB microphone
    • Headset microphone
  3. Test: Speak and watch the level meter

System Audio Capture:
This captures audio from your meeting platform (Zoom, Teams, etc.).

macOS:

  • Meetily uses BlackHole or similar virtual audio device
  • If not installed: Click "Install Audio Driver"
  • Follow prompts to install virtual audio device
  • Restart Meetily after installation

Windows:

  • Meetily uses Windows WASAPI (built-in)
  • Click "Enable System Audio"
  • Grant permissions if prompted
  • No additional software needed

Test Audio Capture:

  1. Play a YouTube video or music
  2. Check "System Audio" level meter
  3. Verify both microphone and system audio show levels

Step 4: Storage Location

Choose where Meetily saves your transcripts and recordings.

Setting Storage Location:

  • The storage location is accessible and configurable directly from the Meetily UI
  • Access it from Settings or from the meeting details page
  • Click "Change" or "Browse" to select your preferred folder
  • Choose cloud-synced folder (Dropbox, OneDrive) for automatic backup
  • Or external drive for extra privacy

What Gets Stored:
Your recordings are saved in the meetily-recordings folder with the following files:

  • transcript.md - Full meeting transcript
  • summary.md - AI-generated summary (if enabled)
  • audio.mp3 - Audio recording (optional)

You can view and change your storage location anytime from Settings or access individual meeting files from the meeting details page.

Step 5: AI Summarization (Optional)

Meetily can generate AI summaries after each meeting. This step is completely optional—transcription works without AI summaries.

Option 1: Local LLM with Ollama (Recommended for Privacy)

Step 1: Install Ollama

  1. Visit ollama.ai and download for your platform
  2. Install Ollama following their instructions
  3. Verify installation: Open terminal and run ollama --version

Step 2: Download a Model

# Recommended lightweight model (800MB)
ollama pull gemma2:2b

# Or for better quality (4.7GB)
ollama pull llama3.2:latest
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Step 3: Start Ollama Server

ollama serve
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Keep this terminal window open while using Meetily. The server runs at http://localhost:11434

Step 4: Configure in Meetily

  • Open Meetily → Settings → Model Settings
  • Select provider: Ollama
  • Enter model name (e.g., gemma2:2b or llama3.2:latest)
  • (Optional) Custom endpoint if not using default

Option 2: API-Based LLMs
If you prefer cloud LLMs, Meetily supports:

  • Anthropic Claude: Settings → Model Settings → Provider: Claude → Enter API key
  • OpenAI GPT: Settings → Model Settings → Provider: OpenAI → Enter API key
  • Groq: Settings → Model Settings → Provider: Groq → Enter API key (free tier available)
  • OpenRouter: Settings → Model Settings → Provider: OpenRouter → Enter API key

Note: Using API-based LLMs means your meeting transcripts are sent to third-party servers for summarization.

Option 3: Skip for Now

  • You can enable AI summaries later in Settings → Model Settings
  • Transcription works perfectly without AI summaries
  • Manual review of transcripts works fine initially

Click "Finish" to complete setup!

Part 3: Recording Your First Meeting

Before the Meeting

1. Launch Meetily

  • Open from Applications (Mac) or Start Menu (Windows)
  • Ensure it's running (icon in menu bar/system tray)

2. Join Your Meeting

  • Open Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, Discord, etc.
  • Join meeting as normal
  • No special setup needed per platform

3. Start Recording

Community Edition:

  • In Meetily, click "Record" button to start recording

Pro Edition:

  • Automatic Meeting Detection: Pro users benefit from automatic meeting detection
  • Meetily automatically detects when you join a meeting and can start recording
  • Global Shortcuts: Use Option+X (Mac) / Alt+X (Win) to start/stop recording from anywhere without UI interaction
  • Floating Recording Panel: Access recording controls via a convenient floating panel
  • You can also manually start/stop recordings as needed
  • Configure auto-detection settings in Settings → Meeting Detection

During the Meeting

Real-Time Transcription Display:

Recording in progress...

Good morning everyone, let's start with our product updates.

Sure, I can begin. We've made great progress on the authentication feature...
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Controls:

  • Pause: Temporarily pause recording (excludes segments from transcript)
  • Bookmark: Mark important moments (adds timestamp marker)
  • Stop: End recording (triggers AI summary)

Performance Monitoring:

  • CPU usage indicator
  • Memory usage
  • Transcription lag (should be <2 seconds)

After the Meeting

1. Stop Recording

  • Click "Stop" button in Meetily
  • Pro users can use global shortcut: Option+X (Mac) / Alt+X (Win)

2. AI Summary Generation (if enabled)

Processing summary...
- Analyzing transcript
- Extracting key points
- Identifying action items
- Detecting decisions

Summary complete! (takes 10-60 seconds)
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3. Review & Export

Community Edition:

  • View transcript in Meetily
  • Export to Markdown
  • Copy to clipboard for pasting elsewhere

Pro Edition (Additional Features):

  • Audio Upload (Coming Soon): Upload existing audio files for transcription
  • Templates: Use pre-built templates for different meeting types
  • Chat: Interactive chat with your transcripts using AI
  • Integrations: Connect with your favorite tools
  • Cloud Sync: Sync transcripts across devices
  • Sharable Links: Share transcripts with team members across organizations

Part 4: Platform-Specific Configuration

Google Meet

No special setup needed!

