From voice memo to tasks, hours and expenses

Voice-to-task apps are good at one thing: turning a rambling memo into a to-do list. A freelancer walking out of a client meeting needs something else. The three hours go in the time tracker, the parking goes in expenses, and "I'll send her the quote tomorrow" should become a quote draft, not a reminder to write one. That only works when the tool that hears you can also write to the places where your hours and expenses live.

How a voice note becomes three entries

There are two steps. First, a speech-to-text service turns the audio into text. Services like Deepgram and OpenAI's transcription API return the words with punctuation, but they can't know that "Ana" is a client in your records or that "forty" was an amount. Second, an assistant reads that text, splits it into separate actions and matches each one to your data: the client, the project, the expense category. The second step is where mistakes get caught, if the assistant asks before guessing.

How to say it so it comes out right

• One action per sentence. "I worked three hours on Ana's logo. I spent forty-five dollars on an Uber to her office. Tomorrow I'll send her the quote for the brand guide."
• Use the client or project name as it's saved in your records. If the project is called "Café Luna rebrand", say that, not "the coffee people".
• Say amounts with the currency: "forty-five dollars", not "forty-five". Say decimals as "twelve fifty" only if the context makes it clear.
• Say the date if it isn't today: "Yesterday I worked two hours on…"
• Say whether time is billable if it isn't obvious: "one hour on the proposal, not billable".
• Keep it under a minute. A long, wandering note produces a long list of things to check.

In SoloWOS: the microphone in the assistant

1. Open the assistant with Ask AI at the top of any page (or Ctrl/⌘ + J), or use the "What do you need today?" box on Home. Both have a microphone button.
2. Tap it and speak. A counter shows the time; notes stop at 2 minutes. Tap the red square to stop, or Cancel to throw the note away.
3. What was understood appears in the box and is sent after 3 seconds ("Sending what you said in 3 s."). Tap Edit first, type, or tap the box to stop the countdown and fix a name or an amount before sending.
4. The assistant splits the note into actions. Hours go to a time entry for you (never a running timer), money spent goes to an expense, and "I'll send the quote" becomes a quote draft for you to review.
5. If a client or amount doesn't match your SoloWOS data, or a client has several projects, it asks instead of guessing. Anything that would reach a client, like sending the quote, shows as a card with Confirm and send.

The audio goes to SoloWOS's transcription provider (Deepgram or OpenAI) only to turn it into text, with your app language as a hint, and isn't stored by SoloWOS, as a file or anywhere else. The text then goes to Anthropic like any request you type; under Anthropic's commercial terms it isn't used to train their models. Minutes are counted per note, rounded up, and only when the transcription worked (a note with no words still counts, because the provider was paid, and you're told). You can record up to 20 notes an hour. The button only appears when the browser can record and the page is on HTTPS, and hours need Time Tracking to be on.

What to check after a voice note

• The amount and currency on the expense, and the category the assistant picked.
• The project and date on the time entry, and whether it's marked billable.
• The client on the quote draft, and every line before you send it. Prices the note didn't mention stay empty.
• The receipt. A voice note creates the expense without one. Open it and attach the photo, or use Read receipt in Expenses next time for anything with a paper slip.

That last point matters at tax time. The IRS says supporting documents for an expense should show the payee, the amount, proof of payment, the date and a description of what you bought, and that proof of payment alone doesn't establish a deduction. An expense line you dictated is a reminder, not the record. Log business expenses with receipts so each one has its slip attached.

When typing is faster

Voice wins when your hands are busy or you're between places. At a desk, typing "3h Ana logo, $45 Uber" into the assistant takes a few seconds, doesn't use transcription minutes and can't mishear anything. Many freelancers use both: voice on the way out of a meeting, typing for the rest. To see what drafting and logging by AI saves you in a month, try the AI time savings calculator with your own numbers. Everything here runs through the SoloWOS AI assistant; more posts are in AI for freelancers.