You speak. Text appears. In any language you need.
Whether you're transcribing in your native tongue or translating across languages, modern AI makes multilingual voice-to-text practical for everyday use.
Here's how to set it up and use it effectively.
What's Actually Possible Now
Same-Language Transcription
Speak in Spanish, get Spanish text. Speak in Japanese, get Japanese text.
This works for 100+ languages, including:
- All major world languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, etc.)
- European languages (German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, etc.)
- Asian languages (Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, etc.)
- Many regional and less-common languages
Cross-Language Translation
Speak in one language, get text in another.
Examples:
- Speak French → Get English text
- Speak Japanese → Get German text
- Speak your native language → Get output in your target language
Both Together
Transcribe your voice in its original language, then translate that transcription—all in one workflow.
The Tool: Private Transcriber AI
Private Transcriber AI handles multilingual transcription and translation using two AI models:
Whisper v3 Turbo: Trained on 680,000+ hours of multilingual audio. Handles transcription across 100+ languages with high accuracy for both real-time dictation and audio/video file transcription (MP3, WAV, MP4, MKV, M4A). Highly optimized for M-series Macs with exceptionally fast performance.
Qwen 3.5: A capable language model that handles translation, refinement, and text processing for any audio source.
Can also generate multilingual SRT subtitle files with timestamps—speak in one language, get subtitles in another.
Both run locally on your Mac. No internet required. No cloud processing.
Download Private Transcriber AI for Mac
Setup: Getting Started
Step 1: Install
Download from transcriber.craftby.dev and install. No account needed.
Step 2: First Transcription
Record something in any language. The app auto-detects the language and transcribes accordingly.
Test with your native language first. Confirm accuracy meets your needs.
Step 3: Try Translation
After transcription, select your target language and use the translation feature. Review the output.
Step 4: Configure for Your Workflow
If you regularly work with specific language pairs:
- Learn the interface for quick language switching
- Test your common phrases for accuracy
- Develop patterns that work for your content
Workflow 1: Native Language Transcription
The simplest use case—speak in your language, get text in your language.
Why it matters: Even native speakers benefit from dictation. It's faster than typing in any language, and it handles complex scripts (Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, etc.) without IME complexity.
How to use:
- Trigger recording
- Speak naturally in your language
- Text appears in the same language
- Copy and use
Tips for best accuracy:
- Speak clearly at moderate pace
- Reduce background noise
- Use natural sentences (not single words)
- Common vocabulary transcribes best; rare terms may need editing
Workflow 2: Cross-Language Translation
Speak in your strongest language, output in your target language.
Why it matters: Speaking is often easier than typing in a second language. And formulating thoughts in your native language produces clearer expression.
Example: You need to email a German client but think more clearly in English.
- Record your message in English
- Transcription appears
- Translate to German
- Review and send
Tips for translation:
- Simple, clear sentences translate better than complex ones
- Technical terms may need review
- Cultural nuances might need adjustment
- For important communications, have a fluent speaker review
Workflow 3: Real-Time Multilingual Communication
For ongoing multilingual interaction:
Scenario: You're messaging with someone in a language you read better than write.
- Read their message
- Think of your response (in your native language)
- Dictate your response (in your native language)
- Translate to their language
- Paste and send
Repeat. The conversation continues smoothly despite the language gap.
Workflow 4: Multilingual Note-Taking
Capture information across languages:
Scenario: You attend meetings in multiple languages, or consume content in various languages.
- During Spanish meeting: Dictate notes in Spanish
- During English meeting: Dictate notes in English
- Later: Translate all to your preferred language for unified notes
Or: Attend meeting in any language, dictate your observations in your native tongue, keep everything organized.
Handling Specific Languages
Languages with Non-Latin Scripts
Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Hindi, Russian, Greek, etc.
Whisper outputs in native script. Dictate in Japanese, get Japanese characters. Dictate in Arabic, get Arabic script.
This is particularly valuable because typing in non-Latin scripts often requires complex input methods. Speaking is direct.
Languages with Tonal Distinctions
Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, etc.
Tonal languages transcribe well with modern Whisper. Context helps disambiguate tones.
Accuracy may be slightly lower than non-tonal languages. Expect to review output more carefully.
Languages with Complex Grammar
German, Russian, Finnish, Hungarian, etc.
Grammar-heavy languages transcribe accurately—Whisper handles conjugations and declensions. Translation preserves grammatical structures.
Regional Variants
Brazilian vs European Portuguese, Latin American vs Castilian Spanish, etc.
Whisper handles major regional variants. Specify if you need particular regional output (may require translation adjustment).
Accuracy by Language
Not all languages have equal transcription accuracy. Based on training data:
Highest accuracy: English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese
High accuracy: Most European languages, Korean, Arabic, Turkish, Vietnamese, Thai
Moderate accuracy: Less-represented languages, regional dialects
If your language matters for professional use, test thoroughly before depending on it.
Translation Quality Considerations
AI translation has improved dramatically but isn't perfect:
Works well:
- Common phrases and sentences
- Business communication
- Informal writing
- Technical content with clear vocabulary
May need review:
- Idioms and cultural expressions
- Humor and nuance
- Legal and medical precision
- Poetry and creative writing
Best practice: For important communications, use AI translation as a first draft, then review (or have a fluent speaker review).
Privacy for Multilingual Processing
All processing runs locally:
- Transcription: On your Mac
- Translation: On your Mac
- No data leaves your device
This matters for:
- Business communications in any language
- Personal multilingual conversations
- Sensitive content regardless of language
No third-party translation service sees your content.
Comparison: Translation Options
| Method | Speed | Privacy | Quality | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private Transcriber AI | Fast | High | Good | Subscription |
| Google Translate (typed) | Medium | Low | Good | Free |
| Professional translator | Slow | Varies | Excellent | Expensive |
| Type in target language | Slow | High | Varies | Free |
For routine communication, Private Transcriber AI offers the best speed/privacy/quality balance.
Getting Started with Your Languages
- Download Private Transcriber AI for Mac (link)
- Test transcription in your primary language
- Test translation to your most common target language
- Evaluate accuracy for your typical content
- Integrate into your multilingual workflows
The free tier (15-second limit) lets you test all features across all languages before committing.
The Multilingual Advantage
Language barriers limit opportunity. The ability to communicate across languages—quickly, privately, accurately—opens doors.
Dictation plus translation removes friction from multilingual work:
- Think in your strongest language
- Output in whatever language you need
- Move faster than typing in any language
The technology is ready. 100+ languages, running locally, available now.