# Apple Voice Memos > Extract and process transcripts from Apple Voice Memos synced via iCloud. Use when the user wants to access, read, or summarize voice memos. - Skill: `jessedc/apple-voice-memos` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 4 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add jessedc/apple-voice-memos` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/jessedc/apple-voice-memos/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Research & Search - License: 0BSD - Author: jessedc (https://skillmd.com/u/jessedc) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/jessedc/apple-voice-memos --- # Apple Voice Memos Extract and process transcripts from Apple Voice Memos synced via iCloud. ## Prerequisites Voice Memos must be synced with iCloud on macOS. ## Tools This skill includes two scripts in its `scripts/` directory. Script paths in this document are relative to this skill's directory — your working directory is likely elsewhere, so invoke them with absolute paths (e.g. `python3 /scripts/extract-apple-voice-memos-metadata`). - **`extract-apple-voice-memos-metadata`** — Queries the CloudRecordings.db SQLite database (read-only) and outputs CSV with columns: `title`, `date`, `duration`, `path`, `has_transcript`. Supports optional flags: `--limit N` (default 10), `--offset N`, `--search TERM`, `--after YYYY-MM-DD`, `--before YYYY-MM-DD`. - **`extract-apple-voice-memos-transcript`** — Extracts the embedded transcript from a `.m4a` file's `tsrp` atom. Outputs timestamped text with filler words removed, intelligent line breaks, and paragraph breaks at natural pauses. ## Step 1: Select a voice memo Run the metadata script to find the right recording. Choose flags based on what the user asked for: - **No specific request** → run with no flags (returns 10 most recent) - **User mentions a topic or keyword** → use `--search TERM` - **User mentions a time period** → use `--after YYYY-MM-DD` and/or `--before YYYY-MM-DD` - **User wants to see more results** → use `--offset N` to paginate, or `--limit N` to increase the batch size Flags can be combined, e.g. `--search work --after 2026-01-01 --limit 5`. ```bash python3 scripts/extract-apple-voice-memos-metadata [flags] ``` If the user's request unambiguously identifies a single memo (e.g., "my latest voice memo", or a search that returns exactly one match), proceed directly with that memo without asking. Otherwise, present the results as a numbered list showing title, date, and duration — mark any memo with `has_transcript` = `no` as "(no transcript)" — and ask the user which memo they'd like to work with. **Error handling:** - "Database not found" → Voice Memos iCloud sync is not enabled on this Mac. ## Step 2: Extract and process the transcript Spawn a subagent with fresh context to extract and process the transcript. Do not run the transcript script yourself first — letting the subagent extract it keeps the full transcript out of the main conversation context. The subagent prompt must contain: 1. The `title` and `path` values of the selected recording (from the metadata output) 2. The absolute paths to this skill's `scripts/extract-apple-voice-memos-transcript` script and `PROMPT.md` 3. These instructions: run the transcript script with the recording path, read `PROMPT.md`, append the memo title after the `## Memo Title` heading and the transcript after the `## Transcript` heading, then follow the complete prompt and return the resulting markdown document. If your environment has no subagent or task tool, do the same work yourself: run the transcript script, read `PROMPT.md`, and follow its instructions directly with the extracted transcript. Only run the transcript script directly if the user explicitly asks to see the raw timestamped transcript: ```bash python3 scripts/extract-apple-voice-memos-transcript ".m4a" ``` **Error handling (reported by the subagent):** - "tsrp atom not found" → This recording does not have an embedded transcript. Apple generates transcripts on-device and not all recordings will have one. - File not found → The recording file may not have synced to this Mac yet. ## Step 3: Present the output The subagent will produce a markdown document starting with a `# ` heading, followed by narrative summary, detailed notes, asides, and action items. Insert a metadata block directly beneath the title heading, then present the output to the user: ```markdown # - **Date:** - **Duration:** - **Source:** .m4a ``` After presenting the output, ask the user if they'd like to save it as a markdown file. Suggest a filename in the format `YYYY-MM-DD-slugified-title.md` derived from the memo's title and date (e.g., `2026-02-04-the-soul-of-a-new-machine.md`). Save to the current working directory by default. The user may accept, provide a different name or path, request adjustments to the content first, or skip saving.