Up and Running in Five Minutes

Installing Echo is a single drag-and-drop, but there are a few things worth knowing before you start so your first session goes smoothly. This walkthrough covers the download, the initial setup, and what to expect once Echo is quietly running in your menu bar.

What Do You Need Before You Install?

Echo requires macOS 13 (Ventura) or later, on any Intel or Apple Silicon Mac. You will also need your licence key, which is delivered to your email address immediately after purchase. There is no account to create and no server to connect to; Echo stores everything on your device.

How Do You Install Echo Step by Step?

1. Download the app. Go to the Echo homepage and download the latest version. The download is a standard macOS disk image (.dmg) file.
2. Open the disk image. Double-click the downloaded file to mount it. A Finder window will open showing the Echo app and a shortcut to your Applications folder.
3. Drag Echo to Applications. Drag the Echo icon onto the Applications folder shortcut. macOS will copy the app across. This is important: running Echo directly from the disk image rather than from Applications can cause unexpected behaviour.
4. Eject the disk image. Once the copy has finished, drag the mounted disk image to the Bin or press the eject button in the Finder sidebar. You no longer need it.
5. Launch Echo. Open your Applications folder and double-click Echo. Because Echo is downloaded from outside the Mac App Store, macOS may ask you to confirm you want to open it the first time. Click 'Open' to proceed.
6. Enter your licence key. On first launch, Echo will ask for your licence key. Paste the key from your purchase email and confirm it. Echo validates the key on your device; no personal data leaves your Mac during this step. One licence covers up to three Macs, and all future updates are included.
7. Find Echo in the menu bar. After activation, Echo retreats to your menu bar. You will see a small icon appear alongside your other menu-bar items at the top right of your screen. That is Echo, quietly running and ready to record.

What Happens After You Activate?

From this point Echo works automatically. Whenever you play music, podcasts, or anything else on your Mac, Echo captures it in the background. You do not need to open any window or press any button for recording to begin.

When you want to return to something you were listening to earlier, press ⌘⇧E anywhere on your Mac to bring Echo forward. Your full history is there, and you can jump straight back into any track. For a closer look at that flow, see your first resume with Echo.

Does Echo Need a Browser Extension Too?

The native app captures everything that plays through macOS directly, including dedicated music apps and any player that routes audio through the system. If you also listen in a web browser, the optional browser extension extends Echo's reach to those sessions. It is a separate, optional step covered in full in the browser extension setup guide.

Is Your Privacy Protected?

Echo is entirely on-device. Your listening history never leaves your Mac, there is no cloud sync, and there is no account. The licence validation that happens on first launch is the only network request Echo makes that relates to you; the listening data itself stays local at all times. You can read more about exactly what Echo records in what Echo remembers and where it listens.