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Automating voice memos

Skill SpillwaveSolutions/automating-mac-apps-plugin/plugins/automating-mac-apps-plugin/skills/automating-voice-memos

Agents, Skills and Commands for automating Keynote, Notes, Reminders, Numbers and more using AppleScript and PyXA (JXA too).

Install
npx -y skills add SpillwaveSolutions/automating-mac-apps-plugin --skill automating-voice-memos

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What its author says it does

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Automates Apple Voice Memos (Mac Catalyst, no dictionary) via JXA using filesystem/SQLite access and System Events UI scripting. Use when asked to "automate Voice Memos", "export voice recordings", "access Voice Memos database", or "transcribe voice memos".

SKILL.md

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Automating Voice Memos (no dictionary, data+UI hybrid)

Relationship to the macOS automation skill

  • This is a standalone skill for Voice Memos automation.
  • For setup help, see the automating-mac-apps skill for permissions (Full Disk Access, Accessibility) and the ObjC bridge basics.
  • Prerequisites: Basic JXA (JavaScript for Automation) knowledge; install via macOS System Preferences > Security & Privacy.

Core Framing

  • Catalyst App: Voice Memos is an iOS app adapted for macOS without full macOS APIs, hence no AppleScript dictionary for automation.
  • UI-first: Prefer UI scripting/keyboard shortcuts for exports to avoid touching the database/container.
  • Data (optional): Use data-layer control only if needed (ObjC + sqlite3). This requires broader permissions.
  • Permissions: Accessibility for UI automation; Full Disk Access only if you read/write the container/DB.

Workflow (default)

  1. UI-first (no FDA): export via menu/shortcut to a folder you control.
  2. Optional data path: resolve storage paths; query CloudRecordings.db (Apple epoch +978307200) only if required.
  3. For UI actions (recording/export), drive the app with System Events (shortcuts preferred over clicks).
  4. For editing, prefer external tools (ffmpeg) after export; avoid writing directly into the container unless you accept FDA.

Quickstart (UI-only export; no Full Disk Access)

  • Open Voice Memos and select a recording.
  • Export/share UI: the Share sheet can send audio to Notes/other apps (no direct File > Export).
  • Transcript copy (UI-only, no FDA):
    • Run: osascript skills/automating-voice-memos/scripts/copy_transcript_to_file.applescript "/path/to/output.txt"
    • Defaults: Desktop/voice-memo-transcript.txt if no arg.
    • Shows transcript (if available), selects all, copies, and writes to the target file via clipboard.

Permissions

  • Accessibility: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility > Enable for System Events and your automation app (Terminal/Python/Script Editor).
  • Full Disk Access: Only if you read/write the Voice Memos container/DB directly. UI-only exports do not require FDA.
  • Verify: For UI-only, confirm you can open the Export menu and interact with the save dialog. For data access, verify ${home}/Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.VoiceMemos.shared/.

Validation Checklist

After implementing Voice Memos automation:

  • Verify Accessibility permissions granted for Terminal/Script Editor
  • Confirm Voice Memos app opens and responds to UI scripting
  • Test transcript copy script executes without errors
  • Validate output file contains expected transcript text
  • For data access: verify Full Disk Access and database path exists

Troubleshooting

  • Permission denied: Verify Full Disk Access and Accessibility permissions.
  • Database locked: Close Voice Memos app before querying.
  • File not found: Check macOS version for correct storage path.
  • UI automation failures: Ensure Voice Memos is focused and Accessibility is enabled.

When Not to Use

  • For cross-platform audio recording (use ffmpeg or platform-agnostic tools)
  • When you need programmatic audio capture (use AVFoundation directly)
  • For iOS Voice Memos automation (no API available)
  • When Full Disk Access cannot be granted

What to load

  • Start with basics & prerequisites: automating-voice-memos/references/voice-memos-basics.md (setup and core concepts).
  • UI automation: automating-voice-memos/references/voice-memos-ui.md (shortcuts, AX scripting).
  • Data access (if needed): automating-voice-memos/references/voice-memos-data.md (storage paths, epochs, database schema).
  • Recipes: automating-voice-memos/references/voice-memos-recipes.md (exports, transcripts, recording control).

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