Help & User Guide

These five steps are enough to go from audio file to finished Word document. Each step has a longer section below if you want more detail.

1. 1

   Sign in with your university email

   Go to the home page, enter your @ruc.dk (or other recognised Danish university) email and a password, accept the terms, and verify the six-digit code we send you. You will set up two-factor on first use.
2. 2

   Upload an audio file or record a call

   From your library, drop an audio file onto the upload area, or start a call to record live. Supported formats: MP3, WAV, M4A, MP4.
3. 3

   Choose language and transcription style

   Pick the spoken language (or leave on auto-detect) and choose between Cleaned up or Word for word. Then press Transcribe.
4. 4

   Review and edit

   Open the finished transcript, rename speakers from the Speakers menu, edit any segment text, and add notes where you need them. Changes save automatically.
5. 5

   Download or share

   Use Download to export as Word, plain text or subtitles, or Share to send a view, comment or edit link to a collaborator.

Spirelight Student Transcription is free for students at recognised Danish universities. You sign in with your university email and a password you choose yourself.

Creating an account

1. 1

   Open the sign-in screen

   On the home page, switch to the Create account tab.
2. 2

   Enter your university email

   Use your full university email, for example name@ruc.dk. We accept @ku.dk, @au.dk, @ruc.dk, @sdu.dk, @aau.dk, @dtu.dk, @cbs.dk and @itu.dk.
3. 3

   Pick a password and accept the terms

   Choose a password that meets the strength rules shown next to the field, confirm it, and tick I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Notice.
4. 4

   Verify the six-digit code

   We email you a code from no-reply@spirelight.net. Type it in and press Verify and sign in. The code is valid for ten minutes.

Two-factor authentication

After your first sign-in we ask you to set up two-factor with an authenticator app. Scan the QR code with Google Authenticator, Authy, 1Password, or any compatible app, then enter the six-digit code it shows you to confirm.

Each time you sign in

After entering your email and password we ask for a fresh six-digit code from your authenticator (or email, if you chose that option). This protects your account if your password ever leaks.

If you forget your password

1. 1

   Press 'Forgot password?'

   The link is just below the password field on the sign-in form.
2. 2

   Check your inbox

   We send a six-digit reset code to your university email. It expires after ten minutes.
3. 3

   Set a new password

   Enter the code, then your new password twice. After saving you are returned to the sign-in screen.

Your profile

Open your profile from the avatar at the top right of the workspace. You can:

• Upload a profile photo (PNG, JPG or WebP, up to 4 MB) with Upload photo, or replace it with Change photo.
• Remove your current photo with Remove photo.
• Set a Display name (up to 60 characters). This is what other participants see in calls and on transcripts you share.

Uploading is the fastest way to turn an interview, lecture or focus group into an editable transcript.

1. 1

   Open the upload area

   From the library, the upload area sits at the top of the page. It says Select an audio file to get started. Drag it here or click to browse. MP3, WAV, M4A, MP4.
2. 2

   Add one or more files

   Drop your audio onto the box, or click to browse. Each file you add is listed below with its size in megabytes. Use Add more files to queue several at once, or the remove button next to a file to drop it from the queue.
3. 3

   Choose a language

   The Language picker defaults to auto-detect, which works well for most clean recordings. If you know the language, pick it manually for slightly better accuracy, especially for accents or mixed-language audio.
4. 4

   Pick a transcription style

   Cleaned up removes filler words and reads the way a written document would, e.g. “I think we should go with option one.”Word for word keeps hesitations and repeats every word as spoken, e.g. “So, uh, I think, I think we should, you know, go with option one.”
5. 5

   Start transcribing

   Press Transcribe {N} file{s}. Each file shows its own progress: Uploading {X}%, then Transcribing…, then Done. You can keep using the rest of the app while files run in the background.

If you need to record a live interview rather than upload an existing file, start a call from inside the app. Participants join from a link and you can record the audio for transcription.

Starting a call

1. 1

   Press 'Start a call'

   The button sits at the top right of your library.
2. 2

   Set the project context (optional)

   You can attach the call to an existing project, which is useful if you are recording several sessions for the same study.
3. 3

   Send the join link to participants

   Each call has its own join URL. Anyone with the link enters their name in the lobby, tests their camera and microphone, then presses Join call.

In-call controls

• Mute mic / Unmute mic: toggle your microphone.
• Start video / Stop video: toggle your camera.
• Start recording: only the host can record. A red REC MM:SS badge shows how long the recording has been running.
• Stop & save: ends the recording and starts uploading it. The button shows the elapsed time while recording.
• End call ends the call for everyone (host) or Leave call exits without ending it (participant).

