Hey HN! A few months ago, all I wanted was a voice memos where I could hold-to-record. Holding and releasing lets me “burst” quick chains of thoughts together. It’s especially useful when walking with friends, to capture stray references and ideas.
After testing the initial burst interaction, I realized I wanted to transcribe them, and relate notes together into a hierarchy. Other features came naturally, like geotagging each note and swiping during recording to change the “temperature” (importance) of a note.
This is brilliant - simple, novel, local, open source. Love it.
I had a dream at the beginning of the pandemic that people who spend all day in Zoom calls might be able to spend all day hiking as well. I tried quite hard to make it work a couple of times - big USB battery in the backpack - but LTE signal was never good enough up in the hills here.
Thank you, I was just thinking today that I needed a tool exactly like this.
My go-to brain dumping tool is simple note but it's too much separation between an ephemeral thought and the process of recording it.
Especially clever because I think all the tools to do this have existed for basically as long as Android has existed, but this is a very good application of those tools.
Okay, this is super cool. When I started taking walks I found I was thinking through a lot of things but didn't have a way to remember all the things. So I started using the voice transcription notepad (so nice that people these days are less hostile to someone walking down the street mumbling about things :-)). In my case I was stuck taking the document and then re-editing/moving it over to Evernote manually which I didn't always want to do. This looks like it will replace my workflow with a single tool. That is super awesome.
One feature request would be 'activate by airpod tap' so I wouldn't even have to hold my phone, just tap my airpods to make a note.
Super clean setup on iOS! Can’t wait to try it out, the concept is lovely.
I use notion a TON but it’s not great for the most immediate time sensitive notes.
Do you think you could integrate google calendar / reminders in some way? A lot of the kind of notes I would record on this kind of app have some form of either deadline, or are only relevant after a certain date or time. For example, “check in on this thread Monday morning”. I use google calendar reminders for this right now as they stack up but it’s not a great solution.
I'm less bullish on specific deadlines for these kinds of notes. I'm planning to do a weekly summary notification - "you made X notes last week, Y of them were high-priority" https://github.com/maxkrieger/voiceliner/issues/20
If this would support a bluetooth PTT microphone, it would be perfect. Then I could leave the phone in my pocket and have tangible, physical buttons to record with. I don't like messing with a touchscreen when out and about.
This looks really cool. I'v been looking for something like this for a while. Is there an APK download? I don't use the google store and the github page didn't seem to have an obvious link?
I've thought about taking voice notes before, though I've imagined that as more of a private hands-free thing. I'm curious what your experience of using it in public or with others around (the walks with friends, but also family or colleagues?) is like?
(I sometimes go on a walk while I talk myself through a problem; I've noticed I almost always stop speaking while someone else is in earshot. I suspect I'd also be inclined to avoid taking voice notes with others around.)
It’s certainly awkward! I’m personally willing to stomach it because it’s kinda cool to “invent a new social primitive”, as dorky as it appears. There’s a very real tradeoff between mere awkwardness and fumbling with a text entry/forgetting the thing altogether.
I also recently rolled out a “create text note” escape hatch in the menu.
I think this is exactly what I've been looking for. I like going for walks and listening to audiobooks and podcasts, and I've been using Google's recorder as a way to "highlight" my findings, but it doesn't let me add to existing recordings so I can't collate sessions together.
If this had automagical sorting / hierarchy of my recordings based on key words, or allowed me to "shuffle" my entire collection of recordings according to a few pre-set algorithms, this would be interesting.
Example: I spend 5 weeks recording 200 sound bites about real estate development in PR. I do no organization. I click a button in the app marked "Organize by opportunity". It sorts my recordings into 4 folders with 2-3 nested with titles like "The Tulum project" and "Evan's group".
I don't particularly need transcription because I don't want to do any of the work implementing the feature I just described ...
As it is, it looks neat but I'll stick with iOS built-in recorder.
