---name: audio-transcriptiondescription: Transcribe local or remote audio into text and timestamps. Convert an existing timed transcript locally into SRT or ASS without another transcription job.metadata: postplus: familyId: media-productionfamilyName: Media and Creative Production---

Audio Transcription

Use When

• The input is audio and the main job is speech-to-text, subtitle-ready timing, rough speech search, multilingual transcription, or durable transcript artifacts.
• Use video-transcription for video inputs and media-analysis for semantic video understanding.

If a timed transcript already exists and only subtitle output is requested, skip transcription and read the local subtitle conversion reference.

Do Not Use When

• The task needs new creative generation or visual analysis rather than speech or subtitles.
• Required inputs are missing and guessing would change the result.

Execution Boundary

• Hosted transcription runs through the public postplus media transcribe verb and is async. A submit records the run handle, current status, and completed artifacts when available.
• Pass a local path, HTTPS URL, existing PostPlus media reference, or data URI directly to --audio. The CLI validates and prepares local media before the single hosted submit.
• A higher-quality default model and a faster, cheaper variant are available; prefer the default when subtitle quality matters and use the cheaper variant for an explicit rough pass. The generated example below shows the default endpoint key.

Source And Path

• Supply the media duration so PostPlus can validate the request before it runs; a missing duration fails before submission.
• Request timestamps when the output will feed subtitles or edit decisions.
• Start with one source file or audio URL before larger batches.
• Keep internal requests, responses, manifests, normalized transcripts, and downloaded artifacts under .postplus/audio-transcription; keep final user-facing transcript exports outside .postplus.

Handoff

• If status is pending, preserve the result path and follow the CLI-returned action or resume command for the same operation. Do not submit another job. Stop and report when the CLI wait/recovery boundary is reached.
• When SRT/ASS is requested, use the actual timed transcript and read local subtitle conversion. Convert locally without another hosted request; do not invent a CLI export command.

Stop Conditions

• Stop when required user intent, source evidence, or owned input artifacts are missing and guessing would change the result.

Public Command Boundary

• Choose the smallest matching command or workflow from the user input and run it directly.

• Readiness diagnostics: postplus doctor --skill audio-transcription.

• Use postplus media schema --json only when you need the full endpoint, flag, and enum contract or are repairing an unknown request shape.

• Run the hosted transcription job with the generated command below; do not use another execution interface.

• Pass the source directly through --audio; do not pre-upload it or construct a manual request object.

postplus media transcribe transcription \
  --audio ./reference.wav \
  --duration-seconds 1 \
  --wait \
  --output ./result.json

Follow the CLI's structured result and reported next action; do not infer recovery from free-text messages. Wait for explicit user approval when requested; an action does not authorize spending, publishing, or overwriting. Resume the same operation through its returned checkpoint or action; never resubmit uncertain work, repeat exhausted recovery, or switch providers to bypass failure.

• If the CLI returns a quote-confirmation challenge, obtain user approval for its scope and cost before running postplus quote confirm --json --challenge-file <challenge.json> and retry with the returned token.