speech-to-text Checked

{
  "text": "The full transcription text",
  "language_code": "eng",
  "language_probability": 0.98,
  "words": [
    {"text": "The", "start": 0.0, "end": 0.15, "type": "word", "speaker_id": "speaker_0"},
    {"text": " ", "start": 0.15, "end": 0.16, "type": "spacing", "speaker_id": "speaker_0"}
  ]
}

**Word types:**

• word - An actual spoken word
• spacing - Whitespace between words (useful for precise timing)
• audio_event - Non-speech sounds the model detected (laughter, applause, music, etc.)

Error Handling

try:
    result = client.speech_to_text.convert(file=audio_file, model_id="scribe_v2")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"Transcription failed: {e}")

Common errors:

• **401**: Invalid API key
• **422**: Invalid parameters
• **429**: Rate limit exceeded

Tracking Costs

Monitor usage via request-id response header:

response = client.speech_to_text.convert.with_raw_response(file=audio_file, model_id="scribe_v2")
result = response.parse()
print(f"Request ID: {response.headers.get('request-id')}")

Real-Time Streaming

For live transcription with ultra-low latency (~150ms), use the real-time API. The real-time API produces two types of transcripts:

• **Partial transcripts**: Interim results that update frequently as audio is processed - use these for live feedback (e.g., showing text as the user speaks)
• **Committed transcripts**: Final, stable results after you "commit" - use these as the source of truth for your application

A "commit" tells the model to finalize the current segment. You can commit manually (e.g., when the user pauses) or use Voice Activity Detection (VAD) to auto-commit on silence.

### Python (Server-Side)

import asyncio
from elevenlabs import ElevenLabs

client = ElevenLabs()

async def transcribe_realtime():
    async with client.speech_to_text.realtime.connect(
        model_id="scribe_v2_realtime",
        include_timestamps=True,
    ) as connection:
        await connection.stream_url("https://example.com/audio.mp3")

        async for event in connection:
            if event.type == "partial_transcript":
                print(f"Partial: {event.text}")
            elif event.type == "committed_transcript":
                print(f"Final: {event.text}")

asyncio.run(transcribe_realtime())

### JavaScript (Client-Side with React)

import { useScribe, CommitStrategy } from "@elevenlabs/react";

function TranscriptionComponent() {
  const [transcript, setTranscript] = useState("");

  const scribe = useScribe({
    modelId: "scribe_v2_realtime",
    commitStrategy: CommitStrategy.VAD, // Auto-commit on silence for mic input
    onPartialTranscript: (data) => console.log("Partial:", data.text),
    onCommittedTranscript: (data) => setTranscript((prev) => prev + data.text),
  });

  const start = async () => {
    // Get token from your backend (never expose API key to client)
    const { token } = await fetch("/scribe-token").then((r) => r.json());

    await scribe.connect({
      token,
      microphone: { echoCancellation: true, noiseSuppression: true },
    });
  };

  return <button onClick={start}>Start Recording</button>;
}

### Commit Strategies

| Strategy | Description |

|----------|-------------|

| **Manual** | You call commit() when ready - use for file processing or when you control the audio segments |

| **VAD** | Voice Activity Detection auto-commits when silence is detected - use for live microphone input |

// React: set commitStrategy on the hook (recommended for mic input)
import { useScribe, CommitStrategy } from "@elevenlabs/react";

const scribe = useScribe({
  modelId: "scribe_v2_realtime",
  commitStrategy: CommitStrategy.VAD,
  // Optional VAD tuning:
  vadSilenceThresholdSecs: 1.5,
  vadThreshold: 0.4,
});

// JavaScript client: pass vad config on connect
const connection = await client.speechToText.realtime.connect({
  modelId: "scribe_v2_realtime",
  vad: {
    silenceThresholdSecs: 1.5,
    threshold: 0.4,
  },
});

### Event Types

| Event | Description |

|-------|-------------|

| partial_transcript | Live interim results |

| committed_transcript | Final results after commit |

| committed_transcript_with_timestamps | Final with word timing |

| error | Error occurred |

See real-time references for complete documentation.

References

• Installation Guide (references/installation.md)
• Transcription Options (references/transcription-options.md)
• Real-Time Client-Side Streaming (references/realtime-client-side.md)
• Real-Time Server-Side Streaming (references/realtime-server-side.md)
• Commit Strategies (references/realtime-commit-strategies.md)
• Real-Time Event Reference (references/realtime-events.md)