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Transcript Templates Guide

Overview

Transcript Templates in Speakr allow you to customize how your transcriptions are formatted when downloading them. Instead of a fixed format, you can create multiple templates for different use cases - whether you need timestamps for subtitles, speaker-focused formats for interviews, or screenplay-style formatting for media production.

Accessing Transcript Templates

  1. Click on your username in the top-right corner
  2. Navigate to Account Settings
  3. Select the Transcript Templates tab

Understanding Template Variables

Templates use placeholders (variables) that get replaced with actual transcript data:

Available Variables

  • {{index}} - Sequential number of the transcript segment (1, 2, 3...)
  • {{speaker}} - Name of the speaker (e.g., "Speaker 1", "John", etc.)
  • {{text}} - The actual spoken text/content
  • {{start_time}} - When the segment starts (format: HH:MM:SS)
  • {{end_time}} - When the segment ends (format: HH:MM:SS)

Filters

Variables can be modified using filters by adding a pipe (|) symbol:

  • {{speaker|upper}} - Converts speaker name to UPPERCASE
  • {{text|upper}} - Converts text to UPPERCASE
  • {{start_time|srt}} - Formats time for SRT subtitles (HH:MM:SS,mmm)
  • {{end_time|srt}} - Formats time for SRT subtitles (HH:MM:SS,mmm)

Creating Your First Template

Step 1: Click "Create Template"

In the Transcript Templates section, click the Create Template button.

Step 2: Fill in Template Details

Template Name: Give your template a descriptive name - Examples: "Interview Format", "Subtitles SRT", "Meeting Minutes"

Description (Optional): Add a brief description of when to use this template - Example: "Use for client interview transcriptions"

Template: Enter your format pattern using variables - Example: [{{start_time}}] {{speaker}}: {{text}}

Step 3: Set Default (Optional)

Check "Set as default template" if you want this template to be pre-selected when downloading transcripts.

Step 4: Save

Click Save to create your template.

Common Template Examples

1. Simple Conversation

{{speaker}}: {{text}}
Output: 
John: Hello, how are you today?
Sarah: I'm doing great, thanks for asking!

2. Timestamped Format

[{{start_time}} - {{end_time}}] {{speaker}}: {{text}}
Output: 
[00:00:01 - 00:00:03] John: Hello, how are you today?
[00:00:04 - 00:00:07] Sarah: I'm doing great, thanks for asking!

3. Interview/Q&A Format

{{speaker|upper}}:
{{text}}
Output: 
INTERVIEWER:
What brought you to this field?

GUEST:
I've always been passionate about technology...

4. SRT Subtitle Format

{{index}}
{{start_time|srt}} --> {{end_time|srt}}
{{text}}
Output: 
1
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,000
Hello, how are you today?

2
00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:07,000
I'm doing great, thanks for asking!

5. Meeting Minutes Style

• [{{start_time}}] {{speaker}}: {{text}}
Output: 
• [00:00:01] John: Let's begin today's meeting with updates.
• [00:00:05] Sarah: I'll start with the marketing report.

6. Screenplay Format

                    {{speaker|upper}}
        {{text}}
Output: 
                    JOHN
        Hello, how are you today?

                    SARAH
        I'm doing great, thanks for asking!

7. Court Transcript Style

{{index}}    {{speaker|upper}}: {{text}}
Output: 
1    ATTORNEY: Please state your name for the record.
2    WITNESS: My name is John Smith.

Using Templates When Downloading

Method 1: From the Transcript View

  1. Open a recording with a transcription
  2. Click the Download button next to the transcript
  3. Select your desired template from the popup
  4. The transcript will download in your chosen format

Method 2: Set a Default Template

  1. Edit a template and check "Set as default template"
  2. This template will be pre-selected when downloading
  3. You can still choose a different template at download time

Method 3: Download Raw Transcript

  • Select "No Template (Raw Export)" to download the transcript without any formatting
  • Useful when you need to process the text in another application

Managing Templates

Editing Templates

  1. Click on any template in the list to open it
  2. Modify the name, description, or format
  3. Click Save to update

Deleting Templates

  1. Open the template you want to delete
  2. Click the Delete button
  3. Confirm the deletion

Creating Default Templates

If you have no templates, click Create Default Templates to generate a comprehensive set of starter templates: - Simple Conversation - Clean format with just speaker names - Timestamped - Basic format with time ranges - Interview Q&A - Professional interview format - Meeting Minutes - Bulleted format for meeting notes - Court Transcript - Legal deposition style with line numbers - SRT Subtitle - Standard subtitle format for content creation - Screenplay - Script formatting for creative projects

Advanced Tips

1. Multi-line Templates

You can create templates with multiple lines by adding line breaks: 

=================
Time: {{start_time}}
Speaker: {{speaker}}
Message: {{text}}
=================

2. Combining Filters

Use multiple filters in the same template: 

[{{start_time|srt}}] {{speaker|upper}}: {{text}}

3. Creating Separators

Add visual separators between segments: 

{{speaker}}: {{text}}
---

4. Indentation for Readability

Use spaces or tabs for indentation: 

    {{start_time}} | {{speaker}}
        {{text}}

Use Cases

For Journalists

Create an "Interview Format" template with timestamps and speaker labels for easy reference when writing articles.

For Researchers

Use a numbered format with timestamps to cite specific moments in recorded interviews or focus groups.

