https://github.com/piechartsarelies/whispernotes

A powerful, privacy-focused voice-to-text application that runs entirely on your computer (macOS and Windows supported). WhisperNotes serves two distinct purposes: instant transcription for everyday tasks and thoughtful voice journaling with AI-enhanced organization.
https://github.com/piechartsarelies/whispernotes

audio journal transcriber whisper whisper-ai

Last synced: about 1 month ago
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A powerful, privacy-focused voice-to-text application that runs entirely on your computer (macOS and Windows supported). WhisperNotes serves two distinct purposes: instant transcription for everyday tasks and thoughtful voice journaling with AI-enhanced organization.

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/piechartsarelies/whispernotes
• Owner: pieChartsAreLies
• Created: 2025-05-26T21:20:25.000Z (about 1 year ago)
• Default Branch: main
• Last Pushed: 2025-05-28T02:50:06.000Z (about 1 year ago)
• Last Synced: 2025-06-09T13:03:50.251Z (about 1 year ago)
• Topics: audio, journal, transcriber, whisper, whisper-ai
• Language: Python
• Homepage:
• Size: 96.7 KB
• Stars: 0
• Watchers: 0
• Forks: 0
• Open Issues: 0
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md

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README

          
# WhisperNotes

A powerful, privacy-focused voice-to-text application that runs entirely on your computer (macOS and Windows supported). WhisperNotes serves two distinct purposes: instant transcription for everyday tasks and thoughtful voice journaling with AI-enhanced organization.

## What is WhisperNotes?

WhisperNotes combines two powerful tools in one seamless application:

### 1. Instant Voice-to-Text Transcription

Capture your spoken words instantly with a simple keyboard shortcut. Perfect for when you need to:

- Dictate information quickly (credit card numbers, addresses, passwords)

- Take notes while your hands are busy

- Draft emails or messages without typing

- Capture ideas on the fly

### 2. Voice Journaling System

Transform your spoken thoughts into organized, searchable journal entries with AI assistance. WhisperNotes:

- Creates markdown-formatted journal entries from your voice recordings

- Automatically generates concise summaries of your entries

- Stores both the audio recording and transcription for future reference

- Integrates seamlessly with Obsidian vaults (though works with any markdown system)

- Preserves your privacy by processing everything locally

## Features

- 🎙️ Global hotkeys for instant access (`Cmd+Shift+R` for transcription, `Cmd+Shift+J` for journaling)

- ✍️ Local speech processing using OpenAI's Whisper (no internet required)

- 🤖 AI-powered summaries and formatting via Ollama (customizable prompts)

- 📝 Automatic cursor placement for transcribed text

- 📊 Comprehensive logging with timestamps

- 🗂️ Organized storage of journal entries with audio recordings

- 🔍 Searchable journal entries compatible with Obsidian and other markdown systems

- 🎯 Visual recording indicator

- 🖥️ Unobtrusive system tray (menu bar) interface

- 🔒 Complete privacy - all processing happens on your device

## Installation

### Prerequisites

- Python 3.8 or higher

- Git (optional, for cloning the repository)

### macOS Installation

1. **Install Python** if you haven't already:

   ```bash

   # Using Homebrew (recommended)

   brew install python

   ```

2. **Clone this repository** or download the source code:

   ```bash

   git clone https://github.com/stinkysloth/WhisperNotes.git

   cd WhisperNotes

   ```

3. **Install additional audio dependencies** (required for PyAudio):

   ```bash

   brew install portaudio

   ```

4. **Create a virtual environment** (recommended):

   ```bash

   python -m venv venv

   source venv/bin/activate

   ```

5. **Install the required dependencies**:

   ```bash

   pip install -r requirements.txt

   ```

6. **Install Ollama** (for AI-powered journaling features):

   ```bash

   # Install Ollama

   curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh

   

   # Pull the Llama model (or another model of your choice)

   ollama pull llama3

   ```

### Windows Installation

1. **Install Python** from the [official website](https://www.python.org/downloads/windows/)

2. **Clone this repository** or download the source code:

   ```cmd

   git clone https://github.com/stinkysloth/WhisperNotes.git

   cd WhisperNotes

   ```

3. **Create a virtual environment** (recommended):

   ```cmd

   python -m venv venv

   venv\Scripts\activate

   ```

4. **Install the required dependencies**:

   ```cmd

   pip install -r requirements.txt

   ```

   Note: On Windows, PyAudio might require additional steps. If you encounter issues, try:

   ```cmd

   pip install pipwin

   pipwin install pyaudio

   ```

5. **Install Ollama** (for AI-powered journaling features):

   - Download from [Ollama's website](https://ollama.com/download/windows)

