Recording
There are two ways to start a recording:
- Hotkey - Press Option + Space (default) from any app. Press again to stop.
- Floating bar - Click the floating bar at the top of your screen to start. Click again to stop.
Your transcribed text is automatically pasted where your cursor was. No copy-paste needed.
The Floating Bar
The floating bar is your always-visible Shoute indicator:
- Idle - Shows the Shoute icon and name. Hover to see your microphone name.
- Recording - Shows audio level bars and a timer. Hover to see the microphone in use.
- Processing - Shows a pulsing animation while your audio is being transcribed.
You can drag the floating bar anywhere on screen. It remembers its position across app restarts. Double-click to reset it to the default centered position.
Menu Bar
Click the Shoute icon in your menu bar to access:
- Recent transcriptions - Copy or retry your last few transcriptions
- Settings - Configure hotkey, microphone, language, and more
- History - View all past transcriptions via "View All"
- About - Feature tips, version info, and legal links
Settings
| Theme |
Choose between Dark, Light, or System appearance |
| Model |
Turbo (fastest) or Large (most accurate) |
| Format with AI |
Cleans up grammar, punctuation, and filler words automatically |
| Local fallback |
Uses on-device model when cloud is unavailable |
| Language |
Choose your language or set to auto-detect |
| Visual feedback |
Icon changes and tooltips during recording |
| Start sound |
Play an audio cue when recording begins |
| Microphone |
Select which input device to use |
| Hotkey |
Click to record a new key combination |
Troubleshooting
- Hotkey doesn't work - Make sure Shoute has Accessibility permission in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility.
- No audio detected - Check that the correct microphone is selected in Settings and that Shoute has Microphone permission.
- Transcription is slow - Try enabling "Local fallback" in case of network issues. Check your internet connection.
- Text isn't pasted - Ensure your cursor is in a text field before recording. Shoute pastes via the clipboard.
Need Help?
Check our FAQ for common questions, read the full product guide, or email [email protected] for direct support.