Post-Production Timeline and Export

Your Interview Timeline

After conducting your interview, the post-production timeline is where you review what happened, refine your markers, and export professional-ready content for your editing workflow.

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of complete post-production timeline]

Accessing the Timeline

From Interview Details

  1. Open your completed interview
  2. Click "Post-Production" or "Timeline" or "View Timeline"
  3. The complete chronological timeline appears

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot showing how to access post-production]

What You'll See

Your timeline displays everything in chronological order:

  • Interview start - When recording began
  • Questions begun - When structured questions started
  • Questions visited - Each question with timestamps
  • Captured events - All highlights, markers, notes, etc.
  • Interview end - When you finished recording
  • Total duration - Complete interview length

Understanding the Timeline

Timeline Structure

Each entry shows:

  • Timestamp - Exact time in the recording (MM:SS or HH:MM:SS)
  • Event type - Icon and label (Question, Highlight, etc.)
  • Content - The question text or event note
  • Actions - Edit, delete, or other options

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of timeline entry with labels]

Event Types in Timeline

Interview-Level Events:

  • 🎙️ Recording Started - Timer began
  • 📝 Questions Begun - Structured interview started
  • ✅ Interview Ended - Recording finished

Question Events:

  • ❓ Question Started - When you navigated to this question
  • 📄 Question Content - The full question text

Captured Events:

  • 🔊 Audio Issue - Technical problems to fix
  • 💡 Flow - Follow-ups and topics to revisit
  • ⭐ Highlight - Quotable moments and key content
  • 📍 Segment - Chapter markers
  • 📝 Custom Note - Other observations
  • 🔗 Link Added - URLs added during recording

Color Coding

Events are color-coded for quick scanning:

  • Green - Highlights and positive markers
  • Orange - Audio issues and problems
  • Blue - Segments and chapters
  • Gray - Questions and neutral events

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot showing color-coded timeline]

Editing Events

Editing Event Text

  1. Find the event in the timeline
  2. Click the "Edit" button (pencil icon)
  3. Modify the text
  4. Click "Save"

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of editing an event]

Common edits:

  • Adding detail to quick captures
  • Clarifying context
  • Improving chapter titles
  • Fixing typos

Editing Timestamps

Click any timestamp to edit it directly!

InterviewCue now supports inline time editing—the fastest way to adjust timestamps:

  1. Click the timestamp (e.g., "12:34") in the timeline
  2. Input field appears with current time selected
  3. Type new time in MM:SS format (e.g., "14:25")
  4. Press Enter to save, or Escape to cancel
  5. Time updates instantly—no page reload!

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of inline time editing in action]

Visual cues:

  • Hover over any timestamp to see the pencil icon (✎)
  • Timestamps highlight when editable
  • Immediate feedback on save

Format validation:

  • Must use MM:SS format (e.g., "1:23" or "26:15")
  • Negative times supported for finalized timeline (e.g., "-0:05" for -5 seconds)
  • Seconds must be less than 60
  • Clear error messages if format is invalid

Editing finalized timeline timestamps:

  • ✅ You can now edit timestamps on both raw and finalized timelines!
  • Click any timestamp on the finalized/adjusted timeline to edit it directly
  • Changes to finalized times preserve your original raw timestamps
  • Manual edits are tracked separately (won't affect raw timeline)
  • Perfect for fine-tuning transcript alignment results

Why edit timestamps?

  • You trimmed intro/outro
  • You removed sections
  • You added music or ads
  • Original times no longer match published audio
  • Quick corrections during review

Audio Scrubbing (Timestamp Verification)

Hearing Context Around Events

The challenge: How do you know if a timestamp is accurate without listening to the audio?

The solution: Upload your interview recording and play audio segments around each event to verify precise timing.

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of audio scrubbing interface]

Uploading Your Audio File

Available on BOTH timelines:

  • Original Times view → Upload your raw/original recording
  • Adjusted Times view → Upload your finalized/edited recording
  • Each timeline has its own separate audio file
  • You can upload audio for one or both timelines

To upload audio:

  1. Open your post-production timeline
  2. Switch to the timeline view you want (Original Times or Adjusted Times)
  3. Expand the "Audio Scrubbing" section at the top
    • On Original Times: Shows "Audio Scrubbing (Raw Recording)"
    • On Adjusted Times: Shows "Audio Scrubbing (Final Recording)"
  4. Click "Choose audio file"
  5. Select your interview recording (raw or final, matching the timeline)
  6. Click "Upload"
  7. Wait for upload to complete (progress shown for large files)

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of audio upload interface]

Supported formats:

  • ✅ MP3 (most common)
  • ✅ AAC (podcast standard)
  • ✅ OGG Vorbis
  • ✅ WMA (Windows Media)
  • ✅ M4A (ALAC/AAC)
  • ✅ WebM Audio
  • ❌ Video files (MP4, MOV) not supported
  • ❌ WAV not supported (too large uncompressed)

File size limit: 500MB maximum

Storage: Files are cached for 30 days, then automatically deleted

Why upload separate audio files?

