> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.labelbox.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Audio

> Guide for labeling audio data.

With the audio editor, you can add annotations to audio files, like classifying natural language conversations and music, to train conversational AI and audio-based ML models. The editor supports automatic speech-to-text recognition with the Whisper model, enabling you to transcribe any audio segment.

## Set up audio annotation projects

To set up an audio annotation project:

1. [Create an audio dataset](/docs/datasets-datarows).
2. On the [Annotate projects page](https://app.labelbox.com/projects), click the **+ New project** button.
3. Select **Audio**. Provide a **name** and an optional **description** for your project.
4. Click **Save**. The system then creates the project and redirects you to the project overview page.
5. Click **Add data**. Then select your audio dataset. Click **Sample** to sample your dataset, or you can manually select data rows and click **Queue batch**.

<Info>
  ### Data row size limit

  To view the maximum size allowed for a data row, see [limits](/docs/limits).
</Info>

## Set up ontologies

After setting up an audio annotation project, you can [add an ontology](/docs/labelbox-ontology#create-a-new-ontology) based on how you want to label the data. The audio editor supports the following annotation types that you can include in your ontology:

| Feature                           | Import annotations                                                           | Export annotations                                                                 |
| --------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Radio classification**          | [See payload](/reference/import-audio-annotations#radio-single-choice)       | [See payload](/reference/export-audio-annotations#classification---radio)          |
| **Checklist classification**      | [See payload](/reference/import-audio-annotations#checklist-multiple-choice) | [See payload](/reference/export-audio-annotations#classification---checklist)      |
| **Free-form text classification** | [See payload](/reference/import-audio-annotations#free-form-text)            | [See payload](/reference/export-audio-annotations#classification---free-form-text) |

<Info>
  ### Classification scopes

  You can apply classifications as **global classifications** at the file level, **temporal classifications** at the frame level, or **nested classifications** under other annotations.
</Info>

## Use the audio editor

After adding data and setting up an ontology for your audio annotation project, you can add labels to data rows using the audio editor. Each data row displays in the editor with:

* **A waveform** visualizing pattern of sound pressure variation.
* **A spectrogram** showing the range of sound frequencies and their strengths over time.
* **A timeline** of audio split into 500 millisecond intervals by default and a **Timeline Resolution** slider that allows you to adjust the time intervals on the timeline.
* **Basic player controls**, such as the play/pause button, back/forward 10-second buttons, and the playback speed. You can also click anywhere on the waveform to instantly move to your desired location.

To add a global classification. select the classification and enter the value.

To add a temporal classification, select the classification, choose the interval on the timeline or waveform for when the classification starts, and add the classification value. You will see a circle representing the classification value on the timeline.

<Info>
  ### Timeline resolution differences for labels

  If you set a lower resolution with the timeline resolution slider, the classification label you add may not align exactly with the current timeline resolution. This indicates that the classification was placed at a timestamp with a higher resolution than the one currently being used. You can adjust the timeline resolution to a higher resolution to see the exact position of the classification.
</Info>

### Enable speech recognition

The in-editor automatic speech-to-text support allows you to recognize and extract text from audio segments using free-form text classifications. To enable it:

1. When [creating the ontology](/docs/labelbox-ontology#step-1-create), add a temporal **Text** classification feature.
2. Select the temporal text classification, and then select a starting frame on the timeline.
3. Click **START TRANSCRIBING**.
4. Click **END TRANSCRIBING** at your desired ending frame.

If the system detects speech, it automatically generates a transcript in the text annotation.

### Keyboard shortcuts

| Function                         | Hotkey            | Description                                       |
| -------------------------------- | ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| Play/Pause                       | `Space`           | Play or pause the audio playback                  |
| Move backward one frame          | `←`               | Move backward one frame                           |
| Move forward one frame           | `→`               | Move forward one frame                            |
| Select frames                    | `Shift` + `Mouse` | Select frames for adding temporal classifications |
| Advance to the previous keyframe | `⇧` + `←`         | Advance to the previous keyframe                  |
| Advance to the next keyframe     | `⇧` + `→`         | Advance to the next keyframe                      |
| Jump to objects                  | `Down`            | Jump to objects                                   |
| Next object                      | `Down`            | Move to the next object                           |
| Previous object                  | `Up`              | Move to the previous object                       |
| Toggle                           | `⌘` + `/`         | Toggle the keyboard shortcuts menu                |