Getting started with ScribeShot

From download to your first set of notes, including the one decision that trips people up — whether to run the AI locally or bring an OpenAI key.

1. Install

Download the macOS build from the download section and drag it to your Applications folder. The app is signed and notarised with Apple, so it opens without the unidentified-developer warning.

Once installed, ScribeShot checks for its own updates and installs them, so you will not need to come back here for a new build.

2. Pick where your notes live

On first run you choose a folder for your notes. Everything ScribeShot produces — Markdown notes, transcripts, screenshots, chat history — is written into a subfolder per video inside it, as ordinary files.

Two suggestions worth following. Put it somewhere your backups already cover, because these are real files and nothing is stored in the cloud for you. And if you use Obsidian or a similar Markdown vault, point it inside that vault so your video notes sit alongside everything else with no export step.

3. Choose local or OpenAI

This is the decision people ask about most. Both work; neither is a purchase upgrade, and you can switch whenever you like in Settings.

• Local (default). ScribeShot bundles a llama.cpp runtime and downloads a Gemma 4 model once. No API key, no account, nothing sent anywhere, no per-video cost. Budget about 2–3.6 GB of disk for the model, more for the flagship.
• OpenAI. Paste your own API key and pay OpenAI directly — ScribeShot takes no cut. Faster on an older Mac and stronger on very long videos. Your key is stored in the macOS keychain, never on a server.

If you are unsure, start local with the default Gemma 4 E4B model. The local LLM guide covers model sizes, RAM requirements, and when the cloud key is genuinely the better answer.

4. Add your first video

1. Paste a YouTube URL. Watch pages, youtu.be short links, and mobile links all work. ScribeShot fetches the transcript and metadata.
2. Wait for the first pass. Chapters, a summary, and structured notes are generated. On a local model this takes longer than a cloud call — how much longer depends on your Mac and the length of the video.
3. Watch and capture. Hit Screenshot whenever something on screen matters. Each capture is analysed and filed under the note section covering that timestamp.
4. Ask it things. The Chat tab answers from the transcript and from the text inside your screenshots, with timestamps you can click back to.

What the free trial includes

Three videos in total, not three per month, with up to three screenshots each. Local storage and playback are included, and you can use either AI provider. AI chat, mind maps, and AI Video Highlights are unlocked by the Pro licence.

That is deliberately enough to run the whole workflow on a real video before paying. If it does not produce something you would keep, do not buy it.

If something breaks

The fastest route is the support community, where you will be talking to the person who wrote the code. Two things worth mentioning when you report a problem: the video URL, and whether you were running local or OpenAI — those two facts resolve most reports immediately.

Common questions

Do I need an account to use ScribeShot?

No. There is no sign-up and no account. The app runs locally and only contacts Gumroad to validate a licence key if you have bought one.

Where are my notes saved?

In a folder you choose on first run. ScribeShot creates a subfolder per video containing the Markdown notes, transcript, screenshots, and chat history as ordinary files.

Should I start with the local model or an OpenAI key?

Start local with the default Gemma 4 E4B model. It needs no key and no account. Switch to an OpenAI key later if you want more speed on an older Mac or stronger summarisation on very long videos.

Do I have to download updates manually?

No. ScribeShot checks for updates and installs them itself.