How to transcribe voice memos

Voice memos are the fastest way to capture an interview, a meeting, a podcast idea or a rough take. Turning them into text is just as quick. There are two ways to do it: the transcript built into the iPhone Voice Memos app, or a timestamped transcript in Notetracks that you can edit, search and share with your team.

Option 1: Use the transcript in Voice Memos (iPhone)

The Voice Memos app can transcribe speech on iPhone 12 or later, in English and several other languages, including Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean and Chinese.

1. Open Voice Memos and tap the recording you want to transcribe.
2. Tap the More button (•••) to view the transcript.
3. Copy part of the transcript, or copy the whole thing.

This works well for a quick note to yourself. It's less useful when you need to check what was said at a specific moment, fix names, tell speakers apart or get notes from other people.

Option 2: Get a timestamped transcript in Notetracks

If the memo is an interview, a podcast segment or anything other people need to review, a transcript with a timestamp on every line is easier to work with. Click a line and playback jumps to that exact moment.

Step 1: Export the memo from your iPhone

1. In Voice Memos, tap the recording.
2. Tap More (•••), then tap Share.
3. Tap Save to Files and save it somewhere you can reach from your computer, such as iCloud Drive, Google Drive or Dropbox. You can also send it to yourself by AirDrop or email.

Step 2: Upload it to Notetracks

1. In Notetracks, click New Project and give it a name.
2. Click Add Track and upload the memo, or drag and drop the file. If you saved it to Google Drive or Dropbox, you can import it from there directly.

Step 3: Transcribe it

1. Open the Transcription pane on the right and click Transcribe.
2. Choose the language and the number of speakers, so a two-person interview comes out right.
3. After a short wait, the transcript appears with a timestamp on every line.

Step 4: Check, edit and share

• Click any line to hear that moment and check a quote or a name.
• Fix the text where needed, then copy it for notes, show notes or an article.
• Invite your team to comment right on the transcript or the waveform. Collaborators can comment for free.

Which option should you use?

• A quick note to yourself: the Voice Memos transcript is enough.
• An interview, podcast or meeting you'll quote from or share: use a timestamped transcript, so you can jump to any line, label speakers and collect comments in one place.

See more about transcription with timecodes in Notetracks, or read how to transcribe any audio file.

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