# Voice Memos

How the Voice Memos export works, from connecting to fixing problems.

## Connect

Press "Connect" beside Voice Memos on Exporter's home. A panel opens on Voice Memos' folder; press "Select This Folder" without choosing anything, so Exporter may read your recordings. Then choose where the files go. Voice Memos needs macOS 27; on an older macOS its card says so and offers Software Update.

## Transcripts

A recording Voice Memos transcribed keeps Voice Memos' words. Every other recording is heard on your Mac by Apple's speech model, newest first, in the background after the notes are written.

The model hears one language and cannot tell which one you spoke, so you choose it: Transcribe In, in Options… on the card or at setup, starts on the first language in your Mac's settings that has a model. Change it and the recordings are heard again in the new language. Each answer is kept on your Mac, so a recording is never heard twice in the same language.

When the model is not sure enough, nothing is written and the recording waits until the language changes. The card counts the transcripts: by Voice Memos, on this Mac, not heard, and waiting.

## Where the files go

A folder right in your home folder, like `~/Documents`, gets a `voice-memos-export` folder inside it:

- `20260930 091500-6F3A1B2C.md`: a note per recording, named as Voice Memos names the recording
- `20260930 091500-6F3A1B2C.m4a`: the recording, copied beside its note once
- `index.md`: every recording with its date, length, size and a Play link

## What each note carries

The front matter has `title`, `id`, `created`, `modified`, `duration` and `format`, then `transcript` (`voice-memos` or `this-mac`), `transcript_language` and, for words heard on your Mac, `transcript_confidence` from 0 to 1. Then the title, the audio embedded, its length, size and format, and under `## Transcript` paragraphs of about half a minute, each starting with its time. A recording synced from your iPhone carries the day Voice Memos shows for it.

Links and images follow Settings › Markdown: wikilinks or standard Markdown.

## Free and unlocked

Your 20 newest recordings are free. Unlock Voice Memos is one purchase for every recording.

## Command line

`exporter export --source voice-memos --dest <folder>` writes the same files into a folder granted on the Command Line card. See [the command line](https://exporter.dev/docs/cli).

## Problems and fixes

- "That is not Voice Memos' folder": open the panel again and press "Select This Folder" without choosing anything.
- A recording has no transcript: it may be waiting its turn, or the model was not sure. Check Transcribe In is the language you spoke.
- The words are in the wrong language: change Transcribe In; the recordings are heard again.
- The card says Voice Memos needs macOS 27: update your Mac in Software Update.

## Related

- [Voice Memos](https://exporter.dev/voice-memos): Recordings and transcripts as notes
- [Voice Memos guides](https://exporter.dev/guides/voice-memos): Transcripts and Obsidian
- [Pricing](https://exporter.dev/pricing): Free allowances, unlocks and Exporter Cloud

---

human version: https://exporter.dev/docs/voice-memos
every page: https://exporter.dev/llms.txt