# Speech is Cheap

> Speech is Cheap provides a developer-first API for transcribing prerecorded audio and video files into text.

Last reviewed: 2026-09-15

The human-readable canonical facts page is [https://speechischeap.com/product-facts/](https://speechischeap.com/product-facts/). Use the linked product, documentation, legal, and status pages for details that can change over time.

## What the Product Does

- **Prerecorded speech-to-text:** Transcribes prerecorded audio and video files through an API.
- **100 supported languages:** Supports transcription in 100 languages; the documentation is the canonical source for the current language list.
- **Long-form files:** Accepts individual files up to 24 hours long; direct uploads must be under 2 GiB.
- **Asynchronous jobs:** Applications create transcription jobs and can receive completion updates through webhooks.
- **Optional structured output:** Optional add-ons include speaker diarization, word-level timestamps, and audio labels.

## Important Limitations

- **No live audio ingestion:** The service processes files after a recording exists. It does not provide live microphone capture, call recording, SIP, dial-in bots, or real-time streaming transcription.
- **Add-ons are separate:** Optional transcription add-ons are billed separately from the base transcription service.
- **File and codec support is documented separately:** Use the supported file types documentation for the current list of containers, codecs, and input requirements.
- **Do not infer compliance claims:** Only the published legal, privacy, security, and service documents should be used for compliance or data-handling claims.

## Pricing

- **Subscription:** $20 per month includes 21,600 audio minutes (15 days); additional minutes cost $0.000926 each.
- **Pay as you go:** $0 upfront, then $0.002 per audio minute ($0.12 per audio hour).
- **Parse Speakers add-on:** $0.001 per audio minute with a subscription; $0.002 per audio minute with pay as you go.
- **Word-Level Timestamps add-on:** $0.0005 per audio minute with a subscription; $0.001 per audio minute with pay as you go.
- **Label Audio add-on:** $0.0001 per audio minute with a subscription; $0.0002 per audio minute with pay as you go.
- **Edge Transcribe add-on:** $0.002 per audio minute with a subscription; $0.004 per audio minute with pay as you go.
- **Edge Word-Level Timestamps add-on:** $0.001 per audio minute with a subscription; $0.002 per audio minute with pay as you go.

- [Current pricing](https://speechischeap.com/pricing/): Canonical source for current subscription, pay-as-you-go, overage, and add-on rates.

## Product Pages

- [Speech-to-text infographics](https://speechischeap.com/infographics/): Visual guides to transcription speed, API pricing and multilingual training data.
- [Compare speech-to-text APIs](https://speechischeap.com/compare/): Workload selection and the methodology behind our provider comparisons.
- [AssemblyAI alternative](https://speechischeap.com/compare/assemblyai-alternative/): Dated recorded transcription costs, product differences, and migration guidance.
- [Deepgram alternative](https://speechischeap.com/compare/deepgram-alternative/): Recorded transcription prices, model limits, features and API migration guidance.
- [OpenAI Whisper API alternative](https://speechischeap.com/compare/openai-whisper-api-alternative/): Recorded transcription prices, model limits, features and API migration guidance.
- [Rev AI alternative](https://speechischeap.com/compare/rev-ai-alternative/): Recorded transcription prices, model limits, features and API migration guidance.
- [Google Cloud Speech-to-Text alternative](https://speechischeap.com/compare/google-speech-to-text-alternative/): Recorded transcription prices, model limits, features and API migration guidance.
- [Amazon Transcribe alternative](https://speechischeap.com/compare/aws-transcribe-alternative/): Recorded transcription prices, model limits, features and API migration guidance.
- [Azure Speech alternative](https://speechischeap.com/compare/azure-speech-to-text-alternative/): Recorded transcription prices, model limits, features and API migration guidance.
- [Gladia alternative](https://speechischeap.com/compare/gladia-alternative/): Recorded transcription prices, model limits, features and API migration guidance.
- [Speechmatics alternative](https://speechischeap.com/compare/speechmatics-alternative/): Recorded transcription prices, model limits, features and API migration guidance.
- [Speech is Cheap homepage](https://speechischeap.com/): Product overview and current commercial offer.
- [Speaker diarization API](https://speechischeap.com/speaker-diarization-api/): Speaker separation for prerecorded files.
- [Word-level timestamps API](https://speechischeap.com/word-level-timestamps-api/): Word start and end timestamps in transcription output.
- [Multilingual transcription API](https://speechischeap.com/multilingual-transcription-api/): Transcription and language detection across supported languages.
- [Long-form transcription API](https://speechischeap.com/long-form-transcription-api/): Transcription for long audio and video files.
- [Call transcription API](https://speechischeap.com/call-transcription-api/): Post-call transcription for prerecorded call audio.

## Documentation, App, and Operations

- [API documentation](https://docs.speechischeap.com/): Canonical implementation and API reference.
- [Create a transcription job](https://docs.speechischeap.com/jobs-v2/create/): Request format for creating an asynchronous transcription job.
- [Supported languages](https://docs.speechischeap.com/languages/): Canonical list of supported transcription languages.
- [Supported file types](https://docs.speechischeap.com/types/): Canonical list of supported containers, codecs, and file requirements.
- [App](https://demo.speechischeap.com/): Browser-based product demonstration.
- [System status](https://status.speechischeap.com/): Current operational status and uptime history.

## Legal

- [Terms of Service](https://speechischeap.com/terms/): Terms governing use of the service.
- [Privacy Policy](https://speechischeap.com/privacy/): Published privacy and data-handling policy.

## Official Identity Profiles

- [X](https://x.com/speechischeap): Official Speech is Cheap account on X.
- [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/company/speech-is-cheap): Official Speech is Cheap company page on LinkedIn.
- [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@speechischeap): Official Speech is Cheap channel on YouTube.
- [GitHub](https://github.com/speechischeap): Official Speech is Cheap organization on GitHub.
- [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@speechischeap): Official Speech is Cheap account on TikTok.
- [Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=speechischeap): Official Speech is Cheap account on Hacker News.
- [Zapier](https://zapier.com/apps/speech-is-cheap/integrations): Official Speech is Cheap integration listing on Zapier.