Magic Echo

Magic Echo is voice-to-text dictation that works in any application on your computer. Speak naturally and your words are transcribed, cleaned up, and inserted right where your cursor is — no copy-pasting, no switching apps. It even uses on-screen context to improve accuracy.

How it works

1. Press the activation shortcut (default: Option+Z on macOS, Alt+Z on Windows/Linux) to start dictating.
2. Speak naturally — Magic Echo listens and transcribes your speech in real-time.
3. When you stop speaking (or press the shortcut again), the transcribed text is automatically inserted at your cursor position in whatever app you're using.

Magic Echo runs entirely on-device using a local transcription model that is downloaded automatically when you first enable the feature.

Two modes of dictation

Quick dictation

A short press-and-speak interaction. Magic Echo listens until it detects a pause in your speech, then auto-submits the transcription. The Silence Detection setting lets you control how aggressively it detects pauses.

Extended dictation

Hold the shortcut for a longer dictation session. This mode is useful for longer-form content where you want to keep speaking without auto-submission interrupting your flow.

Smart Transcription vs. Raw Transcription

Magic Echo offers two processing modes:

• Smart Transcription — Your speech is transcribed and then processed by your configured LLM to clean up grammar, add punctuation, fix formatting, and apply context-aware corrections. Smart transcriptions count toward your daily free-tier limit (unlimited with Pro).
• Raw Transcription — Your speech is transcribed directly without any LLM processing. This is faster and does not count toward any usage limits, but the output may include filler words and lack proper punctuation.

You can set your Default Processing Mode in settings and use the alternate keybind to quickly switch between modes.

On-Screen Awareness

When enabled, Magic Echo can see what's currently on your screen and use that visual context to improve transcription accuracy. For example, if you're looking at a PDF on your screen and dictating a comment into a Microsoft Teams chat, Magic Echo can use the visible PDF to better understand the context of the comment you're saying if you mention it in your dictation.

Voice Commands

Define trigger phrases that instantly paste a predefined snippet when spoken. Voice commands bypass smart processing entirely and don't count toward Pro invocations.

For example, you could set up:

• "PRD Template" → pastes a markdown template into whatever application you're using
• "sign off" → pastes Best regards,\nYour Name
• "boilerplate header" → pastes a code template

Voice commands are configured in Settings → Magic Echo → Voice Commands.

You can have as many voice commands as you want, and they will all be available to you when you speak. Keep in mind, voice commands should have very clear and distinct names to avoid confusion they must also be the exact phrase you speak to trigger them. AnythingLLM Magic Echo will do some basic fuzzy matching to help you out when it comes to dialect, punctuation, and other variations.

Custom Vocabulary

Add words to help with transcription accuracy — names, technical terms, brand names, or jargon specific to your use case. This is especially useful for uncommon words that the transcription model might not recognize.

Examples: AnythingLLM, GPT-4, Kubernetes, your company name, etc.

Settings & Configuration

Navigate to Settings → Magic Echo to configure:

Past Echoes

Every dictation session is saved and can be reviewed in the Past Echoes panel on the settings page. Each session shows:

• The raw transcription
• The processed output (for Smart sessions)
• Any context screenshots used (if On-Screen Awareness was active)
• Which model processed the transcription

Platform Requirements

• macOS: Requires Accessibility permission to insert text into other applications. You'll be prompted to grant this on first use.
• Windows: No special permissions required.
• Linux: Not currently supported.

Privacy

All transcription and processing happens locally on your device using your configured LLM provider and model. If you're using a cloud-based LLM provider, your transcribed text will be sent to that provider for smart processing — but the audio itself never leaves your machine.

Free Tier & Pro

Magic Echo includes a daily allowance of free Smart Transcriptions. Raw transcriptions and Voice Commands are always free and unlimited.

With AnythingLLM Pro, Smart Transcriptions become unlimited. Get your Pro key to remove all daily limits.