Skip to main content

Best Practices

Optimize your Scriptix workflow with these proven best practices for transcription, editing, collaboration, and more.

Audio Recording Best Practices​

Recording Environment​

Choose the Right Space:

  • ✅ Quiet room with minimal echo
  • ✅ Closed windows and doors
  • ✅ Turn off fans, AC, appliances
  • ✅ Use "do not disturb" signs
  • ❌ Avoid large, empty rooms (echo)
  • ❌ Avoid noisy environments
  • ❌ Avoid rooms with hard surfaces

Sound Treatment:

  • Use carpet, curtains, or acoustic panels
  • Record in furnished rooms (absorbs sound)
  • Avoid rooms with parallel walls if possible
  • Use blankets/pillows for makeshift dampening

Microphone Setup​

Microphone Selection:

  • ✅ Use external microphone (not built-in)
  • ✅ USB condenser mic for podcasts/interviews
  • ✅ Lavalier mics for multiple speakers
  • ✅ Boom mic for optimal quality

Placement:

  • 6-12 inches from speaker's mouth
  • Slightly off-axis to reduce plosives
  • Use pop filter to minimize "p" and "b" sounds
  • Keep consistent distance during recording

Settings:

  • Sample rate: 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz minimum
  • Bit depth: 16-bit minimum (24-bit better)
  • Format: WAV or FLAC for quality (MP3 for smaller files)
  • Gain: Peaks at -6dB to -3dB (avoid clipping)

Recording Tips​

Before Recording:

  • Test levels with short recording
  • Check for background noise
  • Ensure all participants are audible
  • Have water available to avoid mouth clicks

During Recording:

  • Speak clearly and at moderate pace
  • Avoid talking over each other
  • Pause between speakers
  • Minimize "ums" and filler words
  • State speaker names when changing

After Recording:

  • Listen to playback
  • Check audio levels throughout
  • Verify no clipping or distortion
  • Export in high-quality format

File Upload Best Practices​

File Preparation​

Optimize Before Upload:

  • Convert to supported format (MP3, WAV, MP4)
  • Normalize audio levels
  • Remove long silences (optional)
  • Compress video if needed (maintain quality)

Naming Conventions:

Good: 2024-12-07_Client-Interview_John-Doe.mp3
Good: Podcast_Ep042_Guest-Name_2024-12-07.wav
Bad: audio_final_FINAL_v3.mp3
Bad: recording123.mp3

Include in filename:

  • Date (YYYY-MM-DD format)
  • Project or client name
  • Episode number or identifier
  • Speaker name(s) if applicable

Upload Strategy​

For Large Files:

  • Use TUS upload for files >2GB
  • Upload during off-peak hours
  • Use wired internet connection
  • Close unnecessary applications
  • Don't navigate away during upload

Batch Uploads:

  • Upload related files together
  • Use consistent naming
  • Organize in folders immediately
  • Add to same project/folder

Network Considerations:

  • Stable, fast internet connection
  • Wired connection preferred
  • Avoid VPN if causing issues
  • Upload from office network if faster

Transcription Settings​

Language Selection​

Choose Correct Language:

  • Select exact dialect (US English vs UK English)
  • Match speaker's primary language
  • Use regional variants when available

Multilingual Content:

  • Transcribe in dominant language
  • Manually edit/translate other sections
  • Or split file by language and transcribe separately

Speaker Diarization​

When to Enable:

  • ✅ Multiple speakers (interviews, meetings, podcasts)
  • ✅ Clear, distinct voices
  • ✅ Speakers don't overlap significantly

When to Disable:

  • ❌ Single speaker (monologue, presentation)
  • ❌ Similar-sounding voices
  • ❌ Heavy cross-talk
  • ❌ Poor audio quality

Better Results:

  • Introduce speakers by name in audio
  • Ensure distinct voices
  • Minimize overlapping speech
  • Use separate microphones if possible

Using Glossaries​

Create Glossaries For:

  • Industry-specific terminology
  • Company/product names
  • Technical acronyms
  • Proper nouns
  • Specialized vocabulary

Glossary Tips:

  • Include phonetic spellings
  • Add common variations
  • Update regularly
  • Share with team
  • Test with sample files first

Example Medical Glossary:

acetaminophen,uh-see-tuh-min-uh-fen
thrombocytopenia,throm-bo-cy-to-pe-nia
myocardial infarction,my-oh-car-dee-al in-farc-shun

See Create Glossary for details.

