You can add transcripts to Mandala Audio-Video. These transcripts let you add captions. They are also dynamic: users can click on lines in the transcript to navigate around the video. If you want to use these dynamic features, you should add transcripts in VTT format. (You might want transcription without associating the text with timepoints. In this case, you can upload plain text files. Learn more at [Transcripts].)
WebVTT Format
You can create WebVTT files in any text editor, as long as you save with the extension .srt. Here's an example of a VTT transcript.
WebVTT 00:00:01.00 --> 00:00:03.01 Hello, welcome to Audio-Video. 00:00:04.00 --> 00:00:05.02 You can create dynamic transcripts with Audio-Video. 00:00:05.15 --> 00:00:7.00 We can help you get started quickly
Each file will consist of the following:
- This text at the top of the document: WEBVTT
- The lines of the transcript
Transcript Lines
Each transcript "line" or "unit" consists of...
- A Transcripts with Timecodes with start and end times
- The transcript for the timestamp
- A blank line
Timestamps
Timestamps let you add a start and end time for the transcript. This helps Mandala associate a moment in the video with the text. Timestamps consist of the following, all on the same line:
- The start time for the transcript in a hh:mm:ss.ms format
- For media assets shorter than one hour, hours (hh:) are optional
- Two hyphens followed by a greater-than sign: -->
- Make sure these don't reformat into arrows (→) automatically. Your transcript will not work otherwise.
- The end time for your transcript in a hh:mm:ss.ms format
- For media assets shorter than one hour, hours (hh:) are optional
Multilingual Transcripts
Mandala recognizes multilingual transcripts. This lets you include multiple languages and translations in one transcript file. You can use these transcripts to make multilingual captions.
Separating languages is more flexible in Mandala than in the official WebVTT standard. You can separate languages by:
- Putting each language on a new line, OR
- Using a sequence of characters to separate languages
- You can use any set of characters, as long as the set is consistent
Here's an example using / to separate out languages.
WebVTT 00:00:01.00 --> 00:00:03.01 Hello, welcome to Audio-Video./ Hola, bienvenido a Audio-Video. 00:00:04.00 --> 00:00:05.02 You can create dynamic transcripts with Audio-Video./ Usted puede crear transcripciónes con Audio-Video. 00:00:05.15 --> 00:00:7.00 We can help you get started quickly./ Nosotros podemos ayudarle a empezar rápidamente.
Keep language order consistent!
Make sure each language always appears in the same order. In the case above, the English transcript always comes before the Spanish transcript.
If you don't keep language order consistent, Mandala won't split up your languages properly.
Upload Your Transcript
You can add your transcript in the Audio-Video media editor. Once you've uploaded your file, you'll enter some information about the formatting to help Mandala process your transcript. After saving your edits, you'll see your transcript on the media's page. It may take a couple of hours for the transcript to process.
- Edit or create a media asset at audio-video.shanti.virginia.edu
- Learn more at Upload an Audio File, Upload a Video File, and Edit Your Media
- Click Transcript
The transcript area will open
- Click Choose file
The file browser for your operating system will open
- Open your transcript
- Make sure your file follows the formatting requirements above
The file browser will close
- Click Upload
You’ll see a confirmation message, and the transcript wizard open
- Under "Languages," choose whether your transcript has one or multiple languages
- If your transcript has more than one language:
- Enter the “Language Delimiter”
- This is the character you used to separate out languages
- If you used the example above, choose Custom: /
- Select your languages in the order in which they appear
- Remember, you should keep the language order consistent in your transcript
- In the formatting example on this page, "Language 1" is English, "Language 2" is Spanish.
- Enter the “Language Delimiter”
- Check your processed transcript at the bottom of the section
- Click each language tab to make sure Mandala assigned the correct language
- Make sure the text is separated into shorter units
- Click Save at the bottom of the editor
The media asset with your transcript will appear
Transcript processing may take a few minutes