Export Voice Memos with transcripts

A note per recording beside its audio, with the transcript as text you can search, kept in sync on your Mac.

A recording, as a note.

The front matter says how long it is and who wrote the transcript, in which language and how sure the model was. Then the audio, and the transcript in paragraphs that start with their time.

20260930 091500-6F3A1B2C.md

---
title: "Standup"
id: "20260930 091500-6F3A1B2C.m4a"
created: 2026-09-30T09:15:00
modified: 2026-09-30T09:16:12
duration: "00:01:05"
format: "m4a"
transcript: "this-mac"
transcript_language: "en_US"
transcript_confidence: 0.86
---

# Standup

![Standup](20260930%20091500-6F3A1B2C.m4a)

- duration: 00:01:05
- size: 1.2 MB
- format: m4a

## Transcript

**00:00:00** Ship the new build on Thursday. Ana checks the store page first.

**00:00:34** Then the newsletter, and the release notes in every language.

What comes out

Every recording in voice-memos-export: its note, its audio beside it, and index.md listing them all.

A note per recording

The title Voice Memos shows, the day it was recorded, how long it is, and the audio embedded so it plays in Obsidian.

The transcript as text

Voice Memos' own transcript when it made one, in paragraphs of about half a minute, each starting with its time.

Heard on your Mac

A recording Voice Memos never transcribed is heard on your Mac by Apple's speech model, in the language you choose, newest first.

Says how sure

Each note says whether Voice Memos or your Mac wrote the words, in which language, and how sure the model was.

The audio, copied once

Each recording is copied beside its note, so the folder keeps your voice even after you delete it in Voice Memos.

Only on your Mac

Recordings are read and heard on your Mac. Nothing is uploaded, and no account is needed.

How it works

1Connect Voice Memos
Pick Voice Memos' folder in the panel Exporter opens, so it may read your recordings.
2Choose a language
Transcribe In, in Options…, starts on your Mac's language. Pick the one you speak in your recordings.
3It syncs
Your recordings arrive as notes, and new ones follow as you record.

How it works: Voice Memos docsGuides: Voice Memos transcripts Voice Memos to Obsidian

Questions

Still have questions? Get in touch

What does it cost?

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

Which Mac does it need?

macOS 27. On an older macOS the Voice Memos card says it needs macOS 27; every other app works as before.

Which language are the transcripts in?

The one you pick under Transcribe In. A speech model hears one language and cannot tell which one you spoke, so Exporter never guesses. Change it and the recordings are heard again in the new language.

What if the model is not sure?

Below a fair confidence nothing is written, so a note never carries words the model made up. The recording waits until you change the language.

Does anything leave my Mac?

No. Apple's speech model runs on your Mac, and the recordings and notes stay in the folders you choose.

Can I use the notes in Obsidian or Claude?

Yes. They are plain Markdown with front matter: pick a folder inside your Obsidian vault, where the audio plays in the note, or point Claude Code at the folder.

Against the alternatives

Voice Memos shares one recording at a time as audio, and shows a transcript only in the app.

Feature	Exporter	Voice Memos' own share	Copy and paste
Every recording at once	Yes	No, one at a time	No
Transcript as text	Yes	No	By hand
Recordings Voice Memos never transcribed	Heard on your Mac	No	No
Kept in sync	Yes	No	No
Price	20 recordings free, then a one-time purchase	Free	Free

Voice Memos Connect, transcripts, files and fixes

Voice Memos guides Transcripts and Obsidian

Pricing Free allowances, unlocks and Exporter Cloud