Feedback: Audio Duration Fix Guide

Documentation Feedback

Original URL: https://www.assemblyai.com/docs/guides/audio-duration-fix
Category: guides
Generated: 05/08/2025, 4:43:49 pm

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Claude Sonnet 4 Feedback

Generated: 05/08/2025, 4:43:48 pm

Technical Documentation Analysis & Feedback

Critical Missing Information

1. Prerequisites Section Needed

   ## Prerequisites
   - Python 3.7+
   - AssemblyAI API key
   - Required system tools: ffmpeg, sox, MediaInfo

2. Installation Instructions Missing

   • No guidance on installing ffmpeg, sox, or MediaInfo
   • Different installation methods for Windows, macOS, Linux
   • Version compatibility requirements

3. Missing Import Statement

   import os  # Required for os.path.exists() in transcode function

Structure & Organization Issues

Current problems:

• Massive code dump in “Quickstart” section
• Step-by-step explanation comes after complete code
• Inconsistent section flow

Recommended structure:

1. Overview & Use Cases
2. Prerequisites & Installation
3. Quick Example (minimal working code)
4. Step-by-Step Tutorial
5. Complete Working Example
6. Troubleshooting
7. Advanced Configuration

Code Quality & Clarity Issues

1. Error Handling Problems

   # Current - subprocess errors not handled
   duration = subprocess.run(command, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, text=True)
   
   # Better approach
   try:
       result = subprocess.run(command, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, text=True, check=True)
       if result.returncode != 0:
           print(f"Error running {command[0]}: {result.stderr}")
           return None
       return float(result.stdout.strip())
   except (subprocess.CalledProcessError, ValueError, FileNotFoundError) as e:
       print(f"Error with {command[0]}: {e}")
       return None

2. Hardcoded Values Need Explanation

   # Why these specific ffmpeg parameters?
   command = [
       'ffmpeg', '-i', input_file,
       '-ar', '16000',  # Sample rate - explain why 16kHz
       '-ac', '1',      # Mono audio - explain why
       output_file
   ]

3. Magic Numbers Without Context

   tolerance=0.01  # Why 0.01 seconds? When might users need to adjust this?

User Experience Pain Points

1. No Validation for File Existence

   def validate_audio_file(file_path):
       if not os.path.exists(file_path):
           raise FileNotFoundError(f"Audio file not found: {file_path}")
       # Add file format validation

2. Confusing Variable Names

   # Current
   audio_file="./audio.mp4"  # Then changes to "./audio/8950.mp4"
   
   # Better
   SAMPLE_AUDIO_FILE = "./path/to/your/audio.mp4"

3. No Progress Indicators

   • Transcoding can take time - add progress feedback
   • Transcription status updates missing

Missing Examples & Use Cases

1. Before/After Examples

   ## Example Output
   ### Problematic File

   ffprobe duration: 120.500000 seconds SoX duration: 120.486000 seconds
   MediaInfo duration: 120.520000 seconds Warning: The audio durations differ between tools. Transcoding file audio.mp4 to audio_transcoded.wav…

2. Different Scenarios
   • All tools agree (happy path)
   • One tool fails (partial failure)
   • All tools disagree (worst case)
   • Transcoding fails

Technical Improvements Needed

1. Configuration Options

   class AudioValidator:
       def __init__(self, tolerance=0.01, output_format='wav', sample_rate=16000):
           self.tolerance = tolerance
           self.output_format = output_format
           self.sample_rate = sample_rate

2. Better Logging

   import logging
   
   logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
   logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)

3. Return Structured Results

   from dataclasses import dataclass
   from typing import Optional
   
   @dataclass
   class DurationResult:
       ffprobe: Optional[float]
       sox: Optional[float]
       mediainfo: Optional[float]
       is_consistent: bool
       max_difference: float

Documentation Completeness Issues

1. Missing Troubleshooting Section

   ## Troubleshooting
   
   ### Common Issues
   - **"Command not found"**: Install required tools
   - **"Permission denied"**: Check file permissions
   - **"Unsupported format"**: List supported formats

2. No Performance Considerations

   • File size limitations
   • Processing time estimates
   • Memory usage for large files

3. Missing API Error Handling

   try:
       transcript = transcriber.transcribe(file)
       print(transcript.text)
   except aai.TranscriptionError as e:
       print(f"Transcription failed: {e}")
   except Exception as e:
       print(f"Unexpected error: {e}")

Immediate Action Items

1. Fix the broken code - Add missing imports
2. Restructure content - Move complete code after explanation
3. Add installation guide - Platform-specific instructions
4. Include error scenarios - Show what happens when things fail
5. Provide configuration options - Don’t hardcode everything
6. Add validation - Check prerequisites before running
7. Improve examples - Show realistic file paths and outputs

This documentation has good technical content but suffers from poor organization and missing practical guidance that users need to actually implement the solution successfully.

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