Audio to text on Mac — speak and it types

Just Parley converts your live speech into text in real time. Hold a key, speak, and your words appear wherever your cursor is. This is live dictation, not audio file conversion.

Messages
S

Can you write up the meeting action items?

Just did — I dictated them straight into the doc. Three action items, all assigned. Check the shared folder.

SpeakingFn
100%
Offline & private
5
Languages supported
<1s
Transcription speed
0
Data sent to the cloud

How audio to text works

Three steps. Real time. No uploading.

1

Hold your hotkey

Press and hold the key you choose (default: Right Option). Your Mac's microphone starts listening.

2

Speak naturally

Talk at normal speed. Just Parley captures your audio and processes it locally in real time.

3

Release to paste

Your spoken words are transcribed and pasted into the active text field — in about 70ms.

Features

Live audio to text, not file upload

Just Parley listens to your microphone in real time and types what you say. No uploading, no waiting, no processing queue.

Sits in your menu bar

No app to open. No window to find. Just Parley lives quietly in your menu bar, always one hotkey away. It stays out of your way until you need it.

Sits in your menu bar

Completely offline

Your audio never leaves your Mac. No cloud processing, no accounts, no data collection. The speech model runs entirely on your machine.

Completely offline

Data sent to the cloud

Five languages, auto-detect

English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Cantonese. Pick one or let the app detect the language automatically as you speak.

English
中文
日本語
한국어
粵語
Auto

Real time, not batch

Just Parley transcribes as you speak and pastes the result the moment you release your hotkey. No file to upload, no progress bar, no waiting.

MailHi team, just wanted to check in on...
SlackSounds good, let's go with option B...
DocsThe quarterly results show a clear...

Why people use Just Parley for audio to text

Real time, not upload

Most audio-to-text tools require uploading a file. Just Parley transcribes live speech as you talk — no files involved.

Lightning fast — 70ms

Transcription starts the moment you stop speaking. No spinner, no waiting.

Any microphone

Built-in Mac microphone, AirPods, external USB mic — Just Parley works with whatever audio input your Mac is using.

100% offline & private

Your audio never leaves your Mac. No cloud, no accounts, no data collection.

See it in action

Messages
S
Sarah11:42 AM
Can we get the notes from the client call?
11:43 AMYou
I dictated them into Notion during the call. Let me share the link now
Y
Dictating with Just Parley

This is live dictation, not file conversion

If you're looking to upload an audio file (MP3, WAV, M4A) and get a transcript, Just Parley isn't the right tool — it's designed for live dictation. You speak into your microphone in real time, and your words are typed into whatever app you're using. Think of it as a faster way to type, not a way to transcribe recordings. For file-based transcription, tools like Whisper or Otter are better suited.

Speak. It types.

One-time purchase. No subscription. No cloud.

Early pricing
$29
one-time purchase
Live audio to text in every Mac app
100% offline — your voice stays on your Mac
5 languages: English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Cantonese
Use on up to 3 Macs
Free updates for life

30-day money-back guarantee.

Frequently asked questions

Can it convert audio files to text?+
No. Just Parley is a live dictation tool — it transcribes your voice from the microphone in real time. For converting audio files (MP3, WAV, etc.), you'll need a different tool like Whisper.
Is it live or upload-based?+
Live. You hold a key, speak into your microphone, and release. Your words are transcribed and pasted instantly. No files to upload, no processing queue.
How fast is it?+
About 70ms after you stop speaking. The speech model runs on your Mac's CPU, so there's no server round-trip and no waiting.
Does it work with any microphone?+
Yes. Just Parley uses whatever audio input device your Mac is set to — built-in microphone, AirPods, Bluetooth headset, USB microphone, or any other connected mic.
Is it accurate for accents?+
Just Parley uses SenseVoice, a speech model trained on diverse accents and speaking styles. It handles most English accents well, plus native-level accuracy for Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Cantonese.