DubScribe is a lightweight macOS utility for low-friction audio capture.
The core workflow is simple:
Shortcut → record → paste
It is designed for moments when you want to capture a short audio clip without opening a full audio editor, managing a voice memo library, exporting a file manually, or transcribing your voice into text.
DubScribe captures the original audio as a pasteable WAV file.
Settings include recording shortcuts, audio input selection, optional mute system audio, pause media playback, and a resume crossover delay slider from 0.0s to 1.0s.
macOS has plenty of ways to record audio, but most involve opening another app, saving or exporting a file, finding it, then attaching or dragging it somewhere.
DubScribe solves a narrower problem:
I want to capture a short audio clip and paste it immediately.
It is designed for low-clutter workflows where reducing small steps matters — especially if file hunting, extra windows, save dialogs, or context switching create friction.
Think of it like a screenshot tool, but for quick WAV audio snippets.
DubScribe is built around reducing small workflow costs.
The intended loop is:
configure once → use a shortcut → paste the result
This may be useful for people who prefer predictable, low-interruption workflows, including users who experience ADHD-related task switching, cognitive overload, or file-management clutter.
DubScribe is not trying to replace platform accessibility tools. It is a focused utility for quickly creating a pasteable audio file with minimal context switching.
- Native macOS app built with SwiftUI
- Apple Silicon focused
- Records short WAV audio clips
- Automatically copies finished recordings to the clipboard
- Global hotkey recording
- Push-to-record and hold-to-record workflows
- Menu bar utility design
- Last recording preview/playback
- Input source selection
- Voice activation support
- Mic test / input feedback
- Optional media pause/resume while recording
- Launch at login
- Local-only: no cloud, telemetry, AI, or transcription
- Download the latest
.dmgfrom the Releases page. - Open the
.dmgand drag DubScribe to yourApplicationsfolder. - Launch DubScribe. (Note: Since this is an unsigned indie app, you may need to Right-Click -> Open the first time, or allow it in System Settings -> Privacy & Security).
You can also install DubScribe with Homebrew:
brew install --cask dangercharlie/tap/dubscribeIf macOS still flags the unsigned app after install, you can remove quarantine from only DubScribe:
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/DubScribe.appSee CHANGELOG.md for release notes.
- Launch DubScribe.
- Grant microphone permission when prompted.
- Set your preferred recording hotkeys in Settings.
- Press your recording hotkey.
- Speak for a few seconds.
- Stop or release the hotkey.
- DubScribe saves the clip as a WAV and copies it to the clipboard.
- Press
Cmd + Vin a compatible app or folder to paste the WAV file.
DubScribe supports multiple quick recording styles:
Hold the configured shortcut to record.
Release the shortcut to stop recording and copy the WAV to the clipboard.
Press the configured shortcut once to start recording.
Press it again to stop recording and copy the WAV to the clipboard.
DubScribe can listen for input above a configurable threshold and automatically record when speech is detected.
The threshold slider helps avoid accidental recordings from background noise.
DubScribe is intentionally small and specific.
- Voice Memos is better for longer personal recordings, but not instant hotkey-to-clipboard capture.
- QuickTime and traditional recorders can capture audio, but usually involve manual saving, exporting, and file hunting.
- Dictation tools turn speech into text. DubScribe keeps the original audio as a pasteable WAV.
- Larger capture tools may handle screenshots, video, and audio. DubScribe only focuses on quick microphone WAV capture.
- macOS
- Apple Silicon Mac
- Microphone access
DubScribe is a local-only utility designed for transparency.
- Offline: no cloud sync, APIs, or network services are used by the app.
- Local storage: recordings are written to your local app container (
~/Library/Containers/). - Hotkeys: uses Carbon APIs (
RegisterEventHotKey) for the shortcuts you configure. - No transcription: voice activation measures microphone volume; it does not convert speech to text.
- No telemetry: no crash reporters, product analytics, or usage tracking.
- No keylogging: DubScribe only responds to its configured recording shortcuts.
DubScribe aims to support simple keyboard and VoiceOver-friendly workflows.
Current accessibility work includes:
- Native SwiftUI controls where possible
- Descriptive labels for icon-only buttons
- Human-readable slider values
- Decorative visual elements hidden from VoiceOver
- A workflow designed to avoid unnecessary windows, save dialogs, and file browsing
Feedback from VoiceOver users, keyboard-only users, and neurodivergent users is very welcome.
DubScribe was created as a small native macOS app experiment using Xcode and AI-assisted development.
Initial product brief and iteration prompts were written with ChatGPT.
The working app was generated and refined in Antigravity using Claude Sonnet 4.6.
This is a vibe-coded project in the plain sense: AI-assisted, human-reviewed, and tested through real use.
The goal was to see whether a focused native utility could be built quickly from a clear product brief:
Make a simple macOS app where a hotkey records a short WAV clip and automatically copies it to the clipboard.
Early release.
The core audio and hotkey systems are stable, but expect some rough edges around edge-case hardware or future macOS updates.
DubScribe is released under the MIT License.
If you find DubScribe useful, consider buying me a coffee!
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