How to transcribe video to SRT on Mac — fully local

Updated 2026-07-10 · Runs locally — nothing uploaded

Quick answer

Select automatic transcription, let Whisper run on your Mac, correct the recognized text and choose Export SRT only; no media is sent to a transcription server.

Output: Timed .srt beside the source
Processing: On your Mac
Setup: Model download once, then local
Access: Requires FFmix Pro

For interviews, lectures and sensitive recordings, the important distinction is where recognition happens. FFmix extracts a temporary 16 kHz mono track and runs Whisper locally. The first use downloads the model (about 480 MB); after that, transcription works on-device and the audio is never uploaded.

When recognition finishes, correct names or wording in a text-only review while keeping the timings intact. Choose Export SRT only to save a same-name subtitle file beside the source, or continue to the separate burn-in step when you need permanent captions. Automatic transcription is a Pro workflow; the confirmation and visible-command contracts still apply.

Steps

1 Drop the interview, lecture or video into FFmix and choose Subtitles.

2 Select automatic local transcription and let FFmix download the Whisper model on first use.

3 Choose automatic language detection, transcribe and correct the recognized text without changing timings.

4 Select Export SRT only; FFmix writes a same-name .srt beside the source.

Advanced: canonical ffmpeg recipe

This is the canonical recipe. FFmix adapts encoder flags to the engine on your Mac, then shows the final command; the command shown is the command run.

ffmpeg -i "interview.mov" -vn -ar 16000 -ac 1 "$TMP.wav" && whisper-cli -m ggml-medium-q5.bin -l auto --output-srt "$TMP.wav"

FFmix has a one-click "Interview: transcribe → SRT" preset

Drop a file and go — all local, nothing uploaded.

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FAQ

Is the audio uploaded to a transcription service?

No. Whisper runs on your Mac. The model downloads once on first use, but the media and extracted audio are not uploaded.

Can I edit the transcript before exporting?

Yes. FFmix offers a lightweight text-correction view while keeping Whisper's recognized timing locked.

Is local Whisper transcription included in the free plan?

Automatic transcription is a FFmix Pro workflow. Burning an SRT file you already have remains a separate local subtitle task.