If you've used transcript alignment to adjust your timestamps (see Transcript Alignment), you'll want to upload both audio files:

  • Raw recording (Original Times view) - Verify your original timestamps were captured correctly during the live interview
  • Final recording (Adjusted Times view) - Verify that aligned timestamps match your edited/published audio and fine-tune any edge cases before exporting

This is especially valuable for:

  • Confirming transcript alignment accuracy
  • Fine-tuning chapter markers before publishing
  • Double-checking timestamps before exporting to CUE sheets or EDL files

Playing Audio Around Events

Once uploaded, play buttons appear next to every timestamp.

To verify a timestamp:

  1. Find the event in your timeline
  2. Click the play button (▶) next to the timestamp
  3. Audio scrubber panel opens and immediately starts playing
  4. Listen to ±30 seconds around the event time
  5. Hear the moment? Note the current playback time

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of audio scrubber panel]

Scrubber controls:

  • Play/Pause - Control playback
  • Restart - Jump back to start of ±30s window
  • Progress bar - Visual indication of playback position
  • Current time - Shows exact playback timestamp
  • Event marker - Red line showing the event's current timestamp
  • Close - Stop playback and close panel

Updating Timestamps with Audio

Found the precise moment? Update the timestamp in one click.

To update a timestamp:

  1. Audio scrubber panel is open and playing
  2. Pause when you hear the precise moment you want to mark
  3. Note the current time displayed (e.g., "12:47")
  4. Click "Update" button
  5. Event timestamp updates immediately to current playback time
  6. Panel closes automatically

Visual feedback:

  • Time display color-codes your position:
    • Blue - Before the event marker
    • Green - At or very near the event
    • Orange - After the event marker
  • Event marker pulses when playback reaches it

Keyboard shortcuts (when panel is open):

  • Space - Play/Pause
  • R - Restart from beginning
  • Escape - Close panel
  • ← / → - Seek backward/forward 2 seconds

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of Update button]

Audio Scrubbing Workflow

Recommended process for verifying timestamps:

  1. Upload audio at start of post-production review
  2. Review timeline visually first
  3. For questionable timestamps:
    • Click play button
    • Listen to context
    • Update if needed
  4. For critical timestamps (chapter markers, highlights):
    • Always verify with audio
    • Ensure perfect timing
  5. Delete audio when done (or let it expire after 30 days)

When to use audio scrubbing:

  • ✅ Verifying chapter markers
  • ✅ Confirming highlight moments
  • ✅ Checking audio issue timestamps
  • ✅ Any event where precise timing matters
  • ❌ Not needed for general notes/events (approximate timing is fine)

Limitations:

  • Requires audio file upload (uses your storage temporarily)
  • 500MB file size limit
  • ±30 seconds around each event (total 60-second window)

Removing Audio Files

To delete your uploaded audio:

  1. Expand the "Audio Scrubbing" section
  2. Click "Remove" button
  3. Confirm deletion
  4. Audio file deleted immediately

Audio files auto-delete after 30 days if you don't manually remove them.

Why remove?

  • Free up temporary storage
  • Privacy (if sensitive content)
  • No longer needed after timestamp verification

Deleting Events

  1. Find the event
  2. Click "Delete" button (trash icon)
  3. Confirm deletion

When to delete:

  • Duplicate captures
  • Mistakes or misfires
  • Events you don't need
  • Over-captured content

Converting Events to Questions

Sometimes during an interview, you'll discover topics that deserve to be full chapters in your final production. If you marked these moments with segment markers, follow-ups, or custom notes, you can promote them to proper questions in post-production.

When to Use This Feature

During live interviews, spontaneous topics often emerge that weren't in your original question list:

  • A guest mentions something fascinating worth exploring
  • You want to mark a natural chapter break
  • A follow-up question becomes a major topic

You might capture these moments using the Segment Marker button (or keyboard shortcut "5"), a custom note, or the Follow-Up button. These markers help during recording, but they won't become chapter markers in your exports—they're just timeline events.