How would any non-domain specific tool (ie a voice recorder app for real estate or even real estate in PR" even know what "opportunity" means.
It could do a loose keyword match but unless you used the words "Tulum" or "Evan" how would it know to link notes together without context on who Evan is?
Awesome!!! I have had it in the back of my mind for years to do something like this. I am so glad that you have stepped up. Very, very much needed. Now I just need to figure out how best to bulk transcribe the hours and years of audio recording...
I tried to do this for my rambling half-hour in-car voice "notes" using AWS S3 -> Lambda -> Transcribe. I got the flow working but the transcript is literally unplayable and I'm not sure how to get it to a usable quality. I have vague plans to experiment with IBM Watson but it's way back-burnered.
Was looking for something like this just today. Does it support hands-free operation (or while we're at it, does someone else know something that does)?
This is currently my main criterion. I want something that captures my thoughts while hiking without seeing or touching the screen. Currently dabbling with Siri shortcuts, but they're pretty buggy and lacking.
So if Voiceliner could either support the Shortcuts API and/or switch into a mode that's press-to-record / or start-stop, but somehow works on the connected Airpods only, that would be awesome.
Bonus points for re-reading the transcription to me and very light editing on top (like document switching).
If anyone is curious of a workflow that might work on ios: Settings > Accessibility > Back Tap. You can then assign a Shortcut to run when you tap the back of your phone.
The taps are finicky for me, maybe because of my phone case. I might try them out again and see if it's worth ditching my case.
I've wanted exactly-this for years. I've sketched a few versions but it stayed on the back-burner for me, partly because friends/etc didn't see the appeal.
This sounds great to take quick but organized notes for my use case - researching and prototyping, but when the notes need to be converted into a more formal 'report' later.
Amazing! I’ve been looking for a way to put down my thoughts for a while, tried carrying a pocket notebook.. the notes app.. zen journal .. but writing is so much friction .. I used voice notes for a while but couldn’t search them for later so it was difficult.. I hope this is the one ^^
on iOS, it's on-device. on Android, Azure - so far I haven't hit the free limit of 5hr/mo. Might start charging Android users if we hit the free limit.
Oh this is great. Just tried it out. A couple feature wishes:
- Sync the audio + text somewhere (although maybe this can be done with SyncThing already?)
- Add a widget / app action to support one-tap voice notes from the home screen
Great app! And this comes from a guy who has _very_ few apps installed on his phone!
Would it be difficult to have it recognize a different language? (german)
Interesting. I've mostly achieved this with BlitzMail (basically, one button to an open textbox that emails to yourself.) But I might check this out as well.
maxkrieger|4 years ago
After testing the initial burst interaction, I realized I wanted to transcribe them, and relate notes together into a hierarchy. Other features came naturally, like geotagging each note and swiping during recording to change the “temperature” (importance) of a note.
The app is open source and written in Flutter.
ashishb|4 years ago
pjs_|4 years ago
I had a dream at the beginning of the pandemic that people who spend all day in Zoom calls might be able to spend all day hiking as well. I tried quite hard to make it work a couple of times - big USB battery in the backpack - but LTE signal was never good enough up in the hills here.
lazyresearcher|4 years ago
Cyphase|4 years ago
maxkrieger|4 years ago
glenstein|4 years ago
My go-to brain dumping tool is simple note but it's too much separation between an ephemeral thought and the process of recording it.
Especially clever because I think all the tools to do this have existed for basically as long as Android has existed, but this is a very good application of those tools.
ChuckMcM|4 years ago
One feature request would be 'activate by airpod tap' so I wouldn't even have to hold my phone, just tap my airpods to make a note.
nefitty|4 years ago
scrollaway|4 years ago
I use notion a TON but it’s not great for the most immediate time sensitive notes.
