How to Transcribe Audio Using Voice Memos App on Mac

The Voice Memos app on Mac has evolved from a simple recording tool into a powerful transcription platform with macOS Sequoia. What started as a way to capture quick audio notes now includes automatic transcription, making it an essential tool for Mac users who need to convert speech to text.

This comprehensive guide walks you through everything about using Voice Memos for transcription—from recording new audio to converting existing files and understanding its limitations.

Quick Summary: Voice Memos automatically transcribes audio in macOS Sequoia and later. It only accepts M4A files for import, but you can easily convert other formats using built-in Mac tools. Perfect for personal use, but lacks speaker identification and subtitle export features.

📱 What is Voice Memos App?

Voice Memos is Apple's native audio recording application, pre-installed on every Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Designed for quick audio capture, it has become much more powerful with automatic transcription capabilities.

Key Features:

• Quick Audio Recording - Capture audio with one click using your device's microphone
• iCloud Sync - Seamlessly access recordings across all Apple devices
• Audio Editing - Trim, replace sections, and organize recordings
• Automatic Transcription - Convert spoken audio to searchable text (macOS Sequoia+)
• Interactive Playback - Click transcript text to jump to that moment in audio
• Smart Search - Find specific words or phrases across all transcripts

Primary Use Cases:

• Recording and transcribing voice notes
• Capturing meeting discussions
• Creating audio journals
• Conducting interviews
• Transcribing lectures and presentations
• Converting existing M4A audio files to text

✅ System Requirements

To use Voice Memos' transcription features:

• macOS Sequoia or later (released September 2024)
• System Language set to English (for supported countries)
• Internet Connection for transcription processing
• Apple ID for iCloud sync (optional but recommended)

Important: Transcription is not available on macOS Sonoma or earlier versions.

🎙️ How to Record and Transcribe Audio

Recording new audio and getting instant transcription is Voice Memos' strongest feature.

Step-by-Step Recording Process:

1. Launch Voice Memos

   • Open from Applications folder
   • Or use Spotlight (Cmd + Space, type Voice Memos)

2. Start Recording

   • Click the red Record button at the bottom center
   • Speak clearly into your Mac's built-in or external microphone
   • Watch the waveform visualize your audio in real-time

3. Pause or Stop

   • Click Pause to temporarily stop (resume with red button)
   • Click Done when completely finished

4. View Your Recording

   • Recording appears in left sidebar with date/time stamp
   • Click it to see waveform view

5. Access Transcript

   • Click the Transcript icon (lines of text) at top right
   • Transcript appears within seconds
   • Read instead of listening to your recording

Tips for Better Recording Quality:

• Quiet Environment - Minimize background noise for clearer transcription
• Clear Speech - Speak at moderate pace with good enunciation
• Microphone Distance - Position yourself 6-12 inches from microphone
• External Mic - Consider using quality external microphone for important recordings
• Avoid Covering Mic - Don't block Mac's built-in microphone openings

📂 How to Import and Transcribe Existing Audio Files

Voice Memos can also transcribe existing audio files, but file format support is limited.

Import Process:

1. Locate Audio File in Finder
2. Ensure M4A Format (only supported format)
3. Drag and Drop file into Voice Memos window
4. Look for Green (+) Icon when hovering
5. Release to Import - file appears as new voice memo
6. Click Transcript Icon to view automatic transcription

What Happens After Import:

• File is treated like a recording you made yourself
• Automatically syncs to iCloud and other devices
• Transcription generates within moments
• Can be renamed, edited, or deleted like any memo

🎵 Supported and Unsupported File Formats

Voice Memos is very selective about audio file formats—understanding this is crucial.

✅ Supported Format:

M4A (MPEG-4 Audio)

• File extension: .m4a
• Audio codec: AAC (Advanced Audio Coding)
• Apple's native format
• Only format accepted by Voice Memos

❌ Unsupported Formats:

Voice Memos cannot import these formats directly:

MP3 (MPEG Audio Layer III)

• File extension: .mp3
• Most common audio format worldwide
• Used for podcasts, music downloads
• Requires conversion

WAV (Waveform Audio File Format)

• File extension: .wav
• Uncompressed professional audio
• Large file sizes
• Requires conversion

Other Unsupported:

• FLAC (.flac)
• OGG (.ogg)
• WMA (.wma)
• AIFF (.aiff)
• AAC (.aac)

Why Only M4A?