  • System audio capture works automatically
  • Just click "Record" in Meetily before/during meeting

Tips:

  • Use Chrome or Edge (better audio routing)
  • Ensure "Use original sound" is enabled in Meet settings

Zoom

Configuration:

  1. Open Zoom → Settings → Audio
  2. Enable "Original Sound for Musicians"
  3. Disable "Suppress background noise" (optional, for better accuracy)

Recording:

  • Start Meetily recording BEFORE joining Zoom call
  • Or start after joining (may miss first few seconds)

Microsoft Teams

Configuration:

  1. Open Teams → Settings → Devices
  2. Test your microphone and speakers
  3. Disable "Noise suppression" for better transcription accuracy

Note: Teams' noise suppression can filter out background speakers. Disable for meetings where you need to capture all participants.

Discord

Works perfectly with system audio capture!

  • No special configuration needed
  • Captures all voice channels
  • Real-time transcription during gaming sessions or community calls

Slack Huddles

Configuration:

  1. Join Slack Huddle
  2. Start Meetily recording
  3. System audio captures Huddle audio automatically

Part 5: Advanced Configuration

GPU Acceleration (For Faster Transcription)

If you have an NVIDIA or AMD GPU:

Check GPU Availability:

  • Meetily → Settings → Performance
  • Look for "GPU Detected: [Your GPU]"

Enable GPU Acceleration:

  • Toggle "Use GPU for Transcription"
  • Restart Meetily
  • Speed improvement: 3-10x faster

Supported GPUs:

  • NVIDIA: GTX 1060 or newer
  • AMD: RX 580 or newer
  • Apple Silicon: M1, M2, M3 (built-in)

Custom Whisper Models

Want to fine-tune Whisper for your industry terminology?

1. Train Custom Model

2. Import to Meetily

  • Settings → Models → "Import Custom Model"
  • Select your .pt model file
  • Name it (e.g., "Medical Terminology")

3. Use Custom Model

  • Before recording, select from model dropdown
  • Meetily uses your custom model for transcription

Global Shortcuts (Pro Only)

Pro users have access to global shortcuts that work without UI interaction:

Available Shortcuts:

  • Start/Stop Recording: Option+X (Mac) / Alt+X (Win)
  • Works from anywhere on your system, even when Meetily is minimized
  • No need to switch windows or interact with the UI
  • Perfect for seamless recording workflow

Configure and customize shortcuts in Settings → Shortcuts (Pro only)

Application Settings

Notification Preferences:

  • Settings → Preferences → Enable/disable recording notifications
  • Control which events trigger notifications
  • Respect Do Not Disturb mode

Storage Locations:

  • Settings → Preferences → View storage paths
  • Database location: Where meeting metadata is stored
  • Models directory: Where transcription models are cached
  • Recordings folder: Where audio and transcripts are saved

Analytics:

  • Settings → Preferences → Analytics consent toggle
  • Opt in/out of usage analytics
  • Helps improve the app without compromising privacy

Part 6: Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue 1: "No Audio Detected"

Symptoms: Recording starts but no transcription appears

Solutions:

  1. Check Audio Permissions:
    • macOS: System Preferences → Security → Microphone → Enable Meetily
    • Windows: Settings → Privacy → Microphone → Allow Meetily
  2. Test Audio Sources:
    • Settings → Audio → Test Microphone
    • Speak and verify level meter moves
  3. Restart Audio Devices:
    • Unplug and replug headset/microphone
    • Restart Meetily

Issue 2: "Transcription Too Slow"

Symptoms: Real-time transcription lags 10+ seconds behind speech

Solutions:

  1. Use Smaller Model:
    • Switch from Large → Medium or Small
    • Settings → Model Settings → Select smaller Whisper model
  2. GPU Acceleration (Automatic):
    • GPU acceleration is automatically enabled if compatible hardware is detected
    • macOS: Uses Metal (built into Apple Silicon)
    • Windows: Uses CUDA (NVIDIA) or ROCm (AMD) if available
  3. Close Other Apps:
    • Free up RAM and CPU
    • Close Chrome tabs, video editors, etc.
  4. Try Parakeet Engine:
    • Faster than Whisper with lower resource usage
    • Settings → Model Settings → Switch to Parakeet

