MacWhisper watch folders and batch transcription: transcribe files without opening each one
By Ryleigh Newman · Published
MacWhisper has two ways to transcribe many files. Batch Transcription takes a pile of files you open or drag in together. Watch Folders monitors folders on your Mac and transcribes each new file that lands in them, exporting in the formats you chose. Watch Folders needs a Pro license and is marked beta.
I built YapToText, a different Mac app for dictation and file transcription, so read what I say about MacWhisper with that in mind. Every fact about MacWhisper here comes from its own help center, read on October 10, 2026. The articles are Automatically Transcribing Files in Watch Folders and How to use the Batch Transcription feature.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
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Set up a watch folder
- Open MacWhisper's Settings and go to the Watch Folder Settings page.
- Click Add Watch Folder and choose a folder. Add Another Watch Folder adds more.
- Turn on Auto-Transcribe Watch Folder.
- Click Add Export Format and choose an output type. Expand a format to set its style and options.
Each folder has a folder icon that opens it in Finder and a trash icon that stops watching it. At least one export format has to remain.
With auto-transcribe off
MacWhisper sends a notification when it finds a new file, and you start the transcription yourself in the app. If notifications were denied earlier, turn them on in System Settings, Notifications.
Batch transcription
- Click the Batch Transcription button on the home screen, open several files from Open File, or drag several files onto MacWhisper.
- In the top right, click Add Format for each export format you want. You can add several, including variations of one style.
- Check the bottom left, which shows the combined duration of all the audio, as a guide to how long it will take.
The article suggests it for a backlog of interviews run overnight. Links do not work in a batch yet, only files.
Which to use
From MacWhisper's help center, read October 10, 2026. The pricing page lists batch transcription under Pro.
| Batch Transcription | Watch Folders | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts when | You open or drag files in | A new file appears in the folder |
| Good for | A one-time backlog | A recorder or app that keeps saving files to one place |
| Export formats | Several at once | Several at once |
| Status | A standard feature | Beta |
| From Terminal | The mw command does the same with --output-dir | Not needed |
One file at a time, free
YapToText has no batch mode and no watch folder. It transcribes one file at a time, to plain text, free, on the Mac. For a handful of recordings that is enough. For fifty, MacWhisper Pro's batch tools or the open source Buzz are the better fit. The file transcription guide covers mine, and the open source transcription page covers free tools with a queue or a watch folder.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
The short version
- Watch Folders. Settings, Watch Folder Settings, Add Watch Folder. Pro, beta.
- Auto-transcribe. On for hands-off, off for a notification.
- Batch. Drag several files in and pick export formats.
- Terminal. mw transcribe with --output-dir.
- Free. One file at a time in YapToText, or a queue in Buzz.
If these features change, open an issue on GitHub and I will update this page. Every one gets read.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
Related
Sources
- https://docs.macwhisper.com/article/35-automatically-transcribing-files-in-watch-folders (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://docs.macwhisper.com/article/19-batch-transcription (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://github.com/ryleighnewman/YapToText (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yaptotext/id6786382289 (checked 2026-10-10)
Questions
Does MacWhisper have a watch folder?
Yes. Watch Folders monitors folders you choose and can transcribe each new file automatically. It needs a Pro license and is in beta.
Can MacWhisper transcribe multiple files at once?
Yes. Batch Transcription opens when you drag in or open several files, and exports each in the formats you add.
Can MacWhisper batch transcribe links?
No. Its help article says links do not work in a batch yet.
Where do I set the export format for a watch folder?
On the Watch Folder Settings page, with Add Export Format. Each format expands to show its style and options.
Is batch transcription free in MacWhisper?
MacWhisper lists batch transcription among its Pro features, and its help article says Watch Folders requires a Pro license.