How to transcribe meetings on a Mac locally
To transcribe meetings locally on a Mac, use a local recorder, save the transcript as files, and keep the archive on your machine. Transcripted records from your Mac and writes clean notes, markdown, JSON, and an index without a meeting bot.
Steps
- 1
Download Transcripted on your Mac
Install Transcripted on an Apple Silicon Mac, then choose a local folder for the notes and transcript files.
Pick a folder you can find later, such as a dedicated Meetings folder or a folder inside your notes system.
- 2
Join your meeting like normal
Open Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, FaceTime, Loom, or another meeting app. Transcripted records from the Mac instead of joining the call as a separate participant.
- 3
Start local capture
Start recording when the call begins. Keep the meeting consent rules for your team or region in mind, just as you would with any recording tool.
- 4
Let Transcripted write the files
After the meeting, keep the readable note, markdown transcript, JSON sidecar, and transcripted.json index in your local archive.
- 5
Search or reuse the meeting later
Open the note directly, search the local folder, or point Claude, Cursor, Obsidian, or an agent workflow at the same files.
Why local meeting transcription works well on a Mac
Your Mac is already in the meeting. That makes it a natural place to capture audio, write the transcript, and keep the final notes.
A local workflow also makes the output easier to own. You get files you can back up, move, search, and use with other tools.
- No meeting bot has to join the call.
- The transcript starts as your local file.
- You can use the same archive with notes apps and AI tools later.
What to save after each meeting
A useful meeting archive should have more than a summary. Save the readable note for yourself, the transcript for detail, and structured data for search or agent workflows.
Transcripted writes markdown and structured files so you do not have to export from a dashboard later.
How to make the notes useful for AI later
Do not wait until you need an agent to clean up the archive. Keep meeting notes in consistent folders from the start.
That gives Claude, Cursor, MCP clients, and scripts a clear place to read from when you want to ask what happened across old calls.
Keep going
Common questions
Can I transcribe Zoom meetings locally on a Mac?
Yes. Transcripted records locally from your Mac, so it can work alongside Zoom and other meeting apps without joining as a bot.
Does local meeting transcription mean audio never leaves my Mac?
Transcripted is designed around local files and local processing. Your notes and archive start on your Mac instead of a cloud meeting note service.
What file formats should I keep?
Keep the readable note, the markdown transcript, the JSON sidecar, and the transcripted.json index. Together they support reading, search, and agent use.
Turn Mac meetings into local notes.
Record locally, keep the files, and reuse the archive when you need it.