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Importing recordings

Create a session from an existing audio or video file. TalkBar transcribes it on your computer, separates speakers and writes the summary.

Already have a recording of a meeting, lecture or call? Import it, and TalkBar turns it into a session just like one you recorded live: a transcript by speaker, a timeline, a summary and a title. Transcription runs on your computer.

Supported files

Formatsmp3, wav, m4a, mp4, aac, flac, ogg, opus, mkv, webm
Maximum size1 GB
Maximum length6 hours

Video files (mp4, mkv, webm) work too: TalkBar uses their audio track.

Import a file

  1. Click New session and set up the session as usual: choose a template, and optionally a project, series, context, summary language, length and privacy mode. See Starting a session.
  2. In the Template part, click Upload audio file.
  3. Drop your file on the window, or click to browse for it.
  4. Choose the options below, then click Start import.
OptionWhat it does
SpeakersJust you is fastest: it skips speaker detection. You + 1, Small (2–4) and Large (5–8) separate who said what.
Transcription modelThe speech model that transcribes the file. If the model isn't installed yet, you can download it from this window.
Summary modelThe AI model used for the timeline entries and the summary. Default uses your configured model. For a Private AI session, the summary runs on a built-in local model.

The session uses the rest of the setup from the New session window, such as the template, project and privacy mode.

If the speaker detection model isn't downloaded, the window tells you and offers to download it. See Speakers.

What happens during an import

The Importing audio file window shows each stage and how long it has taken:

  1. Decoding audio and Converting audio: reads the file and saves it as the session's audio.
  2. Detecting speech: finds the parts where people talk.
  3. Transcribing: transcribes each part, and detects speakers.
  4. Saving transcript.
  5. Summarizing timeline: writes the timeline notes.
  6. Writing the summary.
  7. Naming the session: suggests a title.

You can keep the window open. When the import finishes, click View session to open it. Imported sessions are completed sessions, and their header shows From audio file.

Click Process in background to keep working while it runs. The session shows Importing in the Sessions list, and a notification says Audio import complete when it's done. Click View session in the notification to open it.

Cancel an import

Click Cancel import. If some of the file was already transcribed, TalkBar keeps that part as a session. If nothing was transcribed yet, the empty session is removed.

Things to know

  • Only one import runs at a time. While it runs, you can't start a live session; you can still schedule one for later.
  • The imported audio is kept with the session, so you can play it and use Enhance transcript later. See Session details.
  • On the Free plan, an import counts toward the workspace's session limit. See Plan limits.
  • If the import fails, the window shows Audio import failed with the reason.

Related

The five MCP tools

How talkbar_find, talkbar_read, talkbar_change, talkbar_delete and talkbar_tools work, with their arguments, batches, annotations, paging and wire format.

Sessions overview

What a TalkBar session is, how the Sessions list works, what each session status means, and how many sessions your plan can keep.