Minutes

Minutes is a free, MIT-licensed open source app that turns meetings, calls, voice memos, and dictation into local Markdown files. It runs on Apple Silicon Macs and Windows, for people who want to read their own notes or let an AI assistant search their conversation history.

Capture, transcription, and storage stay on your machine. Speech recognition uses Whisper or Parakeet, depending on the platform and installed models, while pyannote identifies speakers. Transcripts retain timestamps and speaker labels; optional AI processing extracts summaries, decisions, and action items into the same readable file.

You don't need an account, API keys, or a subscription for recording and transcription. Summarization can use Ollama, local servers, or an OpenAI-compatible gateway. If you choose a cloud assistant or summarizer, Minutes sends that provider the meeting context you authorize.

Its MCP connection lets Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and other clients search across meetings and notes or read live transcripts. The app also has Recall for asking about meetings directly. Markdown files with YAML metadata work outside Minutes, including in Obsidian or your own wiki.

Dictation inserts text at your cursor and saves it to a daily note. On Mac, Minutes can also pick up iPhone Voice Memos for transcription. Consent controls can require confirmation before recording, and sensitive meetings can keep structured notes without capturing audio. Restricted meetings are excluded from agent search and people profiles.