   - Install and run Ollama

   - Pull the Llama model:

     ```cmd

     ollama pull llama3

     ```

## Usage

### Running the Application

**macOS**:

```bash

# If using a virtual environment

source venv/bin/activate

python whisper_notes.py

```

**Windows**:

```cmd

# If using a virtual environment

venv\Scripts\activate

python whisper_notes.py

```

### Setting Up Permissions

#### macOS

1. **Grant Accessibility Permissions**:

   - When prompted, go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Accessibility

   - Click the lock icon and enter your password

   - Add the application to the list of allowed applications

   - Add your Terminal or iTerm app to the list

   - If you're using VS Code's terminal, add VS Code to the list

#### Windows

1. **No special permissions required** in most cases, but you may need to:

   - Run the application as Administrator the first time

   - Allow Python through the Windows Firewall if prompted

### Using the Features

#### For Instant Transcription

- Place your cursor where you want the text to appear

- Press the recording hotkey (default: `Cmd+Shift+R` on macOS, `Ctrl+Shift+R` on Windows) to start recording

- Speak clearly into your microphone

- Press the same hotkey again to stop recording

- The transcribed text will appear at your cursor position

#### For Voice Journaling

- Press the journal hotkey (default: `Cmd+Shift+J` on macOS, `Ctrl+Shift+J` on Windows) to start a journal entry recording

- Speak your thoughts, ideas, or reflections

- Press the same hotkey again to stop recording

   - WhisperNotes will:

     - Save the audio recording

     - Transcribe your speech

     - Generate a summary using Ollama

     - Format the text for readability

     - Save everything to your journal directory

5. **Customizing Settings**:

   - Click on the WhisperNotes icon in the menu bar

   - Select "Output Settings" to configure:

     - Transcription output file location

     - Journal directory location

     - Summary prompt customization

     - Format prompt customization

   - Click the + button and add your Terminal or iTerm app

   - If you're using VS Code's terminal, you'll need to add VS Code to the list

## Privacy & Security

WhisperNotes is designed with privacy as a core principle:

- **Fully Local Processing**: All speech recognition is performed on your device using Whisper

- **No Cloud Dependencies**: No audio or transcriptions are sent to external servers

- **Local AI**: Ollama runs locally on your machine for AI-powered features

- **Your Data Stays Yours**: All recordings and transcriptions are stored only on your computer

## Common Use Cases

### Instant Transcription

- Dictating addresses, phone numbers, or other information you need to type

- Taking quick notes during meetings or calls

- Drafting emails or messages hands-free

- Capturing ideas while multitasking

### Voice Journaling

- Daily reflections and personal journaling

- Meeting notes with automatic summaries

- Brainstorming sessions with organized output

- Research notes with searchable transcriptions

- Personal development tracking

- Idea capture for creative projects

## Why WhisperNotes?

Unlike cloud-based alternatives, WhisperNotes offers:

- **Complete Privacy**: No data ever leaves your computer

- **No Subscription Fees**: One-time setup, no recurring costs

- **Customizable Experience**: Adjust settings to match your workflow

- **Markdown Integration**: Works seamlessly with Obsidian and other knowledge management systems

- **Dual Functionality**: Both quick transcription and thoughtful journaling in one tool

## Journal Structure

When using the journaling feature:

- Entries are saved to `~/Documents/Personal/Audio Journal/Journal.md` (customizable)

- Each entry includes a timestamp, summary, and link to the full transcription

- Audio recordings are saved in the `recordings` subfolder

- Detailed entries are stored in the `entries` subfolder

## Logging

- Regular transcriptions are automatically saved to the configured output file (default: `~/Documents/WhisperNotesTranscriptions.md`) with timestamps.

- Journal entries are saved to `~/Documents/Personal/Audio Journal/Journal.md` with timestamps, summaries, and links to detailed entries.

## Customization

You can customize the following in the `CONFIG` dictionary in `whisper_notes.py`:

- Hotkey combination

- Whisper model size (`tiny`, `base`, `small`, `medium`, `large`)

- Audio recording settings

- Log file location

## Troubleshooting

- **App doesn't type text**: Make sure you've granted Accessibility permissions to your terminal app.

- **No audio input detected**: Check your microphone settings in System Preferences > Sound > Input.

- **Installation issues**: Try creating a virtual environment first:

  ```bash

  python -m venv venv

  source venv/bin/activate

  pip install -r requirements.txt

  ```

## Requirements

- macOS 10.15 or later

- Python 3.8+

- Microphone access

- Internet connection (only for first-time model download)

- Ollama running locally (for journal entry summarization)

## License

MIT