Do you think you could integrate google calendar / reminders in some way? A lot of the kind of notes I would record on this kind of app have some form of either deadline, or are only relevant after a certain date or time. For example, “check in on this thread Monday morning”. I use google calendar reminders for this right now as they stack up but it’s not a great solution.
maxkrieger|4 years ago
mongol|4 years ago
boardwaalk|4 years ago
Looks like there's an issue: https://github.com/maxkrieger/voiceliner/issues/35
KennyBlanken|4 years ago
I don't understand why in 2021 Bluetooth degrades to "worse than a 1970's land line" in quality as soon as something tries to use the microphone.
dmd|4 years ago
https://web.archive.org/web/20161231051940/http://getmyle.co...
thomas536|4 years ago
ridaj|4 years ago
afandian|4 years ago
wanderingmind|4 years ago
abathur|4 years ago
I've thought about taking voice notes before, though I've imagined that as more of a private hands-free thing. I'm curious what your experience of using it in public or with others around (the walks with friends, but also family or colleagues?) is like?
(I sometimes go on a walk while I talk myself through a problem; I've noticed I almost always stop speaking while someone else is in earshot. I suspect I'd also be inclined to avoid taking voice notes with others around.)
maxkrieger|4 years ago
I also recently rolled out a “create text note” escape hatch in the menu.
loginx|4 years ago
I'll be trying this on as a replacement.
ccvannorman|4 years ago
Example: I spend 5 weeks recording 200 sound bites about real estate development in PR. I do no organization. I click a button in the app marked "Organize by opportunity". It sorts my recordings into 4 folders with 2-3 nested with titles like "The Tulum project" and "Evan's group".
I don't particularly need transcription because I don't want to do any of the work implementing the feature I just described ...
As it is, it looks neat but I'll stick with iOS built-in recorder.
mynameisvlad|4 years ago
It could do a loose keyword match but unless you used the words "Tulum" or "Evan" how would it know to link notes together without context on who Evan is?
rendall|4 years ago
vonunov|4 years ago
endymi0n|4 years ago
This is currently my main criterion. I want something that captures my thoughts while hiking without seeing or touching the screen. Currently dabbling with Siri shortcuts, but they're pretty buggy and lacking.
So if Voiceliner could either support the Shortcuts API and/or switch into a mode that's press-to-record / or start-stop, but somehow works on the connected Airpods only, that would be awesome.
Bonus points for re-reading the transcription to me and very light editing on top (like document switching).
Is there something like that?
nefitty|4 years ago
The taps are finicky for me, maybe because of my phone case. I might try them out again and see if it's worth ditching my case.
twobitshifter|4 years ago
meesterdude|4 years ago
hangtwenty|4 years ago
I've wanted exactly-this for years. I've sketched a few versions but it stayed on the back-burner for me, partly because friends/etc didn't see the appeal.
I'm really excited to try it out.
karmanyaahm|4 years ago
pchangr|4 years ago
jcun4128|4 years ago
mellonaut|4 years ago
maxkrieger|4 years ago
iansinnott|4 years ago
- Sync the audio + text somewhere (although maybe this can be done with SyncThing already?) - Add a widget / app action to support one-tap voice notes from the home screen
realty_geek|4 years ago
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
And open sourcing it too - can't love you more ;)
QuibbleQuota|4 years ago
Kraftwurm|4 years ago
jrm4|4 years ago
andersonrkton|4 years ago
maxkrieger|4 years ago
ijidak|4 years ago
Love the initial setup wizard. Great way to teach the user, clarifying what various permissions are for.
daguar|4 years ago
stewbrew|4 years ago
junon|4 years ago
cycomanic|4 years ago
andersonrkton|4 years ago
maxkrieger|4 years ago
QuibbleQuota|4 years ago
throwoutway|4 years ago
mvkel|4 years ago
gibolt|4 years ago
copperx|4 years ago
imperialdrive|4 years ago
leobg|4 years ago
meesterdude|4 years ago
cbreynoldson|4 years ago
wielebny|4 years ago
maxkrieger|4 years ago
worewood|4 years ago
maxkrieger|4 years ago
DarylZero|4 years ago