Feedback: audio-intelligence-auto-chapters

Documentation Feedback

Original URL: https://www.assemblyai.com/docs/audio-intelligence/auto-chapters
Category: audio-intelligence
Generated: 05/08/2025, 4:33:39 pm

---

Claude Sonnet 4 Feedback

Generated: 05/08/2025, 4:33:38 pm

Technical Documentation Analysis: Auto Chapters

Overall Assessment

The documentation is well-structured with comprehensive code examples, but it has several areas that need improvement for better user experience and clarity.

Critical Issues

1. Missing Essential Information

Prerequisites Section Needed

• No clear section explaining what users need before starting
• API key setup is mentioned but not explained
• Authentication setup should be in a dedicated section

Response Structure Incomplete

• Missing complete API response schema
• No mention of other fields that might be included in the response
• Unclear what happens when no chapters are detected

2. Unclear Explanations

Vague Feature Description Current: “The Auto Chapters model summarizes audio data over time into chapters.”

Improved:

## What is Auto Chapters?

Auto Chapters automatically analyzes your audio content and divides it into logical segments based on topic changes and content flow. Each chapter includes:

- **Summary**: A detailed paragraph explaining the chapter content
- **Gist**: A brief 3-5 word description
- **Headline**: A single sentence summarizing the main topic
- **Timestamps**: Precise start/end times in milliseconds

This feature is ideal for:
- Podcast navigation
- Meeting transcripts
- Educational content
- Long-form interviews

3. Code Examples Issues

Inconsistent Error Handling

• Some examples have error handling, others don’t
• No standardized approach across languages
• Missing timeout handling for polling

Improved Python Example:

import assemblyai as aai
import time

aai.settings.api_key = "<YOUR_API_KEY>"

def transcribe_with_chapters(audio_file):
    try:
        config = aai.TranscriptionConfig(auto_chapters=True)
        transcript = aai.Transcriber().transcribe(audio_file, config)

        if transcript.status == aai.TranscriptStatus.error:
            raise Exception(f"Transcription failed: {transcript.error}")

        return transcript
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}")
        return None

# Usage
audio_file = "https://assembly.ai/wildfires.mp3"
transcript = transcribe_with_chapters(audio_file)

if transcript and transcript.chapters:
    for i, chapter in enumerate(transcript.chapters, 1):
        print(f"Chapter {i}: {chapter.headline}")
        print(f"Time: {chapter.start/1000:.1f}s - {chapter.end/1000:.1f}s")
        print(f"Summary: {chapter.summary}\n")
else:
    print("No chapters detected or transcription failed")

4. Structure Improvements

Recommended New Structure:

# Auto Chapters

## Overview
[Brief description and use cases]

## Prerequisites
[API key setup, requirements]

## Quick Start
[Simplest possible example]

## Configuration
[All parameters and options]

## Code Examples
[Comprehensive examples by language]

## Response Format
[Complete API response documentation]

## Best Practices
[Optimization tips and recommendations]

## Troubleshooting
[Common issues and solutions]

## FAQ
[User questions]

5. Missing Critical Information

Audio Requirements Add a section explaining:

## Audio Requirements

**Supported Formats**: MP3, MP4, WAV, FLAC, M4A
**Maximum Duration**: 5 hours
**Minimum Duration**: 30 seconds for meaningful chapters
**Quality Requirements**:
- Clear speech with minimal background noise
- Sufficient topic variation for chapter detection
- Recommended: 16kHz+ sample rate

Pricing and Limits

## Usage and Billing

- Auto Chapters is billed per audio minute processed
- Minimum billable duration: 15 seconds
- See [pricing page] for current rates
- Rate limits: 100 concurrent requests

6. Better Examples Needed

Real-world Use Case Example:

## Use Case: Podcast Chapter Navigation

```python
def create_podcast_chapters(audio_url, title):
    """
    Process a podcast episode and create navigable chapters
    """
    config = aai.TranscriptionConfig(
        auto_chapters=True,
        speaker_labels=True  # Often useful with chapters
    )

    transcript = aai.Transcriber().transcribe(audio_url, config)

    # Create chapter markers for podcast players
    chapters = []
    for chapter in transcript.chapters:
        chapters.append({
            'title': chapter.headline,
            'start_time': chapter.start / 1000,  # Convert to seconds
            'description': chapter.summary
        })

    return {
        'podcast_title': title,
        'total_duration': transcript.audio_duration,
        'chapters': chapters,
        'full_transcript': transcript.text
    }

7. User Pain Points to Address

Add Validation Section:

## Validation and Testing

Before processing large batches:

1. **Test with sample audio**: Verify chapter quality with a short sample
2. **Check audio quality**: Ensure clear speech and topic variation
3. **Validate output**: Review generated chapters for accuracy

```python
def validate_chapter_output(transcript):
    if not transcript.chapters:
        print("❌ No chapters detected")
        return False

    if len(transcript.chapters) < 2:
        print("⚠️ Only one chapter detected - audio may be too short or uniform")

    avg_chapter_length = sum(c.end - c.start for c in transcript.chapters) / len(transcript.chapters)
    if avg_chapter_length < 30000:  # 30 seconds
        print("⚠️ Very short chapters detected - check audio quality")

    print(f"✅ {len(transcript.chapters)} chapters detected")
    return True

8. Enhanced Troubleshooting

Expand troubleshooting with specific solutions:

## Troubleshooting Guide

### No Chapters Detected
**Symptoms**: Empty chapters array
**Causes & Solutions**:
- Audio too short (< 2 minutes): Use longer audio files
- Single topic discussion: Auto Chapters works best with topic variation
- Poor audio quality: Enhance audio quality or reduce background noise
- Highly technical content: Model may struggle with very specialized terminology

### Too Many/Few Chapters
**Solutions**:
- For too many: Audio may have frequent topic shifts (expected behavior)
- For too few: Content may be very focused (consider if chapters are actually needed)

### Inaccurate Chapter Summaries
**Solutions**:
- Verify audio clarity and speech quality
- Check if multiple speakers are clearly audible
- Consider using speaker_labels alongside auto_chapters

Summary of Actionable Improvements

1. Add Prerequisites section with API setup instructions
2. Expand overview with clear use cases and benefits
3. Add audio requirements and technical specifications
4. Improve code examples with consistent error handling
5. Add validation helpers for testing output quality
6. Expand troubleshooting with specific solutions
7. Include pricing/limits information
8. Add real-world use case examples
9. Improve response documentation with complete schema
10. Add best practices section for optimal results

These improvements would significantly enhance user experience and reduce support requests.

---