---
id: guia-matthieu/clawfu-skills/whisper-transcription
version: "2fe4f038"
license: MIT
install: manual
updated: 2026-04-02
---

# whisper-transcription — Turn podcasts, interviews, and videos into searchable text using OpenAI's Whisper model. Choose from multiple output formats—plain text, SRT subtitles, JSON, and more—with adjustable accuracy levels to match your needs. Handles batch processing and automatic language detection.

Publisher: guia-matthieu · Stars: 140 · Updated: 2026-04-02

Install (manual): `git clone https://github.com/guia-matthieu/clawfu-skills`

## SKILL.md

# Whisper Transcription

> Transcribe any audio or video to text using OpenAI's Whisper model - the same technology powering ChatGPT voice features.

## When to Use This Skill

- **Podcast repurposing** - Convert episodes to blog posts, show notes, social snippets
- **Video subtitles** - Generate SRT/VTT files for YouTube, social media
- **Interview extraction** - Pull quotes and insights from recorded calls
- **Content audit** - Make audio/video libraries searchable
- **Translation** - Transcribe and translate foreign language content


## What Claude Does vs What You Decide

| Claude Does | You Decide |
|-------------|------------|
| Structures production workflow | Final creative direction |
| Suggests technical approaches | Equipment and tool choices |
| Creates templates and checklists | Quality standards |
| Identifies best practices | Brand/voice decisions |
| Generates script outlines | Final script approval |

## Dependencies

```bash
pip install openai-whisper torch ffmpeg-python click
# Also requires ffmpeg installed on system
# macOS: brew install ffmpeg
# Ubuntu: sudo apt install ffmpeg
```

## Commands

### Transcribe Single File
```bash
python scripts/main.py transcribe audio.mp3 --model medium --output transcript.txt
python scripts/main.py transcribe video.mp4 --format srt --output subtitles.srt
```

### Batch Transcription
```bash
python scripts/main.py batch ./recordings/ --format txt --output ./transcripts/
```

### Transcribe + Translate
```bash
python scripts/main.py translate foreign-audio.mp3 --to en
```

### Extract Timestamps
```bash
python scripts/main.py timestamps podcast.mp3 --format json
```

## Examples

### Example 1: Podcast to Blog Post
```bash
# Transcribe 1-hour podcast
python scripts/main.py transcribe episode-42.mp3 --model medium

# Output: episode-42.txt (full transcript with timestamps)
# Processing time: ~5 min for 1 hour audio on M1 Mac
```

### Example 2: YouTube Subtitles
```bash
# Generate SRT for video upload
python scripts/main.py transcribe marketing-video.mp4 --format srt

# Output: marketing-video.srt
# Upload directly to YouTube/Vimeo
```

### Example 3: Batch Process Interview Library
```bash
# Transcribe all recordings in folder
python scripts/main.py batch ./customer-interviews/ --model small --format txt

# Output: ./customer-interviews/*.txt (one per audio file)
```

## Model Selection Guide

| Model | Speed | Accuracy | VRAM | Best For |
|-------|-------|----------|------|----------|
| `tiny` | Fastest | ~70% | 1GB | Quick drafts, short clips |
| `base` | Fast | ~80% | 1GB | Social media clips |
| `small` | Medium | ~85% | 2GB | Podcasts, interviews |
| `medium` | Slow | ~90% | 5GB | Professional transcripts |
| `large` | Slowest | ~95% | 10GB | Critical accuracy needs |

**Recommendation:** Start with `small` for most marketing content. Use `medium` for client deliverables.

## Output Formats

| Format | Extension | Use Case |
|--------|-----------|----------|
| `txt` | .txt | Blog posts, analysis |
| `srt` | .srt | Video subtitles (YouTube) |
| `vtt` | .vtt | Web video subtitles |
| `json` | .json | Programmatic access |
| `tsv` | .tsv | Spreadsheet analysis |

## Performance Tips

1. **GPU acceleration** - 10x faster with CUDA GPU
2. **Audio extraction** - Script auto-extracts audio from video
3. **Chunking** - Long files auto-split for memory efficiency
4. **Language detection** - Automatic, or specify with `--language`

## Skill Boundaries

### What This Skill Does Well
- Structuring audio production workflows
- Providing technical guidance
- Creating quality checklists
- Suggesting creative approaches

### What This Skill Cannot Do
- Replace audio engineering expertise
- Make subjective creative decisions
- Access or edit audio files directly
- Guarantee commercial success

## Related Skills

- [video-processing](../video-processing/) - Extract audio from video
- [youtube-downloader](../youtube-downloader/) - Download videos to transcribe
- [content-repurposer](../content-repurposer/) - Transform transcripts to content
- [podcast-production](../../audio/podcast-production/) - Create podcasts

## Skill Metadata


- **Mode**: cyborg
```yaml
category: automation
subcategory: audio-processing
dependencies: [openai-whisper, torch, ffmpeg-python]
difficulty: beginner
time_saved: 10+ hours/week
```


[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/guia-matthieu/clawfu-skills/whisper-transcription) · [View on GitHub](https://github.com/guia-matthieu/clawfu-skills)