What format should I export?

Plain text is easiest to search. If you need to cite timestamps, export SRT or VTT and keep a second copy open.

How do I handle multiple speakers?

Run the transcript, then add speaker names during your first read. AI diarization is ~80% right — which means 20% wrong, which is worse than taking 10 minutes yourself.

Should I edit the quotes for clarity?

Yes, lightly. Remove filler (“um”, “like”) but keep the speaker’s cadence. Never add words they didn’t say.

How many quotes should I pull?

Aim for 5-10 usable quotes per hour. More than that and you’re re-reporting. Fewer and you missed the substance.

How to Turn a 2-Hour Interview Into Quotes You Can Actually Use

Updated 24 Apr 2026 · TranscriptX editorial

Quick answer: Transcribe the interview with TranscriptX. Ctrl-F the themes you care about. Copy the sentences you want with timestamps. Drop them into your doc. Whole thing is usually under 20 minutes, even on a 2-hour recording.

Interviews are the raw material. Finding the 3 quotes that actually matter is the job.

The 60-second answer

Transcribe with TranscriptX. Open the text. Ctrl-F the themes you care about. Grab sentences with timestamps. Paste into your doc.

Step-by-step

1) Transcribe the recording

Paste the recording link on TranscriptX. If the recording is local, drop it into Google Drive first.

2) Open the transcript in plain text

We export .txt, .srt, .vtt, .json. Plain text is easiest to grep.

3) Search for your themes

Before reading, list the 3-5 themes you expected to hear — pricing concerns, team size, a specific objection. Ctrl-F each one and skim the surrounding paragraphs.

4) Copy the quotes with timestamps

For each usable quote, copy the sentence + SRT timestamp. Paste as:

“This is the quote.” — Name, 00:23:14

5) Do a second pass for surprises

Skim the sections you didn’t search for. Interviews usually have one line the person didn’t know they were going to say — that’s the quote you want.

Common things that break

Reading the whole transcript linearly. Waste of time. Search, don’t read.
Trusting AI speaker labels. They’re 80% right. Correct as you go.
Over-editing the quote. Remove filler. Keep the voice. Don’t smooth it into corporate.
Losing the timestamp. Always include it. You’ll thank yourself when you need to verify.

Related guides

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