ToneMate

Guide · Writing by voice

A speech-to-text writing app for Mac: dictate, clean up, insert

Dictation only helps if the text that comes out is usable. This is a workflow for getting a clean first draft out of your voice, with the transcription kept on your Mac.

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macOS 14 or later · Free while in beta · No subscription

The ToneMate dictation pill while recording: a live waveform, a timer and the label “Release to insert”.
A real capture of the ToneMate panel, running a local model on a Mac.

In short

ToneMate is a speech-to-text writing app for macOS. You hold a shortcut, talk, and the transcription, done locally with a Whisper or Parakeet model, is inserted where your cursor is. An optional AI cleanup fixes punctuation and filler words, and the other ToneMate actions let you rewrite, translate or summarize what you dictated.

Quick facts

  • Transcription is always local: Whisper (4 sizes) or Parakeet TDT 0.6B v3, downloaded once.
  • Push-to-talk by holding the shortcut, or tap to start and stop.
  • An optional cleanup, local by default, that fixes punctuation and filler words.
  • Voice commands in 6 languages and a personal dictionary of up to 100 entries.

How it works

  1. 1

    Say it in full sentences

    Short, complete sentences transcribe better than a stream of fragments, and give the cleanup less to guess.

  2. 2

    Use voice commands for structure

    Say “new line” or “new paragraph” where you want a break.

  3. 3

    Let the cleanup tidy it

    Punctuation, capitals and filler words are fixed, in a style that fits where the text is going.

  4. 4

    Shape the draft

    Rewrite the tone, shorten it, translate it or proofread it with the same panel.

Why the cleanup matters

Raw transcripts are full of “um”, missing commas and run-on sentences. The cleanup fixes that with the text model you chose and falls back to what it heard if the model is slow or misbehaves, so a bad run never makes your text worse. By default it only runs with local models, so your transcript is not sent to a cloud provider unless you decide it should be.

A real recording of ToneMate on a Mac. Time spent waiting for the model is sped up.

Tips for dictating well

  • Speak in complete sentences and pause at the end of each one.
  • Say proper names and product names clearly, then add the ones that get misheard to the personal dictionary.
  • Say “new paragraph” on its own, as a separate phrase, so it is read as a command.
  • Read the result once before you send; a transcript can still contain a wrong word.

The two speech models

The two speech models
Whisper (WhisperKit)Parakeet (FluidAudio)
Sizes in ToneMateSmall, Base, Medium, Large-v3-TurboParakeet TDT 0.6B v3
LanguageDetects the language on its own25 European languages
RunsOn your Mac, after a one-time downloadOn your Mac, after a one-time download
How to chooseTry them with your own voice and languageTry it with your own voice and language

Good to know

What it does not do, and what you need first.

  • You download a speech model once before you can dictate.
  • There is no transcription-language selector yet, and no long continuous dictation.
  • The personal dictionary improves the cleanup but does not yet feed the recognizer.
  • Only the transcription is always local; the cleanup uses your text model, local by default.

Where it helps

  • First drafts

    Talk through an email or a post, then edit.

  • Chat replies

    Dictate where you are, in the style of the app.

  • Notes

    Get your thoughts down with punctuation.

  • A draft in another language

    Dictate, then translate with the same shortcut family.

Frequently asked questions

Is the transcription done on my Mac?

Yes, always. ToneMate has no cloud transcription path: a Whisper or Parakeet model runs on your Mac after you download it once.

Which is better, Whisper or Parakeet?

We do not claim one is better. They differ in sizes and languages, so try them with your own voice and language.

Which apps can it insert text into?

It inserts where your cursor is by pasting, in apps that let you paste text. We have verified it in a text editor and are checking more apps one by one.

What do I need to set up?

A Mac with macOS 14 or later, the Accessibility permission, and a model: either a local one (Ollama or MLX running on your Mac, which ToneMate can install and test) or your own API key from a cloud provider. Dictation also needs a speech model, which you download once. The first setup takes a few minutes.

Can I buy or download ToneMate today?

You can download it, but not buy it yet. ToneMate is in free beta: download the app and request a free license key, which has no fixed end date. The plan for the full version is a one-time purchase that includes 2 licenses; when the first stable version comes out, a 30-day free trial starts.

Keep exploring

Write by voice with ToneMate in the free beta

ToneMate is in free beta. Download it and request a free license key: we email it to you.

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