This product was not featured by Product Hunt yet. It will not be visible on their landing page and won't be ranked (cannot win product of the day regardless of upvotes).
Private, local transcription for Apple Silicon Macs. Record or import audio/video, review with synced playback, add custom vocabulary, use Quick Dictation anywhere, organize and merge transcripts, and more. No cloud uploads or minute limits.
I built Vocal Notes because I wanted transcription to behave like a Mac tool, not an upload portal. The recognition work runs locally on Apple Silicon, and the transcript stays linked to the original recording so names, numbers, and quotes are easy to verify. It also handles file imports, custom vocabulary, folders, merging, Markdown export, and a global Quick Dictation window. One time payment with no recurring plan or transcription-minute limit. I would especially value feedback on the review workflow and the balance between a full transcript library and lightweight dictation.
how does the custom vocabulary actually work in practice, do i just type in a list of words and it picks them up automatically or is there some training step involved
Finally tried this on my M2 and the local transcription feels surprisingly snappy, especially with custom vocabulary. Synced playback while editing is a nice touch.
Runs smooth on my M2 and the synced playback is genuinely handy for catching missed words in interviews. Love that nothing leaves the machine.
The local-only approach is a nice change of pace, and Quick Dictation actually feels snappy on my M2. I wish the custom vocabulary was easier to manage, but overall it nails the basics without forcing me into a subscription.
How does the accuracy hold up with accents or noisy backgrounds since everything runs locally on-device?
runs entirely offline on my m2 mac and the custom vocabulary actually catches my weird project names correctly, super refreshing
About Vocal Notes on Product Hunt
“Private, on-device transcription for Mac”
Vocal Notes was submitted on Product Hunt and earned 5 upvotes and 7 comments, placing #120 on the daily leaderboard. Private, local transcription for Apple Silicon Macs. Record or import audio/video, review with synced playback, add custom vocabulary, use Quick Dictation anywhere, organize and merge transcripts, and more. No cloud uploads or minute limits.
Vocal Notes was featured in Productivity (656.2k followers), Artificial Intelligence (473.7k followers) and Apple (15.5k followers) on Product Hunt. Together, these topics include over 259.5k products, making this a competitive space to launch in.
Who hunted Vocal Notes?
Vocal Notes was hunted by Allen W. A “hunter” on Product Hunt is the community member who submits a product to the platform — uploading the images, the link, and tagging the makers behind it. Hunters typically write the first comment explaining why a product is worth attention, and their followers are notified the moment they post. Around 79% of featured launches on Product Hunt are self-hunted by their makers, but a well-known hunter still acts as a signal of quality to the rest of the community. See the full all-time top hunters leaderboard to discover who is shaping the Product Hunt ecosystem.
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Allen W