Saving the recording

When you press Stop & save, a full-screen banner appears with a progress bar that reads Saving recording… Keep the tab open until it reaches 100%. Closing it during the upload will delay things.

After the call

Once the upload completes, the recording behaves like any uploaded audio file. Pick the language and style and press Transcribe.

Open a finished transcript from the library by pressing Open. The transcript shows each spoken segment with its speaker label, start and end time, and the segment text. A sticky audio player sits at the bottom of the screen.

Listening back

• Use the play button on the bottom player to listen from any point.
• Press the small play icon at the start of any segment to jump to that line.
• Change playback speed with the 1x / 1.25x / 1.5x / 2x control next to the player.

Editing text and timestamps

• Click any segment text to edit it. The textarea grows as you type.
• Click the start or end time to adjust it. Use MM:SS format.
• Press + Add segment at the bottom (or the small + on any row) to insert a new line.
• Press the trash icon on any row to delete that segment.

Renaming speakers

1. 1

   Open the Speakers menu

   The Speakers ({N}) button sits in the top right of the transcript view.
2. 2

   Rename each speaker

   Type the real name next to each speaker label (e.g. change Speaker A to Dr. Smith). The change applies to every segment by that speaker, and to your DOCX download.

Adding notes to a segment

Use notes to mark interesting moments, flag follow-ups, or leave comments for collaborators on shared transcripts.

1. 1

   Open the notes for a segment

   Press Add note on the segment, or {N} Notes if it already has some.
2. 2

   Write your note

   Type in the box that appears and press Add. Your name and timestamp are saved with the note.
3. 3

   Edit or delete later

   Each note has a pencil and trash icon for editing or removing it.

Auto-save

Every edit saves automatically a moment after you stop typing. The small Saving… / Saved badge near the top of the transcript tells you the current state. If a save fails (for example you lose internet), the badge turns red. Reconnect and the change will retry.

Your library is the home screen after sign-in. It lists every transcript you own or have been given access to, plus any Projects you have created for grouping work.

Finding past transcripts

Each file in the library shows its name, duration, language and the date it was created. Recordings made in the app are tagged with a Call badge; transcripts someone else shared with you are tagged Shared.

Renaming a transcript

Press Rename on the file’s row. Type the new name and confirm. The change is reflected immediately in your library and in any future downloads.

Organising with projects

1. 1

   Create a project

   Press the New project icon at the top of the library, give the project a name and an optional description, and press Create project.
2. 2

   Move files into it

   On any file, press Move and pick the project (or No project to remove it from a project).

Deleting and restoring

Press Delete on a file to move it to the Deleted section at the bottom of the library. Deleted files are kept for thirty days, during which you can:

• Press Restore to put the file back in your library.
• Press Permanently delete to remove it right away.

You can share a single transcript or a whole project with another student. The recipient has to sign in with a Danish university email and accept our terms before they see anything.

1. 1

   Open the Share modal

   Press the Share button in the transcript header (or on a project).
2. 2

   Pick a permission level

   • Viewer: can read and play back, no edits.
   • Commenter: can read, play and add notes to segments.
   • Editor: can change segment text, rename speakers and add notes.
3. 3

   Generate a link, or invite by email

   A share link can be sent to anyone who has a Danish university email. Or invite a specific person by entering their email; only that account will be able to open the link.
4. 4

   Revoke when you are done

   Open the Share modal again to copy, revoke or remove access at any time.

When you are happy with the transcript, press Download in the transcript header to open the export options.

Choosing a format

• Word (.docx): formatted document with speaker names and timestamps; the format most people want.
• Plain text (.txt): simple text with speaker labels and optional timestamps.
• Subtitles (.srt): subtitle format for video editing. Timestamps are always included.

Toggles

• Show timestamps: include time codes next to each segment.
• Label speakers: print speaker names (using the labels you set in the Speakers menu).
• Include notes: append the notes you have left on segments. Disabled if the transcript has no notes or you are exporting as SRT.

1. 1

   Open the Download modal

   From the transcript header.
2. 2

   Pick the format and toggles

   The toggles update live based on the format you choose.
3. 3

   Press Download

   You will see Preparing… briefly while the file is assembled, then your browser starts the download.

If you are recording participants for a research project, you can send each one a consent form they sign in their own browser before joining. Find consent forms under the Consent forms tab in your library.

What a participant sees

The participant opens a link, reads the consent text (in English or Danish, depending on what you created), fills in their full name and address, draws a signature with their mouse or finger, and presses Sign and submit. They are then shown a confirmation and emailed a copy with a link to withdraw later if they change their mind.

Anything missing, broken, or confusing? Email andreas@spirelight.net. We read every message and fix the most-reported issues first.

For the legal version of how we handle your data, see the Terms & Privacy Notice.