transcribe

name	transcribe
description	Create clean, subtitle-ready `.srt` subtitles for a local audio or video file using Whisper CLI. Use this when the user asks to transcribe a local media file, generate subtitles, create captions, or make an `.srt` for a specific local file path.

transcribe

Input

Use the media file path the user provided. If it's unclear which file to transcribe, ask the user for the local media file path and stop.

Instructions

When this skill is invoked, do the work immediately.

1. Run Whisper on the input file and write an .srt file next to the source media file.
2. Review the generated subtitles and make them clean and subtitle-ready rather than overly literal.
3. Reveal the final .srt file in Finder.
4. Report the output .srt path.

Subtitle cleanup requirements

You must optimize the subtitles for readability while preserving meaning and approximate timing.

• Remove obvious filler words when they do not add meaning, such as um, uh, like, and similar verbal padding.
• Remove obvious false starts, accidental repetitions, and disfluent fragments when they make captions harder to read.
• Fix punctuation, capitalization, and obvious formatting problems.
• Preserve intentional wording, important emphasis, and technical terms.
• Do not rewrite the speaker's meaning or turn the transcript into a summary.
• Prefer concise, natural subtitle text over raw verbatim speech.

Command

Run Whisper with the provided media file:

INPUT="<media file path>"
whisper "$INPUT" --output_format srt --output_dir "$(dirname "$INPUT")"

The generated subtitle path is:

SRT_PATH="$(dirname "$INPUT")/$(basename "${INPUT%.*}").srt"

After cleaning the subtitle text, reveal the file in Finder:

open -R "$SRT_PATH"

Output

Report the final .srt path:

$SRT_PATH

If Whisper fails, report the error briefly and stop.