How to use ScriptMe with Avid: Complete Guide

Here you will learn how to export audio or video from Avid and import to ScriptMe, transcribe it and then export markers from ScriptMe and import markers into Avid Media Composer.

Avid and ScriptMe Workflow step by step

Here is how to export a wav file or video file from Avid to be later uploaded and transcribed in ScriptMe.

How to export an audio or video file from Avid

1. Right-click on the clip inside your bin.

2. Chose Output

3. Chose Export to file…

A popup will open.

4. Choose a folder on your drive to save your file in.

5. Press Options… to choose the format to export

For wav export, choose Audio in Export As…

6. Also chose Mono

7. For video export, choose .mov or .mp4

8. Save your file on your drive/folder.

How to upload it to ScriptMe

1. Log in to your ScriptMe account

If you are not yet registered with ScriptMe, learn how to do it here.

Now drag and drop your file inside the file manager to begin transcription; you can always upload your files with the Upload file button as well.

A popup will appear when you drop your file in the designated area.

2. Pick the original language that is spoken in your clip as Original language and Transcription as Action

Now your file starts to upload, and the transcription process starts.

When the transcription is ready, you will receive an email if you are the account owner; if you are working on a project, the email is sent to the owner.

When the transcription is ready, you will find a button See transcription under Action in your dashboard.

3. Press the See transcription button to go to your transcription.

When inside your transcription, you can playback video/audio and follow along in the text and edit, add or remove timestamps and much much more.

For more information on how to work on the transcription editor page, please read this document.

Now we have to export your transcription as Avid markers text to be able to import it into Avid.

Export transcription as Avid markers text

1. To export transcription as Avid markers text, press the Export button in the upper right corner of the transcription page.

2. Now choose Avid markers text from Format drop-down menu.

3. You have some options to pick from

I explain the ones you can change:

1. Export with the current name option is for if you have changed the file name after uploading to ScriptMe. Here you can choose to upload with the file’s name in ScriptMe or the original file name. We recommend not exporting files from Avid after the file name change, so you don’t have to do this here. ( if you change file names in Avid)
2. Include speakers (names); this option is if you want to have the speaker name at the start of your marker text inside Avid.
3. Split markers (255 characters), this option is because Avid doesn’t allow copying and pasting markers inside Avid with more than 255 characters; this way, you still have all the transcription inside Avid. The reason for copy paste will be more clear when we go forward with this tutorial.
4. Add comment to filename; this option is if you somehow want to mark the clip with extra info in the clip name.
5. Choose Channel; here, you can choose a channel for the markers to be added inside Avid.
6. Speaker Colouring, here you can change what markers colour each speaker can have.

When you are happy with your setting, press Export and save the file on your drive.

Import markers into Avid

Avid can only import markers to the Avid sequence; for that reason, you have to right-click the clip inside your bin and choose AutoSequence.

AutoSequence makes a sequence with the exact starting time code as the clip.

You should have something like this if you only have one clip inside your bin.

Now load the sequence inside your recorder window. And have that timeline active.

Now you have to open your markers window. You find that under the tools menu, it could be different in different versions of Avid.

The Markers window will open.

Inside it, you have to right-click and choose Import markers

Now find your Avid markers text that you exported from ScriptMe and saved on your drive and import it.

Now you have your markers imported into Avid Sequence.

It’s important to have the same timecode and duration on the clip you exported and the clip you are importing markers to.

Now If you want, you can copy and paste the Markers from Avid Sequence to Avid Clip.

To do that, Select all the markers.

With the marker window selected, you need to see it highlighted

Now choose Copy from the Edit menu

Load your clip inside the Avid player window, and have the player window active.

Press inside the Makers window to activate it.

Now go back to the Edit menu and press Paste in the drop-down menu.

Now you have markers in both sequence and clip inside Avid.

If you have any questions, write to me in the chat or email at hey@scriptme.io or fill in the form on the Contact page.