Frequently Asked Questions

Snap Commands operates by first uploading the audio content of your project to our servers for analysis. Through speech-to-text translation, we identify the specific commands within your content. Our patent-pending processing engine then interprets these commands to determine the necessary actions for producing your content according to your directions. The outcomes of this process are sent back to the application on your device, where Snap Commands then creates and organizes the clips following your instructions.

Snap Commands currently recognizes 11 different voice commands, with the three most essential being "Snap Action," "Snap Keep," and "Snap Cut." For a comprehensive list of all supported commands and their functions, please visit our Voice Commands page. Additionally, our How-To page offers detailed guidance on utilizing these key commands effectively for your specific use case.

Voice commands can be customized however this is currently only available for enterprise customers. As the product matures we may open this up for all users. If you have specific ideas for customizations please don't hesitate to contact us at ian@snapcommands.com.

Yes, any recording device that can capture audio.

Snap Commands synchronizes audio and video across multiple devices by analyzing the audio from each device to identify the optimal alignment based on the audio signature. This process is automatic for projects involving multiple devices. Additionally, you can manually initiate synchronization by using the "Snap Synchronize" command. When employing this command, ensure all your devices are recording and can capture your voice at that moment. Following this, your recordings will be synchronized, even if a device later fails to pick up your voice.

Snap Commands generates edited clips in the same format as the original recordings, striving to encode them with the highest quality settings possible.

Yes, Snap Commands can function in loud environments. We recommend using two separate devices: one as your camera and the other for recording audio, preferably with a lapel microphone. Start recording on both devices and utilize the "Snap Synchronize" command to align the audio from both devices. This way, the device capturing audio will be responsible for picking up your commands. When Snap Commands processes the video and audio together, your clips will be created from both sources, aligned and prepared for your editing timeline.

No.

The voice recognition in Snap Commands is highly accurate, utilizing some of the best speech-to-text software available. Our command extraction algorithm is notably flexible, capable of accommodating various misinterpretations of command words. As we identify more common misinterpretations, we continuously update our database to enhance the product's accuracy further.

Snap Commands currently supports English only. However, as the product matures, we are open to expanding support to include additional languages.

To add devices to Snap Commands for synchronized recording, especially in scenarios where you may be using two cameras, follow these steps:

1: Record with both cameras as you normally would. Snap Commands will analyze the audio from both recordings to find alignment points, creating a virtual timeline.

2: Create an advanced video project within Snap Commands and add two devices to your project setup.

3: For each device, select the recordings pertinent to that device.

Snap Commands will then process the recordings, aligning them to create clips that are perfectly synchronized between the two sources.

The learning curve for new Snap Commands users is quite minimal. The basic commands, which are central to the power of Snap Commands, are intuitive and likely already familiar to most users, drawing from the common movie-directing commands such as "action" and "cut." A new user can easily master these three basic commands in a single session. Depending on your specific use case, these may be the only commands you need to know.

No, Snap Commands does not offer cloud storage for the edited clips. The intention behind Snap Commands is to make your clips immediately available on your computer, organized and ready for integration into your timeline for final editing.

For each project, Snap Commands enables you to select an output directory. Once your clips have been generated, you will find all the organized clips in that specified output directory.

While there may be a theoretical maximum number of devices that can be synced with Snap Commands, we have not encountered a practical limit due to the number of devices available for testing. However, it's important to note that we have successfully tested the system with up to 10 devices without encountering any issues.

Yes, Snap Commands excels when used with external microphones. If you're using a camera along with an external audio recording device, aligning the audio with your video can often be challenging. Snap Commands simplifies this process by automatically aligning and creating clips from both sources. When these clips are imported into your video editor's timeline, they will be perfectly synchronized, ensuring that your video and audio are flawlessly aligned.

Yes, Snap Commands includes a free tier as part of its pricing model, which serves as a form of trial version. The differentiation between tiers is primarily based on the amount of raw recordings being processed. For more details on what the free tier offers, please visit the pricing page on our website.