Editing Best Practices​

Efficient Editing Workflow​

1. First Pass - Major Corrections:

  • Fix obvious errors
  • Correct speaker labels
  • Fix proper nouns and terminology
  • Don't worry about minor punctuation yet

2. Second Pass - Refinement:

  • Clean up punctuation
  • Fix capitalization
  • Remove excessive filler words
  • Adjust paragraph breaks

3. Final Pass - Quality Check:

  • Read for flow and accuracy
  • Verify timestamps are correct
  • Check speaker labels
  • Ensure formatting consistency

Keyboard Shortcuts​

Learn These First:

  • Space - Play/pause
  • Ctrl/Cmd + S - Save
  • Ctrl/Cmd + F - Search
  • Ctrl/Cmd + H - Find and replace
  • Tab - Jump to next speaker
  • Arrow keys - Navigate by word/timestamp

See Keyboard Shortcuts for complete list.

Search and Replace​

Use For:

  • Fixing recurring misspellings
  • Correcting names throughout
  • Replacing abbreviations
  • Standardizing terminology

Tips:

  • Review before replacing all
  • Use whole word matching
  • Case-sensitive when needed
  • Test with "replace next" first

Example:

Find: "A.I."
Replace: "AI"
Options: Whole words, All occurrences

Speaker Management​

Label Speakers Clearly:

Good: John Smith, Sarah Johnson, Dr. Michael Lee
Bad: Speaker 1, Speaker 2, Speaker 3

Merge Speakers:

  • Same speaker incorrectly split
  • Similar voices mistakenly separated

Split Speakers:

  • Different speakers incorrectly merged
  • Change in actual speaker

Caption Creation Best Practices​

Caption Formatting​

Reading Speed:

  • 15-20 characters per second
  • Maximum 42 characters per line
  • Maximum 2 lines per caption
  • 1-7 seconds on screen

Line Breaks:

  • Break at natural phrase boundaries
  • Don't break between articles and nouns
  • Keep subjects with verbs when possible

Good:

I'm going to the store
to buy some groceries.

Bad:

I'm going to the
store to buy some groceries.

Caption Timing​

Best Practices:

  • Sync to actual speech timing
  • Allow time to read before audio starts
  • Keep on screen after speech ends slightly
  • Minimum 1 second per caption
  • Maximum 7 seconds per caption

Gaps Between Captions:

  • 2-frame gap minimum
  • Don't overlap captions
  • Match natural speech pauses

Caption Content​

Include:

  • All spoken dialogue
  • Speaker identification (if needed)
  • Important sound effects: [phone rings]
  • Music cues when relevant: [upbeat music]

Exclude:

  • Excessive "ums" and "ahs"
  • False starts (unless meaningful)
  • Redundant repetition

Sound Descriptions:

[door slams]
[audience applause]
[phone vibrating]
[dramatic music]

Quality Checks​

Before Exporting:

  • Watch with captions on video
  • Check timing synchronization
  • Verify character limits
  • Check for typos
  • Ensure proper punctuation
  • Validate speaker labels

Collaboration Best Practices​

Team Organization​

User Roles:

  • Limit ORGADMIN to 2-3 trusted users
  • Use CONTRIBUTOR for daily work
  • Use CUSTOMER for clients/stakeholders
  • Use DEVELOPER only for technical team

Folder Structure:

📁 Projects
  📁 2024
    📁 Client-A
      📁 Completed
      📁 In-Progress
      📁 Archived
    📁 Client-B
  📁 Templates
  📁 Archive

Document Sharing​

Internal Sharing:

  • Share via team (not magic links)
  • Set appropriate permissions
  • Use comments for feedback
  • Review access periodically

External Sharing:

  • Use magic links for clients
  • Password-protect sensitive content
  • Set expiration dates
  • Revoke when no longer needed

Naming for Sharing:

  • Use clear, professional names
  • Include version numbers if needed
  • Avoid abbreviations clients won't understand

Review Workflow​

Efficient Review Process:

  1. Creator - Upload and initial transcription
  2. First Edit - Contributor cleans up transcript
  3. Review - Share with reviewer (comment permission)
  4. Revisions - Address reviewer comments
  5. Final Check - Second review if needed
  6. Approval - Mark as complete
  7. Delivery - Share with client

Use Comments:

  • @mention specific people
  • Quote specific sections
  • Mark comments as resolved when done
  • Add timestamps for audio references

API Best Practices​

Authentication​

API Key Security:

  • Never commit keys to version control
  • Use environment variables
  • Rotate keys periodically
  • Use separate keys for dev/prod
  • Revoke unused keys immediately

Example (.env file):

SCRIPTIX_API_KEY=your_key_here

Rate Limiting​

Avoid Rate Limits:

  • Implement exponential backoff
  • Cache responses when possible
  • Batch requests when feasible
  • Monitor rate limit headers
  • Use webhooks instead of polling

Exponential Backoff:

import time

def retry_with_backoff(func, max_retries=5):
    for i in range(max_retries):
        try:
            return func()
        except RateLimitError:
            wait = 2 ** i  # 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 seconds
            time.sleep(wait)
    raise Exception("Max retries exceeded")

