How to transcribe an audio or video file with HoldSay

Turn audio or video into searchable local text.

Turn an existing audio or video recording into a transcript by adding it to HoldSay and reviewing the finished note.

This is useful when a meeting, interview, lecture, or camera recording already exists as a file and you need searchable text with the original media available for replay. The main app workflow creates a library note, while the right-click shortcut in Finder or File Explorer writes a text file beside the source instead.

A file or a whole folder: drop it on the card and everything becomes a transcript.

Add the recording from the main window

Start in the HoldSay main window when you want the transcript to become a note you can replay, edit, rename, and summarize. This is the right path on both Mac and Windows.

First, bring the recording into view in Finder or File Explorer. Then switch back to HoldSay so the Files area is visible. This gives you a clear place to drop the recording and lets you watch its progress immediately.

1. Open the HoldSay main window and choose Files.
2. Drag the audio or video file into the Files area. Drop it where HoldSay says Drag files or folders here to transcribe.
3. Confirm the language when HoldSay asks for it. Choose the language spoken in the recording so the HoldSay Dictation model has the best starting point.
4. Return to the file queue. The new item first shows Queued, then changes to Transcribing.

Add an audio or video file when you want a replayable local note.

For a video file, HoldSay uses the file's audio track for transcription. Keep the source file available until the task is complete.

Watch the queue while transcription runs

Stay in Files after adding the recording. This is the part to show on screen while the task moves from waiting to active transcription. The queue tells you which file HoldSay is working on without requiring you to reopen the source file.

• Queued means the item is waiting to start.
• Transcribing means the HoldSay Dictation model is processing the recording.
• Pause all pauses the queue when that control is available.
• Pause and Resume let you stop and continue an individual task when those controls are available.
• Cancel stops a task you no longer need.

The active row shows which file HoldSay is processing and how far it has progressed.

If you pause a task to free up time for another recording, return to the same queue item and choose Resume. When the transcript is ready, open the resulting note rather than treating the queue entry as the final destination. The note is where you review the words against the recording.

For a video demonstration, point out the change from Queued to Transcribing, then open the note once processing is complete. That transition shows that the file has moved from an import task into a transcript you can work with.

Review the transcript against the recording

Open the imported note after transcription finishes. A first review is most useful when the recording includes names, dates, figures, technical terms, or several speakers. You do not need to replay the entire recording before making the note useful.

1. Use the playback bar to replay a familiar passage. Start with a section whose wording you already know, then compare it with the transcript.
2. Check the beginning and end of the source. These sections often confirm that the recording was imported as expected.
3. Check names, numbers, and other important details. Correct the text where needed.
4. Rename the note. Replace a camera or recorder filename with a title that describes the conversation or event.

Raw shows the continuous transcript without invented speaker names or formatting.

• Add speaker names when the recording is an interview or panel discussion.
• Use a timecode in Speakers to go directly to a passage.
• Create a summary after you have checked the transcript, because the summary uses the text available in the note.

The completed result is a library note with the transcript and source connected for replay. Use this workflow when you need that note experience, not only a standalone text file.

Create a text file from Finder or File Explorer

Use the Finder or File Explorer workflow when you need a transcript saved beside the original media file. It is separate from the library note workflow, so it does not create a library note with playback, editing, or summaries.

1. Locate a supported audio or video file in Finder on Mac or File Explorer on Windows.
2. Right click the file.
3. Choose Transcribe with HoldSay.
4. Wait for HoldSay to write the transcript beside the source file.

Right-click a supported media file and choose Transcribe with HoldSay.

For example, transcribing interview.wav creates interview_transcript.txt in the same location. This makes the right-click route useful when the transcript needs to travel with the original recording in a folder.

If you later decide you need a library note, add the original audio or video file to HoldSay through Files. The text file remains a separate output beside the source.

If transcription does not start or stops

If a file remains unavailable for transcription, check the source before retrying. HoldSay needs access to a media file that opens normally and remains available while the task runs.

A failed row keeps the source visible so you can fix the cause and retry.

• Open the recording in a media player to confirm that the file is not damaged.
• Check that an external drive containing the source is still connected.
• Check that the computer has free disk space.
• If a large file repeatedly fails, copy it to the local drive and try again from there.

After restoring access to the source, return to the file queue and choose Retry. Watch for the item to move from Queued to Transcribing. If you cancelled the task, add the file again when you are ready to transcribe it.

Common questions

Can HoldSay transcribe an existing audio file?

Yes. Choose Files in the HoldSay main window and drop the file where it says Drag files or folders here to transcribe. When processing finishes, the file opens as a library note with the source available for replay.

Can HoldSay transcribe a video file?

Yes, supported video files can be added through Files. HoldSay uses the video's audio track for transcription and keeps the media connected to the note.

Can I transcribe a file from Finder or File Explorer?

Yes. Right-click a supported media file in Finder on Mac or File Explorer on Windows and choose Transcribe with HoldSay. HoldSay writes a sibling _transcript.txt file beside the source. On Windows it also creates a Library note; on Mac the right-click action only creates the sibling text file.

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.