Converting them to questions promotes them to first-class chapters that appear in CUE sheets, EDL exports, and show notes.

How to Convert an Event

  1. Navigate to the Post-Production Timeline for your interview
  2. Find the event you want to convert (segment marker, note, or follow-up)
  3. Click the ↑ (up arrow) button next to the event
  4. In the dialog that appears:
    • Enter a Question/Topic Title (required)—this becomes the chapter name
    • Optionally add Background Info for context
    • The "Remove original event" checkbox is checked by default
  5. Click Convert to Question

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of Convert to Question dialog]

The new question will be inserted at the correct chronological position in your timeline based on when the event occurred, and it will appear as a chapter in all exports.

Which Events Can Be Converted?

You can convert these event types:

  • Segment Markers (📍) — Intentional chapter/topic markers you placed during recording
  • Custom Notes (📝) — Any note you typed during the interview
  • Follow-Up (💡) — Topics marked for later follow-up

Technical markers (audio issues, flow interruptions, links added) cannot be converted as they don't represent content topics.

Pre-Populated Titles

  • For notes with existing text — The dialog pre-fills the title with the note text, saving you time
  • For segment markers (no text) — You'll need to type a descriptive title
  • For follow-ups with text — The dialog pre-fills with the follow-up text

Remove Original Event Option

By default, the "Remove original event" checkbox is checked, meaning the original segment marker, note, or follow-up will be deleted after conversion. This keeps your timeline clean.

If you want to keep the original event alongside the new question (for reference), uncheck this box before converting.

Tips for Converting Events

  • Be descriptive — The question text becomes a chapter title in exports, so make it clear and meaningful
  • Add context — Use the Background Info field to add notes you'll reference later
  • Convert related events together — If you have multiple notes about the same topic, convert the main one and delete the others
  • Check chronological order — The new question is inserted based on when the original event occurred, maintaining proper timeline order

Adding New Topics

Sometimes you'll discover important topics while reviewing your interview that weren't marked during recording—perhaps you were fully engaged in the conversation and forgot to capture a segment marker, or you only realize the significance of a moment later while reviewing.

You can add these topics directly in post-production without needing an existing event to convert.

When to Use This Feature

Use "Add Topic" when:

  • You find an unmarked chapter break while reviewing audio
  • You realize an important topic wasn't captured during recording
  • You want to add structure that wasn't apparent during the live interview
  • You're reviewing with audio scrubbing and hear a moment worth marking

Use "Convert Event" (previous section) when:

  • You already have a segment marker, note, or follow-up at the right timestamp
  • You want to promote an existing capture to a full chapter

How to Add a Topic

  1. Navigate to the Post-Production Timeline for your interview
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the timeline
  3. Click the Add Topic button (blue outline with + icon)
  4. In the dialog that appears:
    • Enter the Time in minutes:seconds format (e.g., "15:30" for 15 minutes 30 seconds)
    • Enter a Question/Topic Title (required)—this becomes the chapter name
    • Optionally add Background Info for context
  5. Click Add Topic

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of Add Topic dialog]

The new topic will be inserted at the correct chronological position in your timeline based on the time you specified. It will appear as a chapter in all exports (CUE sheets, EDL, show notes, etc.).

Time Input Format

Enter time as mm:ss or hh:mm:ss:

  • 5:30 — 5 minutes, 30 seconds
  • 65:00 — 65 minutes (1 hour 5 minutes)
  • 1:25:45 — 1 hour, 25 minutes, 45 seconds
  • 0:45 — 45 seconds

When using hh:mm:ss format, minutes and seconds must each be between 0 and 59. The input defaults to 00:00:00.

Tips for Adding Topics

  • Use audio scrubbing first — Upload your audio and listen to verify the exact timestamp before adding a topic
  • Be precise — The timestamp determines where the chapter marker appears in exports
  • Be descriptive — Write a clear, meaningful title since it becomes a chapter name
  • Add context — Use Background Info to capture notes about why this topic matters
  • Review chronologically — Work through your interview in order to catch all unmarked topics

Button Visibility

The Add Topic button only appears when:

  • You are the interview owner
  • You are viewing the raw/original timeline (not the finalized/adjusted timeline)

This ensures topics are added to your source timeline and will be properly aligned if you later upload transcripts.

Adding Events After Recording

Missed Something?

You can add events to your timeline anytime!