For Content Creators

Export in SRT format for adding captions to podcasts or other multimedia content, or use screenplay format for creative audio scripts and productions.

For Business Meetings

Create a "Meeting Minutes" template that clearly shows who said what and when, perfect for action items and follow-ups.

Use court transcript style formatting with line numbers and uppercase speaker names for depositions and testimonies.

For Podcasters

Format transcripts for show notes with timestamps that listeners can click to jump to specific topics.

Integrating with External Tools

Transcript templates become even more powerful when you combine them with external applications. Here are some practical integrations people use:

Obsidian and Note-Taking Apps

If you use Obsidian, Logseq, or similar markdown-based note apps, you can set up automatic export of your transcripts. Speakr includes an auto-export feature that automatically writes completed transcripts to markdown files.

Enable auto-export by adding these settings to your .env file: 

ENABLE_AUTO_EXPORT=true
AUTO_EXPORT_DIR=/data/exports
AUTO_EXPORT_TRANSCRIPTION=true
AUTO_EXPORT_SUMMARY=true

Then map the exports directory to your note app's folder in docker-compose.yml: 

volumes:
  - ./uploads:/data/uploads
  - ./instance:/data/instance
  - /Users/username/Documents/Obsidian/Transcripts:/data/exports

Create a default transcript template in your Speakr settings that formats the way you want - the auto-export system uses your default template. When a recording finishes processing, Speakr automatically writes a markdown file to the exports directory with metadata, summary, and formatted transcription.

Files are organized into subdirectories by username, so multiple users can export to the same vault without conflicts. Obsidian picks up these markdown files automatically, and you can reference them in daily notes, link them to related content, and search across all your transcripts.

Automated Processing Workflows

Mount Speakr's upload directory as a Docker volume pointing to a location your automation tools can access. Create a template that exports in a structured format (like JSON or CSV), then use scripts to process the files automatically.

For example, export client call transcripts to a folder that triggers a script to extract action items and add them to your project management tool. Or export interview transcripts to a research folder where analysis software picks them up for coding and categorization.

The key is creating a template that produces the exact format your downstream tool expects, then using file system watching or scheduled scripts to move the files where they need to go.

Subtitle and Content Creation Workflows

Create SRT-format templates and export transcripts for use in content creation projects. The SRT format provides time-coded text that can be used for subtitles in multimedia content, podcast show notes with timestamps, or any project where you need synchronized text.

If you're creating multimedia content, you can export these transcripts to folders that your editing software monitors. Some tools watch specific directories for subtitle files - save your Speakr transcripts there, and they appear automatically for integration.

This eliminates the manual export-import-format cycle when you're producing content from your audio recordings.

Documentation Systems

Groups using wikis or documentation platforms can create templates that match their documentation format. Export meeting transcripts in the right format, clean them up minimally, and publish them to the group wiki. Some groups have scripts that take Speakr exports and create wiki pages automatically, preserving the discussion context for future reference.

Example: Obsidian Auto-Export Setup

Here's a complete setup for automatic export to Obsidian:

  1. Enable auto-export in .env: 

    ENABLE_AUTO_EXPORT=true
AUTO_EXPORT_DIR=/data/exports
AUTO_EXPORT_TRANSCRIPTION=true
AUTO_EXPORT_SUMMARY=true

  2. Map exports to Obsidian vault in docker-compose.yml: 

    volumes:
  - ./uploads:/data/uploads
  - ./instance:/data/instance
  - /Users/username/Documents/Obsidian/Transcripts:/data/exports

  3. Create a default transcript template in Speakr settings with the format you want: 

    [{{start_time}}] {{speaker}}: {{text}}

  4. Restart Speakr to apply the changes: 

    docker compose restart

Now when any recording finishes processing, Speakr automatically writes a markdown file to your Obsidian vault with: - Metadata (date, participants, tags, processing times) - Notes (if you added any) - AI-generated summary - Formatted transcription using your template

Files appear in subdirectories by username, so alice gets her transcripts in Transcripts/alice/ and bob gets his in Transcripts/bob/. Obsidian indexes these automatically, and you can link to them from daily notes, search across all transcripts, and reference them alongside your other knowledge.

This same approach works with Logseq, Notion (if you set the export directory to Notion's import folder), or any markdown-based knowledge management system.

Troubleshooting

Template Not Appearing

  • Ensure you've saved the template
  • Refresh the page if needed
  • Check that you're logged into the correct account

Variables Not Replacing

  • Verify variable names are spelled correctly
  • Ensure double curly braces {{}} are used
  • Check that the transcript has the required data (speakers, timestamps)

Download Issues

  • Ensure the recording has a completed transcription
  • Try downloading without a template first to verify the transcript exists
  • Check your browser's download settings

Best Practices

  1. Name Templates Clearly: Use descriptive names that indicate the purpose
  2. Test Your Templates: Download a sample transcript to verify formatting
  3. Keep Multiple Templates: Create different templates for different use cases
  4. Document Complex Templates: Use the description field to explain when to use each template
  5. Start Simple: Begin with basic templates and add complexity as needed

Need Help?

If you encounter issues or have questions about transcript templates: 1. Check this guide for examples and troubleshooting 2. Try the default templates as a starting point 3. Report issues at GitHub Issues

Last updated: December 2024