Audio Transcription
Overview
Audio Transcription converts audio recordings into timestamped text. You open it from an audio file or folder in your Workspace, run transcription, and optionally generate a translation in a target language. Outputs include editable transcripts with timestamps and exported files in selectable formats. AI output requires review, especially for noisy audio and for names, addresses, and specialized terms.
When to Use This Application
- You need a written transcript of an interview, call, or recording for review or disclosure.
- You need searchable text from long recordings and want to filter for keywords before saving.
- You need both the original transcript and a translation for collaboration or reporting.
- You need an export format suitable for subtitles or downstream tools (for example
SRT). - You need to process multiple recordings in one batch by transcribing a folder.
Before You Begin
- Store the audio files in a Workspace folder you can access.
- Confirm your audio format is supported (for example
MP3,WAV,FLAC,M4A,OGG). - If you plan to save outputs, confirm you have write access to the destination folder.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Step 1 — Open the application
Open the app from your workspace in one of these ways:
| Starting point | Action |
|---|---|
| Single file | Right-click an audio file and select Transcribe Audio |
| Folder | Right-click a folder and select Transcribe Audio to load all audio files in that folder |
After launch, the app loads the selected files and shows a status indicator for each file.
Step 2 — Review the main screen
After files load, the main screen shows:
- A file list for the loaded audio files
- An embedded audio player
- Transcription options Use the audio player to preview the recording before you start transcription.
Step 3 — Transcribe audio
To run transcription, select Transcribe!. The app:
- Detects the spoken language automatically
- Transcribes the audio
- Shows a progress bar while processing
- Displays the transcript with timestamps when complete Each timestamp links the text segment to the point in the audio where it was spoken.
Step 4 — Transcribe with Translation (Optional)
Use translation when you need the transcript in another language.
- Enable Translation: Check the Include audio translation option.
- Select Language: Choose a target language from the dropdown menu.
- Start Transcription: Click Transcribe!.
The progress bar will show:
- Transcription: First half
- Translation: Second half
After processing, the app displays the original transcript alongside the translation.
Available Target Languages:
- English
- Spanish
- French
- German
- Italian
- Portuguese
If a direct translation path isn't available, the app automatically routes through English.
Step 5 — Review and edit the transcript
Use the timestamp buttons to verify content:
- Play the audio in the embedded player.
- Select a timestamp to jump to that moment in the recording.
Edit content directly in the transcript:
- Click into any transcription or translation text field.
- Enter corrections.
Edits remain in the current session and are included when you export.
Step 6 — Filter results (optional)
Use filtering to find specific topics or words in long recordings.
- In the left sidebar, enter one or more keywords in the filter input.
- Review the filtered list of segments that match.
You can filter in two modes:
| Mode | Effect |
|---|---|
| Per-file filtering | Applies only to the current file |
| Global filtering | Applies the same filter across all loaded files |
Enable global filtering using the switch in the sidebar.
The filter uses smart keyword matching. For example, searching for run may also match related forms such as running or ran. When translation is enabled, matching works across both the transcription and translation text.
Step 7 — Save transcripts
Use the save panel in the left sidebar to define what should be exported.
| Option | Available choices |
|---|---|
| Scope | Current file or all files |
| Content | Transcription, or translation if enabled |
| Sections | All sections or filtered sections only |
| Destination | Original folder or a custom workspace folder |
| Format | Any format available in the output format list |
Select Save Transcripts to export the result. The app shows a confirmation message when saving is complete.
Understanding the Output
After transcription, you work with a timestamped transcript displayed in a three-column layout. Key behaviors:
- Each row represents a sentence or spoken segment.
- Each row includes a timestamp you can select to jump playback to that moment.
- When translation is enabled, the app displays original and translated text side by side.
- You can edit text directly, and those edits carry into exported files.
Saving and Exporting Results
You export transcripts using the save options panel.
- What you save:
- Current file or all files
- Transcription and/or translation
- All sections or filtered sections only
- Where output ends up:
- Original folder, or
- A custom folder path in your Workspace
- What formats you can export:
- Selectable formats from the output format list
If you save filtered sections only, the exported file includes only the matching segments and their timestamps.
Tips for Best Results
- Use clear audio recordings. Background noise reduces accuracy.
- Use timestamps to verify names, addresses, and critical statements.
- Filter before saving when you only need a segment of a long recording.
- Use folder-level transcription for batch processing, then save All files once.
- Review translations for proper nouns and legal terminology. Replace terms manually where needed.
- Keep the original transcript alongside the translation when sharing outputs.
Known Limitations
| Limitation | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Accuracy drops with noisy audio or overlapping speakers | Background noise, accents, and simultaneous speech reduce transcription quality |
| Language detection may be inaccurate on short or mixed-language clips | Review the output carefully in these cases |
| Translation quality varies by language pair and terminology | Proper nouns and domain-specific terms often need manual correction |
| Smart keyword matching may include related forms you did not intend | Review filtered exports before sharing them |