Apple designed Voice Memos to work with its ecosystem's native format. M4A with AAC encoding provides:

• Good audio quality
• Reasonable file sizes
• Native Apple device compatibility
• Efficient transcription processing

Solution: Convert unsupported formats using Mac's built-in tools (explained below).

🔄 How to Convert Audio Files for Voice Memos

If you have MP3, WAV, or other audio formats, convert them to M4A using these built-in Mac methods:

Method 1: Using QuickTime Player (Recommended)

QuickTime Player can convert most audio formats to M4A.

Step-by-Step:

1. Right-Click Audio File in Finder
2. Select Open With > QuickTime Player
3. Wait for File to Open (you'll see playback controls)
4. Go to File > Export As > Audio Only
5. Choose Save Location and filename
6. Click Save - file is exported as M4A

Supported Input Formats:

• MP3, WAV, AIFF, AAC, and most common formats

Time Required:

• Usually 10-30 seconds depending on file size

Method 2: Using Services Menu (Faster for Batch)

macOS provides quick conversion through the Services menu.

Step-by-Step:

1. Right-Click Audio File in Finder
2. Select Services > Encode Selected Audio Files
3. Choose Encoding Option:
   • High Quality - Best for music and high-fidelity
   • iTunes Plus - Good balance of quality and size
   • Spoken Podcast - Optimized for voice (recommended for transcription)
4. Click Continue
5. Wait for Conversion - new M4A file created in same folder

Note: All three options use AAC format compatible with Voice Memos. Spoken Podcast is ideal for transcription as it's optimized for voice content.

When Conversion Doesn't Work:

If QuickTime can't open your file or Services menu doesn't appear:

Option 1: Audacity (Free)

• Download from audacityteam.org
• Open audio file
• Export as M4A or WAV (then convert WAV using QuickTime)

Option 2: Online Converters

• Use CloudConvert or Online-Convert
• Upload file, convert to M4A, download

Option 3: Use VideoToBe

• Upload any format to VideoToBe Express
• Skip conversion hassle entirely
• Get transcription with speaker ID

🎬 How to Transcribe Video Files

Voice Memos can transcribe audio extracted from video files.

Extract Audio from Video:

Using QuickTime Player:

1. Right-Click Video File and select Open With > QuickTime Player
2. Go to File > Export As > Audio Only
3. Choose Save Location and click Save
4. Import M4A Audio File into Voice Memos
5. Click Transcript Icon to view transcription

Using Services Menu:

1. Right-Click Video File in Finder
2. Select Services > Encode Selected Video Files
3. Choose Audio Only from settings
4. Click Continue
5. Import Resulting M4A into Voice Memos

Supported Video Formats:

QuickTime Player can extract audio from:

• MOV (QuickTime Movie)
• MP4 (MPEG-4)
• M4V (iTunes Video)

For other formats (AVI, MKV, FLV), use third-party converters or VideoToBe for direct transcription.

📝 Working with Transcriptions in Voice Memos

Once audio is transcribed, Voice Memos offers several powerful features.

Viewing Transcripts:

Switch to Transcript View:

• Click Transcript icon at top right
• Waveform replaced with scrollable text
• Read transcript instead of listening

Navigate Long Transcripts:

• Scroll like any document
• Search for specific words/phrases

Interactive Playback:

Voice Memos creates a dynamic connection between audio and text:

Click Text to Jump:

• Click any word in transcript
• Playback jumps to that exact moment
• Perfect for verifying unclear sections

Follow Along While Listening:

• Press Play to start audio
• Watch words bold in real-time
• See exactly what's being spoken

Searching Transcripts:

Find Specific Content:

1. Scroll down in transcript view
2. Click Search button that appears
3. Type your search term
4. Results show 2 of 3 format
5. Use arrows to jump between matches

Makes finding specific topics in long recordings effortless.

Copying and Exporting:

Select and Copy Text:

1. Click and drag to select text (or double-click a word)
2. Use Cmd + A to select all text
3. Press Cmd + C to copy
4. Paste into any app (TextEdit, Notes, Word, etc.)

Copied text is plain text without formatting or timestamps.

Apple Intelligence Features:

If you have Apple Intelligence on your Mac:

AI-Powered Tools:

1. Select text (or Cmd + A for all)
2. Right-click selection
3. Choose Writing Tools
4. Select:
   • Summarize - Brief overview
   • Make Key Points - Bullet list of main ideas
   • Make List - Structured list format

Great For:

• Quick meeting summaries
• Extracting action items
• Creating study notes from lectures

⚠️ Limitations of Voice Memos Transcription

Understanding Voice Memos' limitations helps you know when to use professional tools.

