Does Live Recording Transcription for Mac work with audio from any program?

Yes, Live Recording Transcription records Mac audio at the system level, so it does not depend on individual programs. It can transcribe all the sound that the user can hear on their computer — for example, sound in the browser (whether it's YouTube, Coursera, or any other website), sound in any conferencing apps (Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, Telegram, Discord), as well as sound in any specialized program.

Is it possible to record and transcribe a call or meeting without notifying participants, without bots, integrations, or host permission?

Technically, Live Recording Transcription from RiverScript records all audio from your Mac, therefore permission from individual programs is not required. We trust our users and believe that you will use audio recording in a lawful manner. Legislation regarding audio recording may vary in different countries. In some countries, recording other people`s speech is allowed with permission, while recording your own voice and content is almost always permitted. We strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with the laws of your country regarding the recording of other people and content that does not belong to you, and to use Live Recording Transcription only for lawful purposes in accordance with the licenses required in your country.

Does Live Recording Transcription require installing any software?

Yes. Since system audio recording is not possible from a browser, you need to install the RiverScript Desktop Client for your Mac — an application for recording and transcription that offers significantly more features than the web version available on the RiverScript website. The RiverScript Desktop Client includes the Live Recording Transcription feature, as well as the ability to process large files up to 50 gigabytes and up to 8 hours in duration. On average, the RiverScript Desktop Client works 3–5 times faster than the web application, and when working with video it can be tens of times faster. Additionally, all audio files processed in the RiverScript Desktop Client are stored on your Mac until you delete them yourself, whereas in the web application all audio files are automatically deleted after 7 days. Of course, if you currently cannot or do not want to install the desktop application, you can use the web version of RiverScript on the website, but Live Recording Transcription is not available there, and some features are limited by your browser.

What macOS versions does Live Recording Transcription work on?

Live Recording Transcription works inside the RiverScript Desktop Client, which is available for macOS 13 Ventura and later.

What is the maximum duration of audio and video that can be recorded and transcribed using Live Recording Transcription from RiverScript?

The maximum duration of a single recording is 4 hours. This limit was introduced to prevent unnecessary charges in case a user forgets to stop the recording. The 4-hour limit applies only to Live Recording Transcription and microphone speech transcription. A different duration limit applies to the transcription of uploaded audio and video files — 8 hours.

Can recording and transcription be done in one program?

Yes. RiverScript was specifically designed not as a standalone tool, but as a complete workflow for working with audio and text, so users can perform all the tasks they need in one place without having to switch between multiple programs, windows, and tabs, which is common with other transcription solutions. In the RiverScript Desktop Client, you can record audio from any application at the system level, transcribe audio and video, and get formatted text or subtitles with clickable timestamps, obtain text with diarized speakers, edit transcripts while listening to them, store transcripts, and export it in PDF, TXT, DOCX, VTT, and SRT formats. Additionally, if needed, you can directly within the RiverScript application translate your transcripts into 100 languages, generate a summary of the transcript, and ask the AI assistant questions about the content using the AI(Summarize&Ask) feature.

Does RiverScript have a free version?

Yes, RiverScript operates on a freemium model. It offers paid Pro and Premium plans with extensive features, as well as a free option called Free Start, which allows you to transcribe audio and video for free. Every month, Free Start users get 1 media hour of transcription and 25 AI credits, which are used to pay for additional AI features within the application.

How to transcribe internal audio on Mac and convert video to text on MacBook

Capture and convert internal audio or video to text on Mac

RiverScript Client is an all-in-one Mac desktop sound recorder and transcription software designed for MacBook Neo, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and other Apple devices. It lets you transcribe internal audio or video to text with recordings up to 4 hours long.

To ensure high-quality speech-to-text conversion, our developers built custom AI Sync Models by combining the best transcription technologies available with proprietary audio and text processing algorithms. As a result, converting system audio or video into text produces accurate output with proper grammar and punctuation.

Transcribe audio from the screen on any macOS device

The desktop version of RiverScript includes the Live Recording Transcription feature, which records and transcribes system audio, including speech from any source on Apple computers—whether it's a meeting, YouTube, Coursera, or anything else.

Transcription in the RiverScript desktop app is 3–5× faster because it isn't limited by the browser or internet speed. This is especially important if you need batch transcription or have to transcribe huge audio and video files. Video transcription can be many times faster than in the web app because the web app must upload the entire media file to the server, while the desktop app sends only the audio track.

The application is available as a free download from the download page for macOS 13 Ventura and later, making it fully compatible with macOS Sonoma, macOS Sequoia, and macOS Tahoe.

If you need to transcribe an existing QuickTime recording or any other recorded audio or video file, simply use RiverScript's uploaded file transcription feature.

For example, you can convert Voice Memos, screen recordings, and files in MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM, and many other formats into text. Audio and video files transcription is available in both the web and desktop versions of RiverScript, so if you need to get audio notes to text, even a smartphone is enough.

How to use RiverScript Mac transcription software to convert system sound to text

We recommend using the RiverScript desktop app if you need to convert files larger than 1 GB into text or process many files at once. Live Recording Transcription is available only in the desktop app. With this feature, you can transcribe group meetings in Teams or Zoom, as well as record and transcribe private calls in apps such as Telegram.
Sign in using your Google account or email. If you choose email, you'll receive a sign-in link that lets you authorize the desktop app with a single click. Once you're signed in, RiverScript Desktop is ready to record and transcribe everything you can hear on your computer.
You can read the guide on installing and using the app here: Guide to recording system audio on macOS.

First, start recording in the Live Recording tab. When you're finished, click Stop, then click Start transcription in the pop-up window. Once the AI model finishes transcribing the recording, your transcript will appear in the built-in editor. If you prefer, you can disable the pop-up window by checking the "Don't show this again" box.

Text of the transcribed file in the editor

The time required to convert your recording into text depends on the file size, recording length, and your subscription plan. Free Start users have lower processing priority and may need to wait while recordings from Pro and Premium subscribers are processed first. Once the transcript appears in the editor, you can edit it and export it as PDF, DOCX, or TXT.

You can also export your transcript as SRT or VTT subtitle files with timestamps, making it ready for YouTube videos or podcasts on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

If you only need plain text without timestamps, select Text Only in the Result menu before starting the transcription. If you need subtitles with timestamps, select +Timecodes instead.

If you need to record and transcribe an interview with speaker names assigned to each person, this feature is available only with the Premium plan. You can generate speaker-labeled transcripts both with and without timestamps.

Transcribe internal audio on Mac – capture and convert any system sound to text

Capture and convert internal audio or video to text on Mac

Transcribe audio from the screen on any macOS device

How to use RiverScript Mac transcription software to convert system sound to text

F.A.Q.

System audio and video transcript generator on macOS.