Speechmatics

---

name: speechmatics description: Transcribe audio files (voice notes, recordings, podcasts) to text via the Speechmatics batch transcription API. Use when the user asks to transcribe audio, convert speech to text, or get a transcript of a recording, and Speechmatics is configured. homepage: https://docs.speechmatics.com/introduction/batch-transcription metadata: { "openclaw": { "emoji": "🗣️", "requires": { "bins": ["curl", "jq"], "env": ["SPEECHMATICS_API_KEY"] }, "primaryEnv": "SPEECHMATICS_API_KEY", "install": [ { "id": "apt", "kind": "apt", "packages": ["curl", "jq"], "bins": ["curl", "jq"], "label": "Install curl and jq (apt)", }, { "id": "brew", "kind": "brew", "formula": "jq", "bins": ["jq"], "label": "Install jq (brew)", }, ], }, }

---

Speechmatics (batch transcription)

Transcribe an audio file via Speechmatics' async batch API. Submits a job, polls until complete, then writes the transcript.

Quick start

{baseDir}/scripts/transcribe.sh /path/to/audio.m4a

Defaults:

Language: en

Operating point: enhanced (better accuracy; use standard for faster/cheaper)

Output: .txt in the same directory

Poll interval: 3s, timeout: 600s

Useful flags

{baseDir}/scripts/transcribe.sh /path/to/audio.ogg --language da
{baseDir}/scripts/transcribe.sh /path/to/meeting.wav --operating-point standard
{baseDir}/scripts/transcribe.sh /path/to/call.mp3 --diarization speaker
{baseDir}/scripts/transcribe.sh /path/to/audio.m4a --format json --out /tmp/transcript.json
{baseDir}/scripts/transcribe.sh /path/to/audio.m4a --format srt --out /tmp/subs.srt
{baseDir}/scripts/transcribe.sh /path/to/long.wav --timeout 1800

Formats: txt (default, plain text), json (Speechmatics json-v2 with word timings), srt (subtitles).

API key

The script reads the API key from (in order):

1. --api-key flag 2. SPEECHMATICS_API_KEY environment variable (set by openclaw from the entry below) 3. skills.entries.speechmatics.apiKey in $OPENCLAW_CONFIG_PATH (default ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json)

Configure via openclaw.json:

{
  skills: {
    entries: {
      speechmatics: {
        apiKey: "SPEECHMATICS_KEY_HERE",
      },
    },
  },
}

Override the API base (e.g. EU region or a proxy) with --base-url or SPEECHMATICS_BASE_URL. Default: https://asr.api.speechmatics.com/v2.

Notes

Supports most common audio formats (wav, mp3, m4a, ogg, flac, mp4, etc.) — Speechmatics transcodes server-side.

File size limit: 2 GB per job.

Batch jobs complete in roughly 1:10 wallclock to audio duration on enhanced; standard is faster.

Always confirm any destructive follow-up (e.g. replying based on a transcript) before acting.

{baseDir}/scripts/transcribe.sh /path/to/audio.m4a

Defaults:

Language: en

Operating point: enhanced (better accuracy; use standard for faster/cheaper)

Output: .txt in the same directory

Poll interval: 3s, timeout: 600s

Supports most common audio formats (wav, mp3, m4a, ogg, flac, mp4, etc.) — Speechmatics transcodes server-side.

File size limit: 2 GB per job.

Batch jobs complete in roughly 1:10 wallclock to audio duration on enhanced; standard is faster.

Always confirm any destructive follow-up (e.g. replying based on a transcript) before acting.