Snap Commands is compatible with both Windows and Mac OS. The system requirements are minimal; however, your machine should be capable of comfortably encoding video or audio. Given that Snap Commands is designed for content creators, it is assumed that it will be run on a machine already used for video editing, which should have sufficient power to support the software effectively.

Snap Commands prioritizes the privacy and security of your content by only uploading the audio portion of your recordings to our servers. These recordings are securely stored in our Azure storage account, which is tightly controlled and accessible only by our server infrastructure. For the purpose of debugging, your audio files and their speech-to-text interpretations are retained for 30 days, ensuring that your content is managed with the utmost care and confidentiality during this period.

Currently, Snap Commands is not optimized for live streaming video production, as we do not see this as a use case where the software would excel. However, it could be beneficial to use the "Snap Clip" command during your live stream to identify segments you wish to clip out for shorts or other content needs. This approach would require broadcasting your Snap Commands to your live stream audience, which might be confusing for viewers.

Snap Commands is designed to work most efficiently when a single person is designated to give voice commands during a recording session. However, it can accommodate commands from multiple users within the same session. In scenarios where overlapping voice commands occur, Snap Commands employs an override system: if conflicting commands (such as a "Snap Cut" and a "Snap Keep") are given by different users within a 5-second interval, the last command spoken will take precedence and be the one executed.

Yes, discounts for educational institutions or nonprofits are available on a case-by-case basis. If your project involves creating free audiobooks for organizations like LibriVox, or if you have a similar educational or nonprofit use case, please reach out to us at ian@snapcommands.com to discuss the possibility of receiving a discount.

We are currently developing error reporting features directly within the Snap Commands application. However, if you encounter any errors or issues before these features are fully implemented, please don't hesitate to email me directly at ian@snapcommands.com. We appreciate your feedback and are committed to resolving any problems promptly.

Snap Commands is designed to be compatible with any video editing software, allowing for versatile use across different platforms. Looking ahead, we are considering the development of plugins specifically for Adobe Premiere and DaVinci Resolve to further streamline the integration process and enhance the user experience with these popular editing tools.

Snap Commands provides email support to all regular users as the primary means of assistance. For enterprise customers, we offer an additional level of support, including phone support, on top of email support. This tiered support system ensures that users receive the help they need in a manner that best suits their requirements.

Yes, Snap Commands is highly beneficial for audio-only productions, including podcasts and audiobooks. The commands function in the same way as they do for video, helping you significantly reduce the recording and editing time for your podcast. This makes Snap Commands a versatile tool, not only for video content creators but also for those focused on producing high-quality audio content.

Snap Commands ensures the quality of your video remains high by re-encoding your clips using the same codec as the original video, typically at a higher quality than the source device. This approach means that, per unit of time, your clips may occupy more disk space than the original recording. However, this process is designed to preserve or even enhance the visual quality of your content, ensuring that the final product meets high standards.

Yes, you can easily overwrite voice commands in Snap Commands, offering flexibility to correct any mistakes made during recording. For instance, if you mistakenly say "Snap Cut" instead of "Snap Keep" at the end of a take, you can simply correct yourself within five seconds by stating the intended command. Similarly, for commands like "Snapshot," if you mention an incorrect shot number or description, just repeat the "Snapshot" command with the correct information immediately. Snap Commands is designed to accommodate in-the-moment editing decisions, providing you with multiple ways to correct any errors swiftly.

The longest continuous video recording successfully processed by Snap Commands to date is 1 1/2 hours long. While there's a practical consideration to break up recordings into smaller segments for easier handling, we haven't fully tested the limits of the software's capability with extremely long recordings. If you have specific requirements for recordings extending beyond an hour and a half, please reach out to us at ian@snapcommands.com to discuss your needs and explore potential solutions.