Webhook Implementation​

Webhook Security:

  • Verify webhook signatures
  • Use HTTPS endpoints only
  • Respond within 10 seconds
  • Retry logic for failures
  • Log webhook events

Signature Verification:

import hmac
import hashlib

def verify_signature(payload, signature, secret):
    expected = hmac.new(
        secret.encode(),
        payload.encode(),
        hashlib.sha256
    ).hexdigest()
    return hmac.compare_digest(expected, signature)

Error Handling​

Handle All Error Cases:

  • 401 - Re-authenticate
  • 403 - Check permissions
  • 404 - Resource not found
  • 422 - Validation error
  • 429 - Rate limit (backoff)
  • 500 - Server error (retry)

Graceful Degradation:

try:
    result = api.transcribe(file)
except InsufficientCredits:
    notify_admin("Low credits")
    queue_for_later(file)
except ServerError:
    log_error()
    retry_later(file)

Performance Optimization​

File Optimization​

Audio Files:

  • Use MP3 for smaller files (128-192 kbps)
  • Use WAV/FLAC for maximum quality
  • Remove silence (optional, reduces size)
  • Normalize audio levels

Video Files:

  • Use H.264 codec
  • Resolution: 720p sufficient for transcription
  • Bitrate: Lower for faster upload (quality isn't critical)
  • Extract audio-only if transcription is the goal

Batch Processing​

Efficient Batching:

  • Upload multiple files together
  • Process during off-peak hours
  • Use API for automation
  • Queue large batches

Automation Example:

# Process all files in directory
import os

for filename in os.listdir('./audio'):
    if filename.endswith('.mp3'):
        upload_and_transcribe(filename)
        time.sleep(2)  # Rate limiting

Browser Performance​

Optimize Editor Performance:

  • Close unnecessary browser tabs
  • Disable unused extensions
  • Use Chrome for best performance
  • Clear cache periodically
  • Update browser regularly

For Large Documents:

  • Load in sections if very long
  • Disable waveform if lagging
  • Export and work locally if needed

Data Management​

Backup Strategy​

Regular Backups:

  • Export important transcripts regularly
  • Download original audio files
  • Keep local copies of critical work
  • Use version control for API integrations

Automated Backup:

# Daily backup script
def backup_all_transcripts():
    transcripts = api.list_transcripts()
    for t in transcripts:
        data = api.get_transcript(t.id)
        save_to_file(f"backups/{t.id}.json", data)

Data Retention​

Organization:

  • Archive completed projects
  • Delete test/temporary files
  • Organize with folders
  • Use consistent naming

Cleanup Schedule:

  • Weekly: Remove test files
  • Monthly: Archive old projects
  • Quarterly: Review and delete unused
  • Yearly: Comprehensive cleanup

Security Best Practices​

Access Control​

User Management:

  • Review user access quarterly
  • Remove inactive users promptly
  • Use appropriate roles
  • Enable 2FA for admins
  • Monitor unusual activity

Document Security:

  • Don't share sensitive content publicly
  • Use password protection
  • Set expiration on shares
  • Review sharing permissions regularly

Compliance​

For Regulated Industries:

  • Use GDPR-compliant settings
  • Review data processing agreements
  • Implement data retention policies
  • Document access controls
  • Regular security audits

HIPAA Compliance (Healthcare):

  • Use enterprise plan with BAA
  • Enable encryption
  • Audit trail logging
  • Access controls
  • Regular compliance reviews

Quality Assurance​

QA Checklist​

Before Delivery:

  • Transcript accuracy checked
  • Proper nouns verified
  • Speaker labels correct
  • Timestamps accurate
  • Formatting consistent
  • Removed personal info (if needed)
  • Exported in correct format
  • File naming correct

Continuous Improvement​

Track Metrics:

  • Transcription accuracy over time
  • Edit time per hour of audio
  • Most common errors
  • Customer feedback
  • Team productivity

Regular Review:

  • Monthly team meetings
  • Share best practices
  • Update glossaries
  • Refine workflows
  • Train new members

Common Pitfalls to Avoid​

Don't:​

❌ Upload without testing audio quality

  • Always test playback first
  • Verify volume levels

❌ Skip glossaries for specialized content

  • Create glossaries for better accuracy
  • Update them regularly

❌ Give everyone admin access

  • Use appropriate roles
  • Limit admin to 2-3 users

❌ Forget to save work

  • Auto-save is enabled, but manual save is good practice
  • Export important work as backup

❌ Use unclear file names

  • Use descriptive, organized naming
  • Include dates and projects

❌ Share without setting expiration

  • Set expiration dates on external shares
  • Review and revoke old shares

❌ Ignore user permissions

  • Review access regularly
  • Use least privilege principle

❌ Skip quality checks before delivery

  • Always review before sending to clients
  • Use QA checklist

Next Steps​