Video transcription software that runs on your Mac
Viddy records your screen, mic and call audio, then writes the transcript on your own Mac. Every line has a timestamp, you can search it, and Claude can read it through MCP. Transcripts are English only and do not label who is speaking.
How does Viddy transcribe a video?
When you stop a recording in the Mac app, Viddy transcribes it on your Mac with whisper.cpp, an open source C/C++ version of OpenAI's Whisper speech model that runs on the GPU through Metal on Apple Silicon Macs.
Viddy uses the base.en model, the English-only version of Whisper's base model. It is under 150 MB and downloads once from Hugging Face. After that, transcription needs no outside service.
The transcript is saved with the recording, so you do not need to export the audio to a second tool.
Does my audio leave my Mac?
Not for transcription. Recordings made in the Mac app are transcribed on the Mac, and the audio is not sent anywhere to make the transcript.
If you pick Keep on this Mac as the upload mode, nothing uploads until you press Upload, and the transcript stays in a file beside the recording.
Recordings you upload, browser recordings and Windows recordings are transcribed on Viddy's own server with the same model, not by an outside service.
AI titles, summaries and task lists send the transcript text, never the audio or video, to Anthropic. The privacy page lists every provider.
What can you do with a Viddy transcript?
Each line of the transcript has a start time. Click a line and the video jumps to that second.
- Search the transcript from the box on the video page to find the moment a word was said.
- Copy the whole transcript, with or without a timestamp on each line.
- Download it as a text file with timestamps or as SRT subtitles.
- Cut the video by deleting lines in the transcript editor. Save keeps the original, so Restore original brings it back.
- Notes you write during a recording are pinned to the same second, so they line up with the transcript.
Can Claude read your video transcripts?
Yes. Viddy has an MCP server, so Claude, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor or another MCP client can read your transcripts, notes and task lists. You ask in that AI app, with your own Claude or Cursor account, since Viddy itself has no chat box.
Claude can search every transcript you own at once. Ask "which of my recordings mention the launch date?" and it answers with the video and the time.
Claude can also propose cuts with a reason for each one. Nothing changes until you press Apply. Setup takes a few steps on the MCP install page.
Can you transcribe a video you already have?
Yes. Sign in on the web and use Upload to add an MP4, WebM or MOV file up to 500 MB. Viddy transcribes it on its own server and gives you a share link with the transcript.
To record without installing anything, the browser recorder captures a screen, window or tab with your mic in Chrome, Edge or Firefox. Its speech audio uploads first, so the transcript can start while the video is still uploading.
What are the limits?
Transcripts are English only. If you speak another language, Viddy is not the right tool for transcription today.
Transcripts do not label speakers. A call with three people reads as one stream of text with timestamps.
The Windows app is in early access and does not transcribe on the device. Windows recordings are transcribed on Viddy's server after they upload.
Free or Pro
Transcripts come with every plan, including Free. AI task lists are a paid feature. Start free. Pro is $100 a year, or $10 a month.
| Feature | Free$0 | Pro$100 a year |
|---|---|---|
| Recording | 5 hours a month | Unlimited* |
| How long recordings are kept | 12 months | No time limit |
| AI task lists | 20 a month | |
| Live caption credit | Your own Deepgram key | 100 minutes included, or your own key |
| Share links, transcripts and timestamped notes |
* Fair use applies, and is printed on the pricing page.
Questions
Is Viddy free video transcription software?
Yes, the Free plan includes transcripts on every recording, along with auto titles, share links and the transcript editor. Free has a monthly recording limit, shown on the pricing page.
Can I transcribe video offline on a Mac?
Yes. After the speech model downloads once, the Mac app transcribes recordings on your Mac. Choose Keep on this Mac and nothing uploads until you press Upload.
What languages does Viddy transcribe?
English only. Viddy uses Whisper's base.en model, which is built for English. Other languages are not supported.
Does Viddy identify different speakers?
No. Transcripts have timestamps but no speaker labels, so you see what was said and when, not who said it.
Can I export a transcript as SRT subtitles?
Yes. From the video's download menu, choose Subtitles (.srt) for a subtitle file, or Transcript (.txt) for plain text with timestamps.
Can I search across all my video transcripts?
Inside Viddy, search works within one video's transcript. To search every recording at once, connect Claude or another MCP client through the MCP install page and ask it.
Is my transcript sent to an AI company?
Only for AI features. Titles, summaries and task lists send the transcript text to Anthropic, never the audio or video. The transcript itself is made on your Mac or on Viddy's server.
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Get a transcript with every recording
Download the Mac app, record your screen or a call, and the transcript is ready on your Mac when you stop.