Snap Commands is well-equipped to handle fast-paced scenes and quick succession of commands, provided the commands are clearly enunciated. It's beneficial to emphasize the word "snap" clearly and possibly pause before stating the final command, such as in “Snap… Action.” While this method of pausing is not mandatory, it can enhance the system's ability to accurately recognize and process your commands efficiently, even in rapid sequences. Clear articulation is key to ensuring Snap Commands performs optimally in dynamic recording environments.

or Snap Commands to accurately recognize voice commands, it's essential to have good audio quality, similar to the quality desired for your final product. If there's a concern that the audio might not be captured with sufficient quality for Snap Commands to understand your commands due to distance or other factors, it's advisable to use an external audio recorder. By employing the "Snap Synchronize" command, you can synchronize your devices. This approach allows Snap Commands to utilize the audio from the external recorder to accurately extract the commands, ensuring effective voice command recognition even when the recording environment is less than ideal.

No, you must be online when using Snap Commands. The software requires an internet connection to process and edit your recordings.

If a voice command is not recognized by Snap Commands, we encourage you to reach out to us at ian@snapcommands.com. It's possible that we can address the issue, allowing you to reprocess your raw recording to achieve the desired results. We are currently working on automating this process to streamline resolving such issues. In the worst-case scenario, you might need to manually access your raw recording to retrieve the clip that Snap Commands missed.

Yes, Snap Commands supports collaboration on projects by multiple users, which can be highly beneficial in various scenarios. For instance, if you have recordings for the same project shot in different locations by different individuals, each person can utilize Snap Commands independently. They can also employ the organizational commands to arrange the final sequence of clips, making them ready for the timeline. This feature facilitates collaborative efforts, allowing for a cohesive final product even when contributors are working from different locations.

Snap Commands organizes clips post-editing using three organizational commands: "Snap Sequence," "Snap Scene," and "Snap Shot." These commands reflect the typical hierarchy used in filmmaking, allowing users to adapt this structure to suit their project's needs. Utilizing these commands can significantly reduce the effort required to prepare clips shot out of chronological order, making them ready for the timeline.

Snap Sequence: Assigning a sequence number creates a folder bearing that number, which then contains all the scenes within that sequence.

Snap Scene: Assigning a scene number creates a folder with that number, containing all the clips that belong to that scene.

Snap Shot: Assigning a shot number prefixes the clip name with that number, helping to organize individual shots within scenes or sequences.

This hierarchical organization helps in streamlining the editing process, making it easier to manage and navigate through the footage, especially when dealing with complex projects or those shot out of sequence.

Currently, Snap Commands is developing specific commands aimed at capturing sound effects. If you're interested in this feature, we encourage you to contact us. This will allow us to discuss how this feature can be tailored to meet your needs and how it could work ideally for your projects.

To update Snap Commands to the latest version, you currently need to manually reinstall the software. As our product continues to mature, we plan to explore and implement automatic update features that are compatible with our target platforms. This will streamline the process for users to always have the latest functionalities and improvements.

Snap Commands is completely non-destructive; it only reads from your raw footage without altering or deleting the original files. This means that after editing with Snap Commands, your original footage remains intact and unchanged, preserving your original content for any other uses or for archival purposes.

Snap Commands is primarily designed for use with live-action videos and audio projects, and we have not specifically targeted animation as a use case. However, we are open to exploring new possibilities. If you see a potential application for Snap Commands in your animation projects or have specific needs in this area, please feel free to contact us. We are interested in discussing how our tool could be adapted or enhanced to support animation workflows.

Snap Commands is designed to streamline the initial stages of the video editing process, focusing on automating the raw edit of videos through simple voice commands and minimal processing time. Its primary aim is to eliminate the tedious and time-consuming tasks typically done in traditional video editing software, such as cutting outtakes, removing dead air, and reorganizing content shot out of sequence. These tasks, while necessary, require little creativity and can be monotonous and time-intensive. By simplifying this part of the editing process, Snap Commands allows content creators to dedicate more time and energy to the creative aspects of video production, enhancing overall efficiency and enjoyment.

If your device, such as a DJI drone with a built-in camera, lacks the capability to capture audio and is not compatible with Snap Commands, we recommend using an external audio recorder. You can manually align the audio from this recorder with your drone footage. After syncing the audio and video, re-encode this combined content to include the audio track. Use this newly encoded video with audio as your raw footage for Snap Commands. This workaround ensures that you can still benefit from Snap Commands' features by providing it with footage that includes both video and synchronized audio.

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