Can't find Timeline file type

[maya.bialik (Maya)]

I am trying to get the Timeline file type as indicated here

(https://marketplace.zoom.us/docs/api-reference/zoom-api/cloud-recording/recordingget)

But it’s not there when I look in my account…

[tommy (Tommy Gaessler)]

Hey @maya.bialik, thanks for posting and using Zoom!

I believe it only shows up in the Get Meeting Recordings endpoint.

Was it included for you in the response for that API?

Thanks,
Tommy

[maya.bialik (Maya)]

@tommy no, I made a test request using your API reference and there were only m4a and mp4 recording files available, no timeline.

[michael_p.zoom (Michael P.)]

Hi @maya.bialik,

Would you be able to share your account ID so that we can further investigate? Usually this is for Business+ accounts with audio transcript enabled[1].

1 - https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/115004794983-Automatically-Transcribe-Cloud-Recordings-

Thanks
Michael

[maya.bialik (Maya)]

Yep! This is the account ID. I thought I had a business account but maybe not?

110131633

[michael_p.zoom (Michael P.)]

Hi @maya.bialik,

Yes your account is a Pro account and would need to be a Business+ account to get the VTT file.

Let us know if we can help with anything else.

Thanks

[maya.bialik (Maya)]

Oh ok. And there is no other way to get data on which speaker is speaking when?

Do you have a discount for educational non-profits?

[tommy (Tommy Gaessler)]

Hey @maya.bialik,

You could get the meeting transcripts which shows which speaker is speaking when, but that also requires a Business account.

@maya.bialik

Do you have a discount for educational non-profits?

Please reach out to support.zoom.us for discount enquires.

Thanks,
Tommy

[santa.th0 (Santa Thounaojam)]

Hi,

Can we get a sample timeline json?

Thank,
Santa Thounaojam

[tommy (Tommy Gaessler)]

Hey @santa.th0,

We currently do not have sample files, but you can generate one using the steps mentioned above.

Also check out this thread:

Unable to get speaker names in a transcript

I have a zoom meeting URL. On opening it, it shows a conversations panel towards the right side and the video towards the left. This is fine. When I download this the transcript of this video, the .vtt extension file shows me the timestamp, the conversation text but not the speaker name. Instead of the speaker name, it shows an incremental numeric digit. starting from 1. Not quite sure why is this happening? [screenshot] [screenshot_1]

Thanks,
Tommy

[leva]

Hi, sorry for hijacking, I do see VTT file but still no TIMELINE. Where do I find one?
Thanks!

[tommy (Tommy Gaessler)]

Hey @leva,

The VTT file should be the timeline file.

Thanks,
Tommy

[leva]

Thank you for your reply, @tommy

VTT is the TRANSCRIPT, while I only need the information to separate the audio channels. According to https://marketplace.zoom.us/docs/api-reference/zoom-api/cloud-recording/recordingget , the TIMELINE file should contain all information required.

[tommy (Tommy Gaessler)]

Hey @leva,

Whoops my mistake! You should get the timeline file when you have a Business or higher plan with audio transcript enabled.

Thanks,
Tommy

[leva]

Hi @tommy,

I do have the transcripts enabled (otherwise I wouldn’t have those VTT files), but the TIMELINEs are not generated. Please check yourself.

Thanks,
-L

[tommy (Tommy Gaessler)]

Hey @leva, @santa.th0, @maya.bialik,

I was able to generate the TIMELINE file in the following way:

1. Make sure timestamp is enabled in your user settings:

   

2. Start the meeting

3. Start the cloud recording

4. Speak

5. End the meeting.

6. You will notice the TIMELINE file is not present in the Zoom Cloud Recordings Portal

   

7. It is only accessible from the Get Recording API endpoint.

   

Here is the TIMELINE file that was returned for reference:

GMT20200528-221435_Tommy-G.json

{
   "timeline" : [
      {
         "ts" : "00:00:00.160",
         "users" : [
            {
               "avatar_url" : "https://images.zoom.us/p/[redacted]/19f6430f-ca72-4154-8998-ede6be4542c7-837",
               "client_type" : 0,
               "email_address" : "[redacted]",
               "multiple_people" : true,
               "user_id" : 16778240,
               "username" : "Tommy G",
               "zoom_userid" : "[redacted]"
            }
         ]
      },
      {
         "ts" : "00:00:01.410",
         "users" : []
      },
      {
         "ts" : "00:00:02.160",
         "users" : [
            {
               "avatar_url" : "https://images.zoom.us/p/[redacted]/19f6430f-ca72-4154-8998-ede6be4542c7-837",
               "client_type" : 0,
               "email_address" : "[redacted]",
               "multiple_people" : true,
               "user_id" : 16778240,
               "username" : "Tommy G",
               "zoom_userid" : "[redacted]"
            }
         ]
      },
      {
         "ts" : "00:00:05.410",
         "users" : []
      },
      {
         "ts" : "00:00:08.410",
         "users" : [
            {
               "avatar_url" : "https://images.zoom.us/p/[redacted]/19f6430f-ca72-4154-8998-ede6be4542c7-837",
               "client_type" : 0,
               "email_address" : "[redacted]",
               "multiple_people" : true,
               "user_id" : 16778240,
               "username" : "Tommy G",
               "zoom_userid" : "[redacted]"
            }
         ]
      },
      {
         "ts" : "00:00:09.410",
         "users" : []
      }
   ],
   "version" : 100
}

Thanks,
Tommy

[leva]

Hi @tommy !

Thank you for your efforts, but, unfortunately, this did not work for me:

I am a Member under an Education account, so I have an option to enable both transcripts and timestamps. But, as a member, I am not allowed to use the Recording API (organization policy and I am not the account admin).

I do have a personal Pro account, I have enabled the “Add a timestamp” option in the settings. I have generated an oauth access token for my test application. But the Recording API response contains no TIMELINE files. All I get is:

"file_type": "MP4", "recording_type": "gallery_view"
"file_type": "MP4", "recording_type": "active_speaker"
"file_type": "M4A", "recording_type": "audio_only"

Am I missing something important?

I suspect this is because the audio transcript is unavailable, but this would make no sense to me. Why should a simple recording timestamp availability depend on a much more advanced and resources-hungry ASR transcription?

The TIMELINE, per se, has very little value if VTT is also correctly generated. And actually, it seems the engine does not support languages other than English, right?

Thanks

[tommy (Tommy Gaessler)]

Hey @leva,

Make sure you also have the timestamp checkbox checked at the account level.

@leva

I suspect this is because the audio transcript is unavailable, but this would make no sense to me.

What do you mean by audio transcript is unavilable?

Did you try talking during the meeting?

@leva

And actually, it seems the engine does not support languages other than English, right?

That is more of a product question you’d have to confirm with support.zoom.us.

It should work when using the interpretation feature.

Thanks,
Tommy

[leva]

Hi @tommy,

Make sure you also have the timestamp checkbox checked at the [account level]

The timestamp is checked:

The transcript checkbox is unavailable for the “Pro account”.

The transcript checkbox is available for Education account, but the TIMELINE file is not visible in the Zoom Cloud Recordings Portal and I am not allowed to play with the Recording API.

Thanks

[leva]

as for different languages, here’s what I see on the Portal for a non-English meeting: