How to search voice memos on a Mac

The short answer

On recent versions of macOS, the Voice Memos app can transcribe recordings and its search field matches words in the transcript as well as the title. Try that first. If your version or region doesn't offer transcripts, or you want to search memos alongside your other recordings and ask questions across them, export the memos to a folder and index them with a local search tool.

Option 1: the search built into Voice Memos

Apple's Voice Memos guide for Mac describes transcription for recordings that contain speech, and a search field that shows only recordings with your text in the title or the transcription. Selecting a word in a transcript moves the playhead to that point. Older recordings can be transcribed when you open them on a Mac that supports it.

Two caveats. Transcription isn't available in every country or region, and it depends on your macOS version, so check what your Mac offers. And the search tells you which memo matches; it doesn't search by meaning, so you need to remember a word that was actually spoken.

Option 2: export the memos to a folder

If you want the recordings outside the app, Apple's guide says you can drag a recording from Voice Memos into a Finder window, or use the share button. Dragging a batch into one folder, say Voice Memos Archive, gives you ordinary audio files you can back up, rename and index with other tools.

Give the most important ones a descriptive name while you're there. Even with good search, a filename like 2024-03 kitchen renovation ideas helps when you're browsing.

How to do it in MediaFind

MediaFind transcribes exported memos on your Mac and searches them by meaning, next to your videos, photos and other audio.

1. Export the memos you care about into one folder, as described above.
2. Add that folder to MediaFind. M4A and the other common audio formats are supported; while the app is open it re-checks the folder about once a minute, so memos you drag in later get indexed too.
3. Add names and terms you use often, such as people, places or product names, so they're spelled right in the transcripts.
4. Search in plain words, e.g. the idea about a subscription box, even if you phrased it differently when recording.
5. Open a long memo's summary and chapters to skim it, or use Ask, e.g. what did I say about the lease? The answer cites the memos and timestamps it used.
6. Click a result to play the memo from that moment, or export the transcript as Word, PDF or text.

Tips and limitations

Memos recorded in a pocket or a noisy street transcribe worse than ones spoken close to the microphone; that affects any tool. Exporting makes copies, so decide whether the Voice Memos app or your folder is the one you keep, and back up the folder.

The free plan indexes up to 10 media files, which is enough to try it on your most-used memos. For a lifetime of recordings, see voice memos and family archives. The mobile companion (beta) can search your library from your phone over Wi-Fi while MediaFind runs on your computer; it doesn't record memos itself.

Frequently asked questions

Can the Voice Memos app search inside recordings?

On versions of macOS that transcribe recordings, yes: Apple says the search field matches text in a recording's title or its transcription. Availability depends on your macOS version and region.

How do I get voice memos off my Mac into a folder?

Apple's guide says you can drag a recording from the Voice Memos window into a Finder window, or share it from the app. The result is an ordinary audio file.

Can I search voice memos by meaning instead of exact words?

Not in Voice Memos itself. A semantic search tool such as MediaFind matches what you meant, so a search for a topic finds memos that use different words for it.

Are my voice memos uploaded anywhere?

Not by MediaFind. Transcription, search and Ask run on your Mac, and after the one-time model download it works offline.