Issue 3: "Model Download Fails"

Symptoms: Whisper model download stuck or fails

Solutions:

  1. Check Internet Connection:
    • Ensure stable internet
    • Large v3 is 3GB download (takes time)
  2. Manual Download:
    • Download from Hugging Face
    • Settings → Models → "Import Model" → Select file
  3. Clear Cache:
    • Settings → Advanced → "Clear Model Cache"
    • Retry download

Issue 4: "Meetily Won't Launch"

Symptoms: Double-clicking icon does nothing

macOS Solutions:

# Check if app is blocked
xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Meetily.app

# Check for errors
/Applications/Meetily.app/Contents/MacOS/Meetily
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Windows Solutions:

  1. Run as Administrator:
    • Right-click Meetily → "Run as administrator"
  2. Check Event Viewer:
    • Windows → Event Viewer → Application logs
    • Look for Meetily errors
  3. Reinstall:
    • Uninstall via Control Panel
    • Download fresh installer
    • Install again

Issue 5: "Poor Transcription Accuracy"

Symptoms: Many words transcribed incorrectly

Solutions:

  1. Upgrade Whisper Model:
    • Base → Small or Medium
    • Accuracy improves significantly
  2. Improve Audio Quality:
    • Use external microphone (not laptop built-in)
    • Reduce background noise
    • Move closer to microphone
  3. Disable Noise Suppression:
    • In Zoom/Teams settings
    • Noise suppression can confuse Whisper

Part 7: Next Steps

Optimize Your Workflow

1. Set Up Ollama for Local AI (If Not Done Already)

  • Complete privacy: AI summaries without cloud APIs
  • Install from ollama.ai
  • Pull recommended model: ollama pull gemma2:2b
  • Start server: ollama serve
  • Configure in Meetily → Settings → Model Settings

2. Create Meeting Templates

  • Settings → Templates → "New Template"
  • Pre-fill meeting types (standup, client call, etc.)
  • Automatic file naming and folder organization

3. Export Workflows

  • Notion: Export Markdown → Import to Notion
  • Obsidian: Save to Obsidian vault folder
  • Google Docs: Copy transcript, paste directly

Join the Community

Upgrade to Teams (Optional)

For 2-100 users, Meetily Organizations tier offers:

  • Central server for team transcript sharing
  • Admin dashboard for user management
  • Managed deployment by Zackriya team
  • Extended support

For 100+ users, Meetily Enterprise adds:

  • Server-side AI model hosting (larger models)
  • Custom infrastructure (AWS/Azure/on-premise)
  • GDPR/HIPAA managed compliance
  • 24/7 dedicated support

Request Demo →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much disk space do I need?

Estimates per hour of meeting:

  • Audio file (MP3): ~50-100MB
  • Transcript (Markdown): ~50-200KB
  • Whisper models (one-time): 75MB - 3GB

For 10 meetings/week:

  • ~5GB/month for audio
  • Models: 1-3GB one-time download

Tip: Enable "Delete audio after transcription" to save space while keeping transcripts.

Can I use Meetily on multiple computers?

Yes! For the free individual tier:

  • Install on multiple devices
  • Transcripts stored locally on each device
  • Use cloud storage (Dropbox/OneDrive) to sync transcripts

For Organizations tier:

  • Central server syncs across all team devices
  • Transcripts accessible from any authenticated device

Does Meetily work on Linux?

Not yet. Native Linux support is actively being developed and will be available in a future release.

Current supported platforms:

  • ✅ Windows (native installer)
  • ✅ macOS (native installer or Homebrew)
  • ⏳ Linux (coming soon - on the roadmap)

What languages does Meetily support?

Whisper supports 99 languages including:

  • English, Spanish, French, German, Italian
  • Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Russian
  • Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Arabic, Hindi
  • And many more!

Accuracy is best for English, with strong performance for other major languages.

Is my meeting data really private?

100% yes for the individual tier:

  • Processing: All happens locally on your device
  • Storage: Transcripts saved to your chosen folder
  • Network: No data sent to internet (except if you use API-based AI)
  • Verification: Open source code can be audited

Conclusion

Congratulations! You now have Meetily installed and configured. You're ready to:

✅ Record meetings with complete privacy
✅ Get accurate AI transcriptions
✅ Generate automatic summaries
✅ Export to your favorite tools
✅ All without cloud subscriptions or data uploads

Get started:

  1. Join your next meeting
  2. Click "Record" in Meetily
  3. Review transcript and summary after
  4. Enjoy privacy-first meeting intelligence!

Need help?

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Bhuva Monika •

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Today's work plan:
I will continue to post in the community and,create list for call centre in UP State.after then cold call and cold mail.

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