Can I record a call in Germany?

Not without agreement. Recording the non-public spoken word of another person without consent is a criminal offence in Germany, even for a participant.

All-party consent Everyone in the conversation has to agree before it is recorded.

General information, not legal advice. Last reviewed September 2026. Laws change and facts differ; check before you rely on any line here, and ask a lawyer licensed where you record for anything that matters.

What the rule means

The offence covers making the recording, using it and giving it to others.
Ask before recording starts and wait for agreement. Silence after a passing mention is a weak basis; a clear yes is better.
For business use, GDPR applies as well: a lawful basis, a notice, a retention limit and security. Recording employees systematically can require works-council involvement.
Transcription that runs on your own computer does not remove the need for consent, because the rule is about the recording.

The law

Strafgesetzbuch (StGB) § 201, Verletzung der Vertraulichkeit des Wortes
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

The offence is punishable by a fine or imprisonment, and recordings made in breach are generally unusable.

When the others are somewhere else

The rule follows the person. If a participant is in Germany, ask them, wherever you are. Video meetings are treated like phone calls, and the strictest rule that applies to anyone on the call is the one to follow.

What to say

Say it at the start, before anything else, and say it again when someone joins late.

“Quick note before we start: I’m recording and transcribing this meeting on my own computer for my notes. It isn’t shared with anyone unless I send it to you. Let me know if you’d rather I didn’t.”

How Recordist fits

You are the participant. Recordist records your own microphone and the audio arriving at your computer. No bot joins the call.
It asks before every recording. Nothing records until you confirm, and the confirm card can show the sentence above as a reminder.
The notice is still yours to give. Software cannot give consent for the other people. In Germany, tell them and get their agreement first.

Recordist is opening in small waves. Ask for a place.