Transcription models

Steno transcribes recordings using whisper.cpp, a local port of OpenAI’s Whisper model. All transcription runs on your Mac — no audio is sent to any server.

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Available models

whisper-small is the default and handles most meetings well. The larger models take longer to process but produce noticeably better results for noisy recordings, strong accents, or technical terminology.

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How to change models

1. Open Settings in Steno
2. Select Models → Transcription
3. Choose a model from the list
4. If the model is not yet downloaded, Steno will prompt you to download it

The model is applied to all future recordings. Existing recordings are not re-transcribed automatically, but you can re-run transcription on any recording from its detail view.

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Speed estimates (Apple Silicon)

Transcription runs faster than real-time on Apple Silicon. These are approximate figures for a 30-minute recording on an M-series Mac: On Intel Macs, expect roughly 2-3× slower processing times.

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Language support

All Whisper models support 99 languages. Steno auto-detects the language from the first few seconds of audio — you do not need to configure this manually. English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, and Portuguese perform especially well.

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Accuracy tips

• Record in a quiet environment — background noise is the biggest accuracy factor
• Use a good microphone — system audio capture (both call sides) is more accurate than microphone-only for virtual meetings
• Use whisper-medium for technical content — it handles domain-specific terminology, proper nouns, and acronyms better than the smaller models

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Which model should I start with?

Start with whisper-small (the default). It is fast and accurate for most meeting types. Switch to whisper-medium if you notice accuracy issues with important recordings.

Can I re-transcribe a recording with a different model?

Yes. Open the recording, click the options menu, and select Re-transcribe. Choose the model you want to use. This overwrites the existing transcript.

Does transcription accuracy vary by language?

Yes. Whisper was trained on significantly more English data than other languages. English, Spanish, French, and German accuracy is high. Less common languages may have lower accuracy, particularly for technical vocabulary.