How to Connect Audio/Video to Transcripts

This guide explains how to link your interview transcripts with their corresponding audio or video recordings.

When You Need This

• You have audio/video recordings of your interviews
• You want viewers to be able to listen to/watch interviews while reading
• You want to create timestamps for synchronization

Option 1: External Media Services (Recommended)

Step 1: Upload to a Media Platform

1. Choose a platform:
   • YouTube for video files
   • Vimeo for video files (alternative to YouTube)
   • SoundCloud for audio files
   • Internet Archive for audio and video files
2. Upload your media file:
   • Create an account if needed
   • Follow the platform’s upload process
   • Set appropriate privacy settings
3. Get the media URL:
   • After uploading, obtain the URL that will be used to connect your transcript to the media
   • Each platform provides URLs in a specific format. Here are examples that work:
     • YouTube: https://youtu.be/BX_bURONf78 or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX_bURONf78
     • Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/464555587
     • SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-944694772/robert-wrigley-ctrl-shift-interview-conducted-by-devin-becker
     • Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/f8_2005-08-18_gluck-prose

Step 2: Connect the Media to Your Collection

1. Open your metadata CSV file
2. Add the media URL to the object_location field for the corresponding interview:
   • Simply paste the full URL you obtained in Step 1
   • This connects your transcript page with the hosted media

   

Option 2: Direct Hosting or External Audio Files

1. For direct hosting (small audio files):
   • Keep files under 50MB when possible
   • Use MP3 format for audio
   • Place files in the objects/ directory
   • Reference in metadata using the file path
   • Example: objects/smith_interview.mp3
2. For externally hosted audio files:
   • You can link to MP3 files hosted on any web server
   • Simply use the full URL in the object_location field
   • Example: https://www.example.com/john_doe.mp3

Adding Timestamps for Synchronization

To sync transcript segments with specific points in your media:

1. Open your transcript CSV
2. Add timestamps in the “timestamp” column:
   • Use MM:SS format (e.g., “05:42”)
   • Use HH:MM:SS for longer recordings (e.g., “1:12:36”)
   • Match timestamps to the actual recording
   • Not every segment needs a timestamp

   

Testing Your Media Connection

1. Publish your site or preview locally
2. Navigate to the interview page
3. Verify media player appears and functions correctly
4. Test timestamp synchronization if applicable

Troubleshooting

• Media doesn’t appear: Check the URL/ID format in metadata
• Player appears but won’t play: Verify media permissions on hosting platform
• Timestamps don’t work: Ensure format follows MM:SS or HH:MM:SS
  • Note Timestamps for Vimeo and Internet Archive items do not advance the player
• Slow loading: Consider reducing media file size or using external services

Next Steps

• Set up advanced visualization features