  1. Click "Add Event" button
  2. Select the event type
  3. Enter the timestamp (e.g., "12:34" or "1:12:34")
  4. Add description text
  5. Save

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of add event modal]

Use cases:

  • Forgot to capture a highlight
  • Remembered something after the interview
  • Producer adds notes after review
  • Adding chapter markers during editing

Filtering Events

Focus on What Matters

Use the filter options to show only specific event types:

Filter by type:

  • ✅ Show all events
  • ⭐ Highlights only
  • 📍 Segments only
  • 🔊 Audio issues only
  • ❓ Questions only

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of timeline filters]

Why filter?

  • Highlights - Create social media content
  • Segments - Generate chapter markers
  • Audio issues - Editor's task list
  • Questions - See interview structure

Sharing Your Interview

Read-Only Share Links

Want your producer, editor, or team to review the timeline?

  1. Click "Share" button
  2. A unique, secure link is generated
  3. Click "Copy Link" to clipboard
  4. Send to anyone

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of share link modal with copy button]

What Recipients See

The shared link provides:

  • ✅ Complete timeline view
  • ✅ All events and timestamps
  • ✅ Questions and structure
  • ✅ Read-only access (can't edit)
  • ❌ No account required
  • ❌ Can't see your other interviews

Managing Shares

Revoking access:

  1. Go to Account → Shares
  2. Find the shared interview
  3. Click "Revoke"
  4. The link stops working immediately

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of shares management page]

Viewing share activity:

  • See when shares were created
  • Track last accessed time
  • See access count
  • Manage all shares in one place

Transcript Integration

Upload Your Transcript

After editing your audio, upload the transcript to align timestamps:

  1. Click "Upload Transcript" button
  2. Choose your transcript file (VTT, SRT, or TXT)
  3. Select transcript type:
    • Original - Transcript of the raw recording
    • Final - Transcript of the edited/published version
  4. Upload

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of transcript upload interface]

Supported Formats

WebVTT (.vtt) - Preferred format

WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000
Welcome to the show!

00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:07.000
Today we're talking with Sarah Chen...

SRT (.srt) - Standard subtitle format

1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,000
Welcome to the show!

2
00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:07,000
Today we're talking with Sarah Chen...

Plain Text (.txt) - Simple text (no timestamps)

Aligning Timestamps

Why align?

Your original timestamps don't match the final published audio because you:

  • Trimmed the intro
  • Cut out sections
  • Added music or ads
  • Removed umms and ahs

How it works:

  1. Upload original transcript (raw recording)
  2. Upload final transcript (edited audio)
  3. InterviewCue finds matching text between both
  4. Calculates time offsets for each event
  5. Generates adjusted timestamps for the published version

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot showing aligned timestamps with confidence scores]

Confidence Scores

Each adjusted timestamp has a confidence score:

  • 90%+ - Direct text match found
  • 85%+ - Backup caption match
  • 70%+ - Interpolated between matches
  • Below 70% - Manual review recommended

Viewing Aligned Timestamps

Toggle view:

  • Original times - From your live recording
  • Adjusted times - For your published audio

Both are preserved! The original timeline is your source of truth.

Exporting Your Timeline

Available Export Formats

Click "Export" and choose your format:

Format Use Case
Markdown Show notes, human-readable
JSON Raw data, custom tools
CSV Adobe Audition markers
EDL Edit Decision List (Premiere, DaVinci)
PDF Printable timeline
Logic MIDI Logic Pro X markers
CUE Sheet MP3 chapter markers

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of export format dropdown]

Export Options

Which timestamps?

  • Original recording times
  • Adjusted times (if transcript aligned)

Which events?

  • All events
  • Highlights only
  • Segments only
  • Custom selection

Audio filename (for CUE exports)

  • Specify your published MP3 filename
  • Or use auto-generated name

Export Format Details

Markdown Export

Perfect for show notes:

# Sarah Chen - Sustainable Tech Innovation

## Timeline

- **00:00** - Recording Started
- **02:15** - Question 1: What inspired you to focus on sustainable tech?
- **04:23** - ⭐ Highlight: Beijing childhood story
- **08:30** - Question 2: Tell me about GreenCircuit's recycling approach
- **18:47** - ⭐ Highlight: "Sustainability isn't a feature—it's a foundation"

## Highlights

- **04:23** - Beijing childhood story
- **18:47** - "Sustainability isn't a feature—it's a foundation"

## Links

- [Sarah's LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchen)
- [GreenCircuit Website](https://greencircuit.com)

Learn more about Markdown export

JSON Export

Structured data for custom tools:

