| name | whisnap |
| description | macOS CLI for transcribing audio and video files using local Whisper models or Whisnap Cloud. |
| homepage | https://whisnap.com |
| metadata | {"clawdbot":{"emoji":"🎙️","requires":{"bins":"[Truncated]"},"install":["[Truncated]"]}} |
whisnap
Use whisnap for transcribing audio/video files from the terminal. Requires the Whisnap macOS app with at least one model downloaded.
Setup (once)
- Open Whisnap app → Settings → Advanced → Enable CLI (creates
/usr/local/bin/whisnap symlink)
- Download at least one Whisper model in the app
Common commands
- Transcribe audio:
whisnap recording.wav
- Transcribe video:
whisnap meeting.mp4
- Cloud transcription:
whisnap recording.wav --cloud
- JSON output with timestamps:
whisnap lecture.m4a --json
- Specific model:
whisnap interview.wav -m small-q5_1
- Cloud + JSON:
whisnap recording.wav --cloud --json
- List downloaded models:
whisnap --list-models
- Verbose diagnostics:
whisnap recording.wav -v
Supported formats
- Audio: WAV, MP3, FLAC, M4A, OGG
- Video: MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM
Flags
-c, --cloud — Use Whisnap Cloud instead of local model (requires sign-in)
-m, --model <ID> — Override model (e.g., small-q5_1). Defaults to app's selected model.
-j, --json — Structured JSON output with text, segments, timestamps, model info
-v, --verbose — Print progress and diagnostics to stderr
--list-models — List available models and exit
JSON output format
{
"text": "transcribed text",
"segments": [{ "start_ms": 0, "end_ms": 1000, "text": "segment" }],
"model": "small-q5_1",
"backend": "whisper",
"processing_time_ms": 5000
}
Notes
- The CLI reuses models and settings from the Whisnap app (
~/Library/Application Support/com.whisnap.desktop/).
- Cloud mode requires authentication — sign in via the app first.
- For scripting, use
--json and pipe stdout. Diagnostics go to stderr.
- Exit code
0 = success, 1 = error.
- Only Whisper models are supported in CLI mode (not Parakeet).
- Confirm the file path exists before transcribing — the CLI validates but does not search.