VidNotes

Watch. Note. Brief.

Only for Mac

Free · In‑App Purchases

Mac

Take notes that link to the exact second they came from. Now just press Return to save — capture thoughts as fast as you think them. Anchor every thought to a moment. VidNotes turns lectures, podcasts, and interviews into a searchable research library. Take notes that link back to the exact second they came from. Generate AI research briefs that cite every claim with a timestamp. Connect ideas across your entire library through an auto-built knowledge graph. Designed to live on your Mac, not a server. Bundled on-device AI means no API keys, no subscription, no cloud upload, no account. WHO IT'S FOR • Students turning recorded lectures into study able material • Researchers processing podcasts and interview archives • Knowledge workers extracting decisions from meeting recordings • Anyone who watches long-form video and wants to remember what mattered KEY FEATURES Timestamped Notes Type a note while watching — VidNotes anchors it to the current second. Click any note to jump back instantly. On-Device Transcription WhisperKit runs entirely on your Mac. Pick the quality level that fits your machine: Fast (244 MB), Balanced (770 MB), or High Quality (1.5 GB). First download per model is one-time. Three model sizes mean accurate transcripts for technical lectures and interviews. AI Research Briefs Four layers: overview, key claims (each linked to a timestamp), entities, notable quotes, topic map, reading list, open questions, flashcards, and a draft research note ready for Obsidian. Bundled Local AI (Apple MLX) Briefs, chat, and synthesis run on-device through Apple's MLX framework — no API key required. Three model sizes for different speed/quality tradeoffs. Knowledge Graph Every person, book, paper, company, and tool mentioned across your library is auto-extracted, deduplicated, and connected. Click any node to see every video where it appears. Cross-Video Synthesis Surface where your sources agree, contradict, or fill in each other's gaps. Build a citation-rich research document from your whole library. Frame Capture with AI Annotation Press a key to grab any frame. VidNotes runs OCR + content-aware annotation: math becomes LaTeX, code gets language-detected fenced blocks, charts get plain-prose descriptions. Persistent Chat per Video Ask questions, get answers grounded in the transcript and your notes. Conversation persists across tab switches and app launches. Export Everything Markdown, Obsidian (with wikilinks), Anki flashcards, PDF. YouTube Workflow Plays YouTube videos via embed. For videos with public captions, click Transcribe and the transcript fills instantly. For videos without — download the file and drop it in for full WhisperKit transcription, paste a transcript from anywhere. PRIVACY-FIRST • Everything stays on your Mac unless you opt into a cloud AI provider • No analytics, no telemetry, no crash reporting, no account • Your library is a local SQLite database • Cloud AI calls (when enabled) go directly from your Mac to the provider you chose — VidNotes is never in between PRICING (one-time purchase, no subscription) Free — Player, notes, library, search, Markdown export Scholar ($9.99) — Adds transcription, frame capture, OCR, formula recognition, visual timeline, Anki export Researcher ($39.99) — Adds AI briefs, chat, synthesis, knowledge graph, On-device AI via Apple MLX, Obsidian export Pay once. Use forever. No tier downgrades. No surprise renewals. REQUIREMENTS macOS 14.0 or later. Apple Silicon recommended for full Local AI speed (Intel works but slower).

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Faster note capture Saving a note is now a single keystroke: just press Return to save, and Shift+Return to start a new line. Prefer the old way? ⌘+Return still saves too. This one came straight from a user request — thank you for the feedback, and keep it coming.

The developer, Hazrienne Ahmad Feisal, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

  • Data Not Collected

    The developer does not collect any data from this app.

    Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

    The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More

    Seller
    • Hazrienne Ahmad Feisal
    Size
    • 14.7 MB
    Category
    • Productivity
    Compatibility
    Requires macOS 14.6 or later.
    • Mac
      Requires macOS 14.6 or later.
    Age Rating
    4+
    In-App Purchases
    Yes
    Copyright
    • © VidNotes