{
  "interview_name": "Sarah Chen - Sustainable Tech Innovation",
  "duration": "2734",
  "events": [
    {
      "time": "04:23",
      "type": "highlight",
      "text": "Beijing childhood story",
      "confidence": 0.92
    }
  ],
  "links": [...]
}

Learn more about JSON export

CUE Sheet Export

For podcast chapter markers:

PERFORMER "Your Podcast"
TITLE "Sarah Chen - Sustainable Tech Innovation"
FILE "sarah-chen-interview.mp3" MP3
  TRACK 01 AUDIO
    TITLE "Introduction"
    INDEX 01 00:00:00
  TRACK 02 AUDIO
    TITLE "Sustainable Tech Inspiration"
    INDEX 01 02:15:00

How to use:

  1. Export CUE sheet
  2. Use tools like mp3chaps to embed chapters
  3. Upload to podcast host
  4. Listeners see chapter markers!

Learn more about CUE export

Other Formats

EDL - Edit Decision Lists for video editors
CSV - Adobe Audition marker import
PDF - Printable reference document
Logic MIDI - Markers for Logic Pro X

See Export Format Reference for complete details on all formats.

Post-Production Workflow

Step-by-Step

  1. Review Timeline

    • Listen through the interview
    • Review all captured events
    • Add any missed markers

  2. Edit Events

    • Refine chapter titles
    • Improve highlight descriptions
    • Delete duplicates or mistakes

  3. Share for Review (Optional)

    • Generate share link
    • Send to producer/editor
    • Gather feedback

  4. Edit Audio

    • Import recording into DAW
    • Use timeline as edit guide
    • Trim, cut, clean up

  5. Upload Transcript

    • Generate transcript of edited audio
    • Upload both original and final
    • Align timestamps

  6. Export for Publishing

    • Export chapter markers (CUE or EDL)
    • Export show notes (Markdown)
    • Export editor markers (CSV)

  7. Publish

    • Embed chapters in MP3
    • Upload to podcast host
    • Share show notes

Learn more about workflows

Statistics and Analytics

Interview Statistics

The timeline page shows:

  • Total duration - Interview length
  • Questions asked - How many you visited
  • Events captured - Total event count
  • Event breakdown - Count by type
  • Highlights - Number of key moments
  • Segments - Chapter marker count

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of statistics panel]

Using Statistics

Content analysis:

  • Did you capture enough highlights?
  • Are there enough chapter markers?
  • How many audio issues to fix?

Workflow optimization:

  • Average events per interview
  • Your capture patterns
  • Time management

Best Practices

Review Soon After Recording

While fresh in your memory:

  • Add missing events
  • Clarify vague notes
  • Improve chapter titles
  • Remember context

Use Filters Strategically

Different views for different tasks:

  • Highlights → Social media content creation
  • Segments → Chapter marker generation
  • Audio issues → Editor task list
  • Questions → Interview structure review

Share Early

Get feedback:

  • Send to producer while editing
  • Team can add notes/suggestions
  • Collaborative review process
  • Catch issues early

Keep Original Timeline

Don't delete the source:

  • Original timestamps are your source of truth
  • Transcript alignment adds adjusted times
  • Both versions preserved
  • Can always reference back

Export Multiple Formats

Cover all your bases:

  • Markdown for show notes
  • CUE for chapter markers
  • CSV for editor
  • PDF for records

Troubleshooting

"I don't see my events"

Check:

  • Are filters active? (Clear filters)
  • Did the events save during recording?
  • Try refreshing the page

"Timestamps don't match my audio"

Solution:

  • Upload transcripts and use alignment
  • Or manually adjust timestamps
  • This is normal after editing!

"Share link isn't working"

Check:

  • Was it revoked? (Check Account → Shares)
  • Is the recipient using the full URL?
  • Try generating a new share link

"Export failed"

Try:

  • Check your internet connection
  • Try a different format
  • Refresh and try again
  • Contact support if persistent

Quick Reference

Task How To
Access timeline Interview details → "Post-Production"
Edit timestamp Click the timestamp directly
Edit event Click "Edit" (pencil icon)
Delete event Click "Delete" (trash icon)
Convert to question Click ↑ button on segment/note/follow-up
Add new topic Click "Add Topic" at bottom of timeline
Add event Click "Add Event" button
Filter events Use filter dropdown
Share timeline Click "Share" → Copy link
Upload transcript Click "Upload Transcript"
Export Click "Export" → Choose format

What's Next?

Master your post-production workflow:

Or explore advanced features:

Transform your captured moments into polished content! 🎬