transcribe

name	transcribe
description	Transcribe audio files to text with optional diarization and known-speaker hints using the bundled CLI. Use when the user wants text from audio or video, especially when speaker labeling or repeatable output matters.

Audio Transcribe

Metadata

• Trigger when: the user wants transcription, speaker labels, or structured transcript output from audio/video files.
• Do not use when: no audio path exists yet and the task is only about summarizing an already written transcript.

Skill Purpose

Stay as the entrypoint for transcription work, then route into the narrowest lane: fast plain transcription or diarized speaker-aware transcription.

Instructions

1. Collect the inputs first: file path, desired output format, language hint if any, and whether speaker labels are needed. Check that OPENAI_API_KEY is set; if it is missing, tell the user to set it locally and never ask them to paste the key into chat.
2. Choose the narrowest lane. Prefer $transcribe-basic for fast plain transcription. Prefer $transcribe-diarize only when speaker labels or diarization are actually required. If a child lane is unavailable in the current run, follow the same split here using /Users/nick/.codex/skills/transcribe/scripts/transcribe_diarize.py. Use /Users/nick/.codex/skills/transcribe/references/api.md only when you need model or format details.
3. Validate transcript quality, output location, and speaker labeling when used. Save artifacts under output/transcribe/ when working in this repo and note any limitation such as chunking, poor audio quality, or missing speaker references.

Non-Negotiable Acceptance Criteria

• Secrets stay in environment variables, never in chat or committed files.
• The default mode is fast text transcription, not diarization-heavy overkill.
• Output format and model choice match the user’s actual need.
• If dependencies or API access are missing, the skill says so directly.

Output

• The transcript path or paths.
• The model and response format used.
• A short quality note covering diarization confidence or transcript caveats when relevant.
• Next skill options (only if needed): $transcribe-basic — fast text transcription without speaker labels; $transcribe-diarize — diarized transcription with optional known-speaker hints.