Audio & Video Transcription

Transcribe audio and video files from the vault into structured Obsidian notes using read_file to send binary media directly to the model.

Supported Formats

Audio: .wav, .mp3, .aac, .flac, .webm (audio-only)
Video: .mp4, .mpeg, .mov, .flv, .mpg, .webm, .wmv, .3gp

Size limit: 20 MB per file (Gemini inline data limit).

How to Transcribe

1. Use read_file with the path to the audio/video file — the binary data is sent directly to the model for processing.
2. Listen to/watch the content and produce a transcription.
3. Use write_file to save the transcription as a markdown note.

Transcription Format

Structure transcriptions as follows:

---
tags:
  - transcription
source: "[[original-file.mp3]]"
date: YYYY-MM-DD
duration: "MM:SS" (estimate if possible)
---

# Transcription: [Title]

## Summary

Brief 2-3 sentence summary of the content.

## Transcript

[00:00] Speaker 1: Opening remarks...

[00:45] Speaker 2: Response...

[01:30] Speaker 1: Follow-up...

Guidelines

• Timestamps: Include approximate timestamps in [MM:SS] format at natural breaks (new speakers, topic changes, pauses).
• Speaker identification: Label distinct speakers as "Speaker 1", "Speaker 2", etc. If names are mentioned, use them after first identification.
• Filler words: Omit excessive filler words (um, uh, like) unless they carry meaning.
• Inaudible sections: Mark unclear audio as [inaudible] or [unclear].
• Non-speech sounds: Note significant sounds like [laughter], [applause], [music].
• Summary: Always include a brief summary at the top for quick reference.
• Frontmatter: Link back to the source file using a wikilink.

Tips

• For long recordings, let the user know the transcription may be partial due to the 20 MB size limit. Suggest splitting large files with an external tool.
• If the user asks to "transcribe the recording in this note", use read_file on the current note first to find embedded audio/video links (e.g., ![[recording.mp3]]), then read_file on the linked file.
• For meeting notes, suggest adding attendees and action items sections after the transcript.
• For podcasts or interviews, suggest adding a "Key Topics" section with timestamps.