Transcription overview

Use transcription to turn meeting audio into timestamped text for summaries, action items, search, coaching, compliance review, and live captions.

A transcript captures what was said and can include speaker labels and other metadata. Transcription is not enabled by default: configure real-time transcription before recording, or create a post-meeting transcript from a completed recording.

Quickstarts

Live transcription with bots quickstart

Create a meeting bot with real-time transcription and receive transcript events during the meeting.

Generate a transcript after a meeting (async transcription)

For bots and desktop SDK. Create a transcript from a completed recording, wait for processing to finish, and fetch the result.

Live transcription with Desktop SDK

Real-time transcription with local audio using the Desktop Recording SDK

Capturing audio locally instead of using a meeting bot? Follow the Desktop Recording SDK real-time transcription guide.

Transcription types

Choose when you need transcript data first. Then choose how to capture the meeting: with a meeting bot or the Desktop Recording SDK.

Type	When to use it	How it works
Real-time transcription	You need live captions, transcript updates, alerts, or automations during the meeting.	Configure a transcription provider and a real-time endpoint before recording. Your application receives transcript events during the meeting.
Post-meeting (async) transcription	You only need the transcript after the meeting, for tasks such as summaries, action items, or search.	Create a transcription job for a completed recording, wait for completion, and retrieve the transcript. Works with recordings from meeting bots or the Desktop Recording SDK.

Real-time transcription also makes the full transcript available after the meeting ends. Fetching that transcript does not require creating a separate post-meeting transcription job.

Implementation guides

Capture method	Real-time transcription	Post-meeting transcription
Meeting bots	Receive live transcript events	Create and fetch an async transcript
Desktop Recording SDK	Receive live transcript events	Create and fetch an async transcript

Speech-to-text provider options

A speech-to-text provider (the service that converts audio into text) generates your transcript. Recall.ai Transcription is the recommended option and requires no third-party provider setup. You can also use one of the third-party providers below.

For a third-party provider, add its API key in the Recall.ai dashboard by following its setup guide. Recall passes provider settings through directly, and the provider determines field defaults. Contact the provider's support team for guidance on accuracy or provider-specific configuration.

Use the provider guides to review configuration options for your chosen transcription type. Language support, defaults, and available features vary by provider.

Speech-to-text provider	Setup	Post-meeting guide	Real-time guide
Recall.ai Transcription (recommended)	Not required	Post-meeting	Real-time
ElevenLabs	Setup	Post-meeting	Real-time
Deepgram	Setup	Post-meeting	Real-time
AssemblyAI	Setup	Post-meeting	Real-time
AWS Transcribe	Setup	Post-meeting	Real-time
Rev	Setup	Post-meeting	Real-time
Speechmatics	Setup	Post-meeting	Real-time

Key transcription features

Choose features based on your capture method, transcription type, and provider. Follow each feature guide for supported configurations and limitations.

Feature	What it does	Learn more
Diarization	Identifies who said what. Speaker labels can map to known meeting participants or appear as generic labels, depending on the method and provider.	Diarization
Multilingual transcription	Supports meetings with one or more spoken languages. Language detection and code-switching (switching languages during speech) support vary by provider.	Multilingual transcription
Provider data	Exposes raw provider-specific fields that are not included in Recall.ai's normalized transcript format. Not available for Recall.ai Transcription or when `diarization.use_separate_streams_when_available: true`.	Access provider-specific fields
Partial transcripts	Delivers interim text before an utterance (a piece of transcript text from one speaker) is finalized. Available only for real-time transcription; replace partial text with the finalized result when it arrives.	Partial transcript data

Important transcription concepts

Use these terms to understand the transcription guides and the data your application receives.

Concept	Description
Recording	Audio and/or video captured using a meeting bot or the Desktop Recording SDK. Transcripts are generated from the audio during recording or after recording completes.
Transcript	Text generated from meeting audio. It can include speaker labels, timestamps, and other metadata, depending on the transcription type and provider.
Transcription workflow	The process for generating and receiving transcript data: during a live meeting with real-time transcription, or from a completed recording with post-meeting transcription.
Speech-to-text provider	The service that generates the transcript: Recall.ai Transcription or a supported third-party provider.
Utterance	A piece of transcript text from one speaker. A transcript consists of utterances with text, timestamps, and speaker information, depending on the provider and configuration.