Spoken search
Find the line they said.
Type what someone said. Sift finds every take and plays and shows you the moment.
In short: Sift’s Spoken search transcribes the speech in your video on your computer and lets you search those words across your whole library. Results show the quote in context with its timecode, and you can play just that moment before bringing it into Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve.
No editor needed. Sift works on its own as a desktop app on Mac and Windows: search, preview, build Selects and share footage by link without opening an editor. The editor panels are optional.
How to search footage by visuals and speech with Sift · 2:37 · Watch on YouTube
How it works.
- Sync
Add your interview and B-roll folders. Sift transcribes speech as it indexes.
- Search
Switch to Spoken and type the words, or put a phrase in quotes.
- Use it
Play the moment, save it to Selects, or bring it into your edit.
Why editors use it.
Search all your interviews at once instead of scrubbing file by file.
Search a person’s name as spoken words to find where they’re mentioned.
Play just the matched audio from the result before you open the clip.
A Visual search also tells you when the same words were said, one click away.
Questions
Is this sound-effect search?
No. Spoken search finds words people say. It doesn’t search for sounds like applause or music.
Does my audio get uploaded?
No. Transcription runs on your computer.
Which languages?
Sift detects the spoken language automatically. It has been tested most with English.
Can I export the transcript?
Not as a document yet. Spoken search is for finding moments, not for producing transcripts.
Updated 2026-10-22
Keep reading.
Try it on your own footage.
Free for 3 days or 25 searches. No card. Then $99 a year for one computer, Mac or Windows. Everything in Sift, including the optional editor panels and one free link to share footage.