On-device transcription
Trace captures your microphone and system audio, then transcribes everything locally on your Mac so the transcript stays on-device.
Overview
Trace is a macOS meeting transcription app that records your microphone and system audio, then transcribes the conversation locally on your Mac. It is positioned for people who want meeting notes without sending audio to a cloud service, adding a bot participant, or creating an online account.
The app presents the result as a markdown transcript with flagged moments embedded inline, plus local session files you can reveal in Finder. It also supports optional calendar-based meeting naming and reminders, and it works as a menu bar tool that stays out of the way until you need it.
Core features
Works over any app
Use a single keystroke to bring Trace up over Zoom, Teams, Meet, Slack, or other apps without opening a separate meeting window.
Timestamped key moments
Press `⌘K` during a call to add a short note or key moment, which is inserted inline at the exact timestamp in the transcript.
Live recap view
Press `⌘?` to expand the live view into the most recent two minutes of transcript, interleaved with any moments you flagged.
Speaker identification
Trace identifies different voices on the call and assigns them unique labels such as Speaker 1 and Speaker 2.
Local file workflow
Sessions appear in the menu bar and in Finder as local audio and markdown files that you can copy, move, rename, or delete.
Common use cases
Private call capture
Record meetings from Zoom, Teams, Meet, Slack, or another app without adding a bot participant or switching windows.
Decision logging
Mark decisions or action items during a live conversation and have them appear at the exact point they happened in the transcript.
Mid-call catch-up
Review the last few minutes of a meeting while it is still happening, using the live recap view to catch up without leaving the flow.
Personal knowledge management
Keep meeting notes as local files you can move into a vault, version in git, or delete from Finder when you are done.
Calendar-assisted recording
Use calendar naming and one-minute reminders to keep recordings aligned with the meeting you are about to join.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Records and transcribes entirely on-device.
- No cloud account, telemetry, or meeting bot is required.
- Outputs editable local files including markdown and audio tracks.
- Supports inline key moments and a short live recap view.
- Can optionally use Mac Calendar or Google Calendar for meeting naming and reminders.
Cons
- Requires macOS 14 or later and Apple silicon.
- Designed as a single-user local tool rather than a shared team notebook.
- First transcription downloads speech and speaker models before offline use is available.
FAQ
Does Trace send a bot into my meetings?
Trace records audio from your Mac and transcribes it locally, so no bot joins the meeting and no transcript is uploaded to a cloud service. It is designed for private, on-device meeting notes on macOS.
What files does Trace create?
Trace outputs plain files on your Mac, including `mic.wav`, `system.wav`, `transcript.json`, and `transcript.md`. The app also presents the transcript as clean markdown that you can copy or reveal in Finder.
What platforms does Trace support?
Trace works on macOS 14 or later and requires Apple silicon. It is a Mac-only app available from the Mac App Store.
Can Trace name recordings from my calendar?
Trace can use your Mac Calendar on-device, or you can connect Google Calendar directly. Calendar access is optional and off by default; Trace uses it to name sessions and show a one-minute reminder before meetings.
Is Trace meant for team collaboration?
Trace is built for single-user, local recording workflows. If you need shared notebooks, live collaboration, or cloud search for a team, the site says Otter is a better fit for that use case.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Meeting transcription
- Platform
- macOS 14+ with Apple silicon
- Availability
- Mac App Store
- Pricing model
- One-time purchase
- Source domain
- traceapp.info
- Primary workflow
- Local recording, on-device transcription, markdown output
Trace 대안
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