Turn a Voice Memo into Text

Record an idea on your phone, then turn it into an editable sheet in a few clicks.

The microphone button opens Import from Audio. A recording is chosen and transcribed, and the text appears in a new sheet.

Recorded in QuillSpace for Windows. The Mac steps are below.

Step by step on Windows

  1. Open the project and group where the new sheet should go.
  2. Click the microphone button (Import from audio) next to Add New Sheet, above the sheet list.
  3. Click Choose audio file… and pick your recording.
  4. Under Transcription quality, choose Accurate or Light, then click Transcribe.
  5. When it finishes, a new sheet named after your file opens with the transcript, ready to edit.

Tips for Windows

  • The first time you use a quality setting, QuillSpace downloads its speech model once: about 189 MB for Accurate, about 60 MB for Light. After that, transcription works offline.
  • Speak in short, clear sentences. A pause of a couple of seconds after a sentence starts a new paragraph.
  • Accurate is the recommended setting. Light is faster but less accurate.

Step by step on Mac

  1. Select the project or group where the new sheet should go.
  2. Choose File › Import from Audio…, or click + New at the bottom of the middle column and choose Sheet from Audio….
  3. Click Choose… and pick your recording.
  4. Check the Language of the recording, then click Transcribe.
  5. When it finishes, a new sheet named after your file opens with the transcript, ready to edit.

Tips for Mac

  • QuillSpace uses Apple’s speech recognition. The first time you use a language, macOS may need to download it.
  • If macOS asks, allow speech recognition. You can change this later in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Speech Recognition.
  • Speak in short, clear sentences. A pause of a couple of seconds after a sentence starts a new paragraph.

Frequently asked questions

Is my audio uploaded?

Not by QuillSpace. On Windows, transcription runs on your PC, and the only download is the speech model the first time you use it. On Mac, QuillSpace uses Apple’s speech recognition on your Mac. On macOS 15, if your Mac cannot recognize the chosen language on the device, macOS may use Apple’s servers to transcribe it.

Which audio formats work?

On Windows: M4A, MP3, WAV and AAC files. On Mac: any audio file macOS can open. Recordings can be up to 2 hours long on both.

Which languages can it transcribe?

On Windows, English only for now. On Mac, the languages Apple’s speech recognition supports on your Mac; pick one in the Language menu before you transcribe.

Related guides

Download for Windows Download for Mac

Free to start. Windows and Mac are separate apps, purchased separately.

Import from audio is part of the paid plans on Windows and QuillSpace Pro on Mac. See pricing

Last updated: October 3, 2026

▲