# Speech-to-text

> Turn call recordings, voicemail and conference audio into text transcripts, and choose a transcription plan.

- URL: https://kb.voipcloud.online/us/services/speech-to-text/
- Section: Services
- Type: reference
- Applies to: All countries
- Portal page: /order_services/speech_to_text
- Last reviewed: 2026-11-10

**Coming soon.** Speech-to-text isn't available in the US yet. This page describes how it will work.

**Speech-to-text** turns recorded audio into a written transcript. It works for more than 90 languages and labels each speaker, even when people talk over each other. Open it from **Services** › **Speech-to-text**.

The transcript is delivered the same way as the audio:

- **Cloud storage:** next to the call recording in **Reports** › **Call recordings**. See [Call recording storage](https://kb.voipcloud.online/us/services/call-recording-storage/).
- **Email:** with the recording or voicemail that's emailed to you. The transcript is included in the email. Emails that carry the audio file also have the transcript attached as files.
- **Webphone:** in **History** (call recordings) and **Services** › **Voicemail**, the transcript plays along with the audio. The words being spoken are highlighted, each speaker is numbered, and you can click a line to play from there. See [Play a call recording and read its transcript](https://kb.voipcloud.online/us/phones-and-apps/webphone/webphone-contacts-and-call-history/#play-a-call-recording-and-read-its-transcript).

If you don't see **Speech-to-text** under **Services**, your provider hasn't made it available on your account.

## Turn on speech-to-text

1. Go to **Services** › **Speech-to-text**.
2. Under **Plans**, choose a plan.
3. Turn on **Enable the speech-to-text service**.
4. In the **Order summary**, tick **Agree to service terms and conditions** and click **Submit order**.

**Enable the speech-to-text service** can't be turned on until you've chosen a plan. The menu item then shows **Service enabled**.

## Plans

The plans, their prices and the minutes they include are set by your provider and shown on the page. Each plan shows:

| Shown on the plan | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Price **per month** | The monthly fee. A pay-as-you-go plan can have no monthly fee. |
| **Free included value** | Transcription time included each billing period. |
| **Excess usage is … per …** | The price for transcription beyond the included time, charged per block of time. |

Once the service is on, **Included minutes remaining for the current billing period** shows what's left of your included time.

**Note:** If you switch plans, any remaining included minutes from your current plan are cancelled. The new plan's included minutes are reduced to match the time left in the billing period.

## Choose what to transcribe

Turning on the service doesn't transcribe anything by itself. To transcribe audio, turn on **Transcribe audio to text** in the PBX objects that make it:

- **[User](https://kb.voipcloud.online/us/pbx/accept-make-divert/user/):** the user's call recordings.
- **[Call recording](https://kb.voipcloud.online/us/pbx/audio/call-recording/):** every call that passes through it.
- **[Voicemail](https://kb.voipcloud.online/us/pbx/accept-make-divert/voicemail/):** voicemail messages.
- **[Conference](https://kb.voipcloud.online/us/pbx/different/conference/):** conference recordings.

To change all objects at once, go to **PBX** › **Settings** › **General** (see [General settings](https://kb.voipcloud.online/us/pbx/settings/general-settings/)), under **Speech-to-text**:

- **Enable the 'Transcribe audio to text' setting by default for all new objects that support this option**
- **Enable speech-to-text for all existing objects**

Click **Apply configuration** after changing the call flow. If the service isn't on, the PBX shows "This is a paid service. Please activate it first."

## Transcribe existing recordings

Recordings saved before you turned the service on aren't transcribed automatically.

- **All or a period:** on the **Speech-to-text** or **Call recording** page, click **Transcribe existing call recordings**. Leave **Transcribe all existing call recordings** on, or turn it off and choose a time period, then click **Confirm**. Recordings that already have a transcript are skipped. This can't be undone.
- **One recording:** in **Reports** › **Call recordings**, open the recording and click **Transcribe recording**. If the service isn't on yet, this opens the **Speech-to-text** page. If your balance is too low, you're asked to top up first.

Transcription is charged under your current plan.

**Important:** Transcripts can contain mistakes, including the wrong speaker. Check important details against the recording. Deleting a call recording also deletes its transcript.

## Turn off speech-to-text

Turn off **Enable the speech-to-text service** and submit the order. Audio is then no longer transcribed, and recordings still waiting for a transcript won't get one.

Existing transcripts are kept with their call recordings, and are deleted automatically when those recordings are deleted. Any unused included minutes are lost.

## Related

- [Call recording storage](https://kb.voipcloud.online/us/services/call-recording-storage/)
- [Call recordings report](https://kb.voipcloud.online/us/reports/call-recordings/)
- [Call recording object](https://kb.voipcloud.online/us/pbx/audio/call-recording/)
- [General settings](https://kb.voipcloud.online/us/pbx/settings/general-settings/)