Transcription Software for Mac That Stays on Your Mac

Transcribe audio files and dictate live — 100% on-device. No cloud upload. No account required.

Transcribe Audio and Video Files, Locally

Drop an audio or video file into VoicePrivate and it transcribes it on your Mac. The file never leaves your device — no upload to a server, no third-party processing, nothing sent over the wire. The AI model runs locally using the same hardware that handles everything else on your machine.

• Supported formats: WAV, MP3, M4A, FLAC, OGG
• Processing: entirely on-device — Apple Neural Engine on M-series Macs, CPU on Intel
• Output: stored in an encrypted local database with full-text search
• Export: .txt, .json, .md, .srt, .vtt
• No file length limit — long recordings process the same way short ones do
• Apple Silicon and Intel Mac both supported

File transcription is the primary use case on this page. If you need to transcribe a recorded interview, a client call, a deposition audio file, or a podcast episode, that is exactly what VoicePrivate is built for. The audio file stays on your Mac from start to finish.

Dictate Live Into Any App

Beyond file transcription, VoicePrivate runs as a system-wide dictation tool. Press ⌘⇧Space and whatever you say types directly into the active text field — email, Notion, Slack, Word, Pages, a terminal, anything. Real-time. No copy-paste step.

• Works in any macOS text field
• Keyboard shortcut toggle: ⌘⇧Space
• Runs offline — no internet required once the model is downloaded

If real-time dictation is your primary need, see Voice to Text for Mac for a deeper look at the dictation workflow, latency, and accuracy in live use.

Zero Cloud. Zero Risk.

The privacy model is architectural, not a policy promise. VoicePrivate does not have a server-side component that receives your audio. It cannot upload your files because it is not built to do that.

• No upload to external servers, ever
• No third-party data processor with access to your recordings
• No telemetry, no analytics sent off-device
• Optional iCloud backup: encrypted AES-256-GCM, under your control

For regulated industries, this is the practical difference between compliance and risk. No vendor receives your audio because there is nothing to sign one for — your audio never touches a covered entity's infrastructure. For everyone else: your recordings stay yours.

For the full technical explanation, see Why Local Processing.

Built for Mac, Runs Like It

VoicePrivate is a native macOS application — not a web app, not an Electron wrapper. It behaves like a Mac app because it is one.

• Native macOS app, Apple Silicon optimized
• Menu bar access for quick toggle
• macOS 13 (Ventura) and later
• Intel Macs supported
• One-time model download on first launch, then fully offline

On M-series Macs, the Neural Engine handles AI model inference directly, which is why real-time dictation is low-latency and long file transcription is fast. Intel Macs run VoicePrivate without issue — the CPU handles inference, so it's a bit slower on long files, but everything works.

Editions for Regulated Industries

The base product handles general-purpose transcription. For professionals in regulated fields, VoicePrivate ships separate editions with pre-tuned vocabulary for each domain. Same on-device architecture, purpose-built terminology.

How VoicePrivate Compares

The main question for most buyers: do I need file transcription only, or live dictation too? And does the audio need to stay local? Here is the direct comparison with the services most people are coming from.

The live dictation row is the one most people miss when evaluating transcription software. Otter, Rev, and Descript are file-in, transcript-out workflows. VoicePrivate also types in real time into whatever you're working in. For a more detailed breakdown, see the comparison page.

Try It Free

The free tier covers 5,000 words — enough to run a real test on your own audio, with your voice, in your use case. No credit card. After the free limit, the app goes read-only until you subscribe.

• Free tier: 5,000 words, no credit card
• Base plan: $9.99/mo or $84/yr
• 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans

For specialty edition pricing (Legal, Healthcare, Finance, Insurance), see the pricing page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does VoicePrivate work without an internet connection?

Yes. VoicePrivate runs entirely on your Mac after a one-time model download on first launch. No internet required for transcription or dictation — not during file processing, not during live dictation, not after setup.

What audio file formats does it support?

WAV, MP3, M4A, FLAC, and OGG. Drag the file into the app and it handles the rest.

Is there a free trial?

Yes — 5,000 words free, no credit card required. Full feature access during the trial. After the limit, the app switches to read-only mode until you subscribe.

Does it work on older Macs?

VoicePrivate requires macOS 13 (Ventura) or later. Both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs are supported. On Apple Silicon, the Neural Engine accelerates processing; Intel Macs use CPU inference, which is slower on long files but otherwise works fine.

Can I transcribe long recordings?

Yes. There is no file length limit. A 90-minute recording processes the same way a 5-minute one does — it just takes longer. On Apple Silicon, long files are fast. On Intel, plan for more time on anything over an hour.

What makes this different from cloud transcription services like Rev or Otter?

Cloud services send your audio to their servers. Rev, Otter, and similar tools upload the file and run the model remotely. VoicePrivate processes everything locally. Your audio file never leaves your Mac. That's the fundamental difference — and for anyone working with sensitive recordings, it's the only thing that matters.