How to Transcribe Audio to Text on Mac

Have an interview, lecture or voice note you want to read instead of replay? Utter can turn your recording into text you can edit, copy into a document or save as a file.

You’ll need Utter on your Mac and a saved audio or video file. If you haven’t installed the app yet, download Utter and follow the setup steps.

1. Open Transcribe Files

Open Utter, go to Home, then choose Transcribe Files in the Tools section.

You’ll see an Add Files area. This is where you add the recording you want to turn into text.

2. Add your recording

Before adding a file, check Default Mode in the top-right corner. A mode is a saved set of settings for how Utter transcribes and formats your words. You can keep the current selection to get started.

Drag your recording from Finder into Add Files. You can also click the area and choose a file from your Mac.

Don’t have a recording handy? Download this short sample and use it to try the steps. It’s a 15-second recording made with a computer-generated voice.

3. Open your transcript

Your file appears in Transcription Queue while Utter works on it. When it finishes, click See Full Transcript to open the text.

You can find it again later in Transcripts in the sidebar.

4. Read through and make any edits

Choose Original in the bottom picker to read the speech transcript. If your mode also rewrites the text, Enhanced shows that version.

You can edit the text directly in Utter. Give names, dates and amounts a quick check against the recording—these are easy places for a transcription mistake to slip in.

For example, if someone says “Thursday at two thirty,” check that the transcript says Thursday at 2:30. If a word is unclear, listen to that part again before changing it.

5. Copy the text or save a file

Choose whichever is easiest for what you’re doing next:

• Paste it into Notes, Word or an email: click Copy to Clipboard in the toolbar—the two overlapping pages—then press ⌘V in your document.
• Save a text file: open Export in the toolbar—the square with an upward arrow—and choose Original Transcript. Pick a folder and save the .txt file.
• Save the rewritten version: choose Enhanced Transcript from the same Export menu, if available.

That’s it. You now have text you can search, edit or share.

Transcribing recordings regularly?

You can have Utter watch a folder so you don’t need to add every file yourself:

1. Go back to Transcribe Files.
2. Under Automatic Folders, click Add Folder… and choose a folder.
3. Choose its mode and leave Enabled switched on.

New audio and video files placed in that folder will be transcribed automatically. See the folder setup guide for more help.

Want each finished transcript saved to your Mac too? You can also turn on automatic text-file export.

If something doesn’t work

The file won’t start: check that Default Mode has a selection, then retry the file from the queue. Try the short sample above if you’re unsure whether the issue is with your recording.

The text needs corrections: open the transcript and edit it in Utter. Keep the recording nearby so you can replay any unclear words.

You want to work offline: follow the local setup guide first. You’ll need to download a compatible speech model. If you also use AI rewriting, set that up locally too.

Still stuck? Contact support with the error message and the version of Utter you’re using.

Looking for a different way to transcribe?

If you want to compare file transcription apps before choosing one, read Utter vs MacWhisper. If you want to speak directly into a document instead of importing a recording, see dictation versus file and meeting transcription.