How to replay audio from a HoldSay transcript
Verify difficult passages against the audio.
Keep the transcript and source audio together when exact wording matters.
Both Mac and Windows provide playback controls. HoldSay for Mac also places timecodes beside passages in Speakers so you can jump directly to that part of the recording.
Every line keeps its place in the audio — press play and hear the moment behind the words.
Move from a passage to its audio
When you are reviewing a meeting, interview, or imported recording, a transcript can help you find the right moment quickly. It cannot always show whether a word was spoken clearly, whether a speaker paused before agreeing to something, or whether a short sentence changes meaning when you hear what came before it. Open the recording or imported file in the library, then find the passage you need to verify.
For a long note, use the main Search to locate a name, phrase, number, or term from the passage. Read enough surrounding text to make sure the result is the right occurrence. A repeated client name or technical term can appear several times in one transcript, so the text around it matters before you start playback.
Use a timecode to move from a transcript passage to the matching audio.
Open Speakers. Passages can have a timecode beside them. Click the timecode for the passage you want to check, and playback moves to the corresponding point in the recording. The transcript stays useful as a reference while you listen, especially when the wording begins partway through a sentence.
You can also use the playback bar or waveform to move through the source recording while reviewing the transcript. Position playback near the passage, then listen before and after the sentence rather than judging the excerpt alone. This is particularly important around a speaker handoff, where the transcript may be read as one continuous exchange even though the recording makes the change in speaker clear.
Use the playback controls
Playback controls let you examine the recording without losing your place in the transcript. Start playback when you have reached the likely moment, then pause at the word, number, name, or speaker handoff that needs review. Keep the transcript visible as you listen so you can compare the spoken wording with the text in the surrounding passage.
- Play the recording from the relevant area and pause when you reach the wording you need to confirm.
- Scrub the timeline, or use the waveform on Windows, to adjust the position if playback starts too early or too late.
- Move a little earlier when the selected text begins in the middle of a thought. Listen through the end of the sentence and, when needed, into the next response.
- Change playback speed to match the recording. Slow difficult audio down when speech is unclear, or move through a familiar section faster when you only need to confirm one detail.
The waveform is the timeline: scrub it, pause it, or change the speed without leaving the transcript.
Do not rely only on the moment where the visible sentence starts. A person may correct themselves, finish a number after a pause, or continue a thought across more than one transcript passage. Replaying the lead in and follow up gives you the context needed to decide what the transcript should say.
- Confirm that the spoken word matches the transcript, not just that it sounds similar.
- Check whether the same speaker continues through the passage.
- Confirm numbers, names, and technical terms at normal or slower speed when needed.
Use replay for high value checks
Replay is most useful when the exact wording will affect what you do next. Use the recording to confirm a client commitment before you act on it, a price before you repeat it, an interview quotation before you use it, or a technical term that may have been interpreted incorrectly in the transcript. A speaker handoff is another useful check because it can establish who made a statement or agreed to a next action.
For example, if a transcript says a client accepted a price, replay the sentence before treating it as a commitment. Listen for whether the person stated the amount, asked about it, or said they would return to it later. If an interview passage contains an unfamiliar product name, replay it at a slower speed and compare the sound with the transcript before correcting the spelling.
Replay is most useful when names, commitments or quotations need confirmation.
After listening, correct the transcript when the recording shows that the wording needs to change. This matters beyond the immediate review: the next search and export will use the verified wording. If the original text is correct, no change is needed, but you have confirmed that the transcript reflects the source recording.
Completed notes in History can show Raw, Speakers, Polish, or Summary when that view applies to the source. For wording verification, use the view that gives you the passage and context you need, then return to the audio whenever the text alone leaves doubt.
If the note cannot play its audio
A transcript can only be checked against its recording when the note has access to the source audio. If playback is unavailable, first consider whether the source recording was moved outside the library, whether an external drive holding the source is disconnected, or whether the source file was removed. Restore the file or reconnect the drive before trying to review the passage again.
Open the note inside HoldSay when you need to compare transcript text with audio. A text only export does not contain the source recording, so it cannot provide playback for verification. The exported text may still be useful for reading or sharing, but it is not a substitute for opening the note that retains access to the audio.
Local file library export is optional. If you use it, do not assume that deleting a mirrored Finder folder deletes the note in HoldSay. What matters for replay is whether the note can still access its source recording. Once the audio file or drive is available again, return to the note, find the passage, and use the timecode or the playback controls to verify it.
Open the current local library directly from Settings.
Common questions
How do I jump to a transcript passage in the audio?
Open Speakers and click the timecode beside the passage. You can also use the playback bar or waveform while reviewing the transcript.
Can I change playback speed in HoldSay?
Yes. Use the speed control in the recording player to slow down a difficult passage or review a familiar section faster.
Why will a transcript passage not play audio?
The note may no longer have access to its source recording. Reconnect the source drive or restore the audio file to the local library.
If a label on this page does not match the app, email support@holdsay.com. Include Mac or Windows and the HoldSay version shown in Settings.