I am dictating all of this right now using Spokenly on Mac, and it’s been a genuine game changer for how I work. This isn’t just about transcription—it’s fundamentally changed my entire workflow.
Why Spokenly vs Everything Else
I chose the native transcription option so I can see what it’s typing in real-time, and the accuracy is impressive. Before this, I was using ChatGPT’s web interface for transcription, then copy-pasting the results into whatever app I actually needed. What a waste of time that was.
Now I just hit my right Command key (I bound Spokenly to it), and I’m immediately dictating into whatever application I’m using.
The Workflow Transformation
This has genuinely changed how I work. I dictate a lot of my notes now, most of my interactions with LLMs, and I work so much faster because of it.
Instead of typing out long explanations or detailed questions for Claude or other AI tools, I just speak them naturally. The transcription is accurate enough that I rarely need to edit, and it’s so much faster than typing.
Better Than Setapp Alternatives
The transcription app that comes with Setapp (Murmur) is honestly useless compared to Spokenly. Don’t bother with anything else if you’re looking for dictation on Mac.
You can hook up your OpenAI API key if you want, but since Whisper is open-source, you can just use the native transcription. API costs for transcription are dirt cheap anyway, but if you don’t want to use system memory for local processing, the API option works great too.
Real-World Usage
I’m using this for:
- Long-form writing like this blog post
- LLM interactions - much faster than typing detailed prompts
- Meeting notes - real-time transcription during calls
- Code documentation - explaining complex logic naturally
- Quick thoughts - capturing ideas without breaking flow
The Technical Setup
I bound it to my right Command key for instant access. The large model with real-time transcription means I can see exactly what it’s understanding as I speak, which gives me confidence to keep talking naturally.
Why This Matters
This isn’t just about convenience—it’s about removing friction from thought to text. When I can speak as fast as I think instead of being limited by typing speed, the entire creative process changes.
For anyone doing a lot of writing, documentation, or AI interactions on Mac, Spokenly is worth trying. It’s one of those tools that immediately changes how you work, and you wonder how you functioned without it.
The fact that I’m dictating this entire post should tell you something about how seamlessly it integrates into actual workflows.