What it does

Enables call recording (audio), transcription (live text), and real-time translation for voice conversations. Configured at the workstream level. Transcripts power Copilot summaries and post-call insights; recordings are accessible via Dataverse and downloadable via Power Automate.

Key facts

• Event Grid system topic must be registered first: recording will not work without it, regardless of workstream config (see voice-channel-configure-services)
• Audio/MPEG MIME types must be allowlisted in Power Platform admin center before recordings are stored
• Options: Transcription only, or Transcription and recording
• Start modes: Automatic (starts on call connect) or Manual (rep triggers via button)
• Optional toggles: Allow rep to pause/resume; Auto-pause when customer is on hold
• Storage estimates: 20-min recording ≈ 10 MB; 20-min transcript ≈ 40 KB; max file size 512 MB
• Copilot Studio IVR agents always generate a transcript in Copilot Studio regardless of these settings
• DTMF-only input is not included in Copilot Studio transcripts
• Transcript timestamps are grouped in 2-minute intervals: per-second timestamps not available

When to use / skip

Essential for almost all voice deployments. Transcripts are required for Copilot post-call summaries. Recording covers QA, compliance, and dispute resolution.

Configuration decisions

• Automatic vs Manual start: Manual if some calls need to stay off the record (PCI calls, sensitive chats). Automatic for consistent compliance recording.
• Pause/resume toggle: Gives reps control. Required for PCI DSS if you're handling card data.
• Auto-pause on hold: Low risk, sensible default.

Gotchas

• Event Grid is the gotcha everyone misses. Workstream config looks done but recordings never appear. Always register the Event Grid system topic first: it's the thing that actually makes it work.
• MIME type allowlisting is a separate Power Platform admin task. Easy to miss if the person building the workstream isn't also the Power Platform admin.
• Consent and compliance is the client's legal problem, not yours. The system can play an announcement, but whether that satisfies legal requirements is a legal question. Get written legal sign-off before you enable automatic recording in regulated industries.
• Storage scales fast. 1,000 calls/day at 20 min each ≈ 10 GB/day. Size the Dataverse storage properly in your solution design.

Consultant notes

• Event Grid registration belongs on your voice channel setup checklist as a mandatory step, not something you discover is missing when recordings don't appear. It's quick to do and painful to forget.
• Get legal sign-off on recording consent in writing before you enable anything in a regulated sector. Doesn't matter that the system can play an announcement: whether that satisfies the legal requirement in that jurisdiction is not your call to make.
• Storage sizing is easy to underestimate. Run a quick estimate based on the client's expected call volume and length in your solution design: 1,000 calls a day adds up fast, and Dataverse storage isn't cheap to expand after the fact.

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Source last updated: 2026-02-15 | Worth revisiting if recording storage options shift or translation language support expands