Overview

AudioWhisper is a lightweight macOS menu bar app for quick voice-to-text conversion. Activate it with a hotkey, speak, and the transcribed text is automatically copied to your clipboard and optionally pasted into the active app. It supports multiple transcription engines including OpenAI Whisper, Google Gemini, WhisperKit for on-device CoreML transcription, and Parakeet-MLX for multilingual local processing. A standout feature is semantic correction, which uses local MLX models or cloud providers to fix typos, punctuation, and filler words with app-aware categories for terminal, coding, and email contexts. AudioWhisper also supports file transcription for existing audio, searchable transcription history with retention policies, and a usage dashboard. Free and open-source under the MIT license.

Minimum macOS: 14.0 (Sonoma)

Architecture: Apple Silicon, Intel

Key Features

Multiple transcription engines: OpenAI Whisper, Google Gemini, WhisperKit, and Parakeet-MLX
Hotkey activation with standard, express, and press-and-hold push-to-talk modes
Semantic correction using local MLX or cloud providers to fix typos and punctuation
App-aware correction categories for terminal, coding, and email contexts
File transcription for converting existing audio files to text
Searchable transcription history with configurable retention policies
Smart paste with automatic focus restoration to active app
Auto-boost microphone input with live level meter
Usage analytics dashboard for tracking transcription activity
API keys stored securely in macOS Keychain
Installable via Homebrew or direct download from GitHub Releases