1. No Speaker Identification (Diarization)

What's Missing: Cannot distinguish between different speakers.

Impact:

• Interviews - Can't tell interviewer from interviewee
• Meetings - No participant attribution
• Podcasts - Multiple hosts merged as one
• Panel Discussions - All voices combined

Example:

Actual:
Person A: "What time is the meeting?"
Person B: "It's at 3 PM"

Voice Memos:
"What time is the meeting it's at 3 PM"

2. No Subtitle File Formats

What's Missing: Plain text only—no timestamps.

Cannot Create:

• SRT (SubRip) files for video subtitles
• VTT (WebVTT) files for web video
• Time-coded transcripts

Impact:

• Cannot add captions to videos
• Not suitable for YouTube/Vimeo
• Doesn't meet accessibility requirements
• Cannot use with video editing software

3. M4A File Format Restriction

Limitation: Only M4A files accepted—requires conversion for MP3/WAV.

Common Scenarios Requiring Conversion:

• Podcast downloads (usually MP3)
• Professional recordings (usually WAV)
• Various audio sources

4. English Language Only

Limitation: System must be English for supported countries.

Cannot Transcribe:

• Content in other languages
• Multilingual recordings
• International audio

5. No Advanced Features

Missing:

• No in-app transcript editing
• Cannot export to PDF/Word
• No batch processing
• No project management
• No custom vocabulary
• No team collaboration

6. Accuracy Limitations

Potential Issues:

• Heavy accents may reduce accuracy
• Technical jargon often incorrect
• Background noise affects quality
• Overlapping speakers reduce accuracy

💼 When to Use Professional Transcription

Voice Memos is excellent for personal use. Use professional tools when you need:

Speaker Identification

• Multi-person interviews
• Meeting transcriptions with names
• Podcast episodes with co-hosts
• Focus groups and panels

Subtitle Files (SRT/VTT)

• Video captions and accessibility
• YouTube, Vimeo uploads
• Video editing workflows
• Compliance requirements

Higher Accuracy

• Legal transcriptions
• Medical documentation
• Academic research
• Business records

Multi-Language Support

• International content
• Multilingual meetings
• Foreign language materials

Advanced Features

• Batch processing multiple files
• Export to multiple formats
• AI-powered summaries
• Team collaboration

🎯 VideoToBe: Professional Alternative

When Voice Memos isn't enough, VideoToBe provides professional features.

VideoToBe Express - Free Option:

• No account required
• 3 free transcriptions per day
• 95% accuracy with 90+ languages
• All formats supported (no conversion needed)
• Speaker diarization included
• SRT/VTT export for subtitles
• Email delivery in 2-5 minutes

VideoToBe Studio - Professional Platform:

• Unlimited transcriptions
• Speaker identification with custom names
• Multiple export formats (SRT, VTT, PDF, Word)
• AI chat with transcripts
• Media library management
• YouTube import
• Batch processing
• Team collaboration

📊 Comparison: Voice Memos vs VideoToBe

💡 Best Practices

For Best Results:

Audio Quality:

• Use clean audio with minimal noise
• Ensure speakers are clearly audible
• Avoid overlapping speech

File Preparation:

• Convert to M4A before importing
• Name files descriptively
• Keep file sizes reasonable

Workflow:

1. Record or convert audio to M4A
2. Import to Voice Memos
3. Click transcript icon
4. Review for accuracy
5. Copy transcript to other apps for editing
6. Add context and formatting as needed

🎯 Conclusion

Voice Memos is an excellent free transcription tool for Mac users, perfect for:

Best Use Cases:

• Recording and transcribing personal voice notes
• Quick meeting notes
• Single-speaker recordings
• Audio journals
• Personal lectures and presentations

When to Upgrade:

• Multi-speaker recordings → Use VideoToBe for speaker ID
• Need SRT/VTT files → Use VideoToBe for subtitle export
• Non-English content → Use VideoToBe for 90+ languages
• Professional accuracy → Use VideoToBe for 95% accuracy

Your Next Steps:

For Personal Use:

• Use Voice Memos for quick, free transcription
• Convert files to M4A when needed
• Follow this guide for best results

For Professional Use:

• Try VideoToBe Express free
• Get speaker ID and subtitle exports
• Upgrade to VideoToBe Studio for unlimited

Related Guides:

• How to Transcribe Audio on Mac
• How to Transcribe Audio Using Notes App
• How to Transcribe Audio Files for Free

Start transcribing with Voice Memos today—or upgrade to VideoToBe when you need professional features!