M3U8 Web Stream Transcriber

Extract and transcribe audio from m3u8 web video streams, privacy-first

Problem

Users often need to turn web video or audio into text, but many videos play as m3u8 streams that ordinary transcription tools cannot access. Existing Mac transcription apps only support local files, forcing users to download and transcode before transcribing.

Solution

Extend an existing Mac transcription app with web stream support: enter a page URL, automatically parse the m3u8 playlist and capture the audio stream, then transcribe locally with timestamps. Nothing is uploaded to the cloud, privacy first.

Users

Journalists, researchers, students, and content creators who need to transcribe web video or audio.

MVP

Parse a web m3u8 URL and capture the audio stream; local speech-to-text with timestamped output; batch URLs; editable and exportable transcripts.

Revenue

One-time Mac app license (e.g. $19–$39) with a time-limited free trial.

Why now

Local speech models are now good enough to run offline on a Mac, web video heavily uses m3u8 streams, and existing tools mostly support only local files—a clear gap. A solo developer can iterate quickly from an existing transcription app.