Average typing
40 wpm
Why speak?Your fingers are the bottleneck.
Long emails, notes and prompts often already exist as a complete thought. Typing turns that thought into a slow sentence-by-sentence task. Speaking lets the first version arrive while the idea is still clear.
Natural speech
120–220 wpm
Keep the whole thoughtCapture the idea before parts of it disappear.
Skip the blank pageStart by explaining the point instead of constructing every sentence.
Edit after, not duringGet a complete first version, then improve only what matters.
Illustrative industry benchmarks, not a guaranteed Murmur performance claim. Actual writing time depends on speaking pace, typing ability, transcription accuracy and editing.
Not just a raw transcript
Speak like yourself. Keep the useful part.
Speak without planning every sentence
“Hey, so, can you send that update to the team and actually mention that Friday might be too early, because we are still waiting on the final review?”
Start with a clearer first draft
“Can you update the team and let them know the Friday deadline may need to move while we wait for the final review?”
Keep private work private
Use local speech-to-text for sensitive notes, drafts and everyday writing.
Local without the setup project
Use a polished Mac app instead of configuring models, dependencies and command-line tools.
Free and open-source
No payment, ever — the source is on GitHub if you want to see how it works.
For the writing that interrupts your day.
Murmur is not trying to replace every keystroke. It is for the moments when explaining the thought is easier than typing it from scratch.
The email you keep delayingSpeak the point, then refine the tone.
The note you do not want to loseCapture it while the detail is fresh.
The update that is easier to explainTurn a spoken summary into clear text.
The prompt taking too long to structureDescribe the outcome in natural language.
The journal entry you want kept privateUse local dictation for personal writing.
Private by design
Some thoughts should stay on your Mac.
Use Murmur for sensitive notes, unfinished drafts or personal thoughts without making a cloud transcription history. Local modes are designed to keep the work on the computer in front of you.
Local models process speech on your Mac
Keep working without dependable internet
No account needed for core dictation
Open-source, so you can verify it
Why I built Murmur
JanisBuilding Murmur in the UKMy thoughts are faster than my fingers. That’s the whole reason this exists.
I’m Janis. I manage at a large company where I’m a Microsoft Copilot champion, so I’m around AI tools all day. I built Murmur in my spare time over six months, and I use it every day.
Running locally was never a marketing decision. I didn’t want my speech sent to a cloud I don’t control, so it stays on my Mac — personal notes included. And it’s free and open-source, because I’d rather Murmur be useful to people than locked behind a price.
Free & open-source
Download Murmur. No payment, ever.
MIT-licensed. Source on GitHub. Built for Apple Silicon.
Get Murmur.
Enter your email and the download starts right away — you'll also hear about future updates.
- 1Enter your emailUnlocks instant download. No account, no payment.
- 2Download and open MurmurIt's not notarized yet, so macOS will ask you to confirm the first time — right-click the app and choose Open.
- 3Grant Microphone & AccessibilityOne-time permissions, entirely on your Mac.
Before you download, check your MacMurmur needs an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or later) running macOS 26 or later. It does not run on Intel Macs. Style, Transforms and Polish also need Apple Intelligence switched on.
Prefer to build it yourself? The full source is on GitHub.
Good questions.
Is Murmur fully offline?
Your speech is transcribed on your Mac and your audio is never uploaded. The one exception is the first run, when Murmur downloads the speech model itself; after that, dictation works with no internet connection.
Which Macs are supported?
Murmur needs an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or later) running macOS 26 or later. It does not run on Intel Macs. Core dictation works on its own; Style, Transforms, Polish and Prompt Engineer additionally need Apple Intelligence enabled in System Settings.
Is Murmur free?
Yes. Murmur is free and open-source under the MIT license. Enter your email for an instant download — no payment, ever.
Is the source code available?
Yes, on GitHub. Build it yourself, read how it works, or contribute.
Why do I need to right-click to open it?
Murmur isn't notarized by Apple yet, so the first time you open it, macOS will warn that it's from an unidentified developer. Right-click the app and choose Open, or go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway. You'll only need to do this once.