azure-ai-transcription-py
Azure AI Transcription SDK for Python. Use for real-time and batch speech-to-text transcription with timestamps and diarization.
About this skill
This skill integrates the Azure AI Transcription SDK for Python, empowering AI agents to accurately convert spoken language from audio into written text. It supports both real-time audio streams and batch processing of pre-recorded audio files, making it versatile for a wide array of applications. Key features include precise word-level timestamps, enabling detailed analysis of spoken content, and speaker diarization, which identifies and separates individual speakers in a conversation. This allows AI agents to process complex audio dialogues and extract structured information from speech efficiently and reliably, harnessing Microsoft's advanced AI capabilities.
Best use case
Transcribing meeting recordings, interviews, or lectures to generate searchable text and identify speakers. Enabling voice control interfaces or conversational AI agents to understand user commands and queries from live audio. Analyzing customer service calls for sentiment, key topics, and agent-customer interaction patterns. Processing multimedia content (videos, podcasts) to create accurate captions, subtitles, or comprehensive searchable transcripts. Providing accessibility features by converting spoken content into text for individuals with hearing impairments.
Azure AI Transcription SDK for Python. Use for real-time and batch speech-to-text transcription with timestamps and diarization.
The AI agent will receive an accurate textual transcription of the provided audio input, typically including word-level timestamps and speaker segmentation (diarization) if enabled. The output is often structured data (e.g., JSON) representing the spoken content, ready for further natural language processing, analysis, or display.
Practical example
Example input
Transcribe the audio located at 's3://my-bucket/customer_call_20230101.wav' in English, identifying different speakers and providing timestamps for each spoken word.
Example output
```json
{
"status": "success",
"transcript": "Hello, my name is John. (Speaker 1) How can I help you? (Speaker 2) I'm having trouble with my account. (Speaker 1)",
"words": [
{"word": "Hello", "start": "0.10s", "end": "0.50s", "speaker": 1},
{"word": "my", "start": "0.55s", "end": "0.65s", "speaker": 1},
{"word": "name", "start": "0.70s", "end": "0.90s", "speaker": 1},
{"word": "is", "start": "0.95s", "end": "1.05s", "speaker": 1},
{"word": "John.", "start": "1.10s", "end": "1.50s", "speaker": 1},
{"word": "How", "start": "2.00s", "end": "2.20s", "speaker": 2},
{"word": "can", "start": "2.25s", "end": "2.35s", "speaker": 2},
{"word": "I", "start": "2.40s", "end": "2.50s", "speaker": 2},
{"word": "help", "start": "2.55s", "end": "2.75s", "speaker": 2},
{"word": "you?", "start": "2.80s", "end": "3.00s", "speaker": 2},
{"word": "I'm", "start": "3.50s", "end": "3.70s", "speaker": 1},
{"word": "having", "start": "3.75s", "end": "4.00s", "speaker": 1},
{"word": "trouble", "start": "4.05s", "end": "4.35s", "speaker": 1},
{"word": "with", "start": "4.40s", "end": "4.55s", "speaker": 1},
{"word": "my", "start": "4.60s", "end": "4.70s", "speaker": 1},
{"word": "account.", "start": "4.75s", "end": "5.20s", "speaker": 1}
],
"language": "en-US",
"diarization_enabled": true
}
```When to use this skill
- When an AI agent needs to process audio input (live streams or recorded files) and convert it into textual data.
- When high accuracy speech-to-text transcription is required, potentially with support for various languages and custom vocabulary.
- When identifying different speakers in a multi-participant conversation is crucial for understanding context and attributing statements.
- When precise timing of spoken words (timestamps) is necessary for further analysis, synchronization with video, or content editing.
When not to use this skill
- When transcription needs to be performed entirely offline or on-device without any dependency on a cloud service.
- When strict privacy regulations or security policies prohibit sending audio data to a third-party cloud service.
- When only very basic, small-scale transcription is needed and integrating a full SDK might be overkill compared to simpler, local alternatives (if sufficient).
- If the primary requirement is text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis, rather than speech-to-text transcription.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/azure-ai-transcription-py/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How azure-ai-transcription-py Compares
| Feature / Agent | azure-ai-transcription-py | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Claude | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | easy | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Azure AI Transcription SDK for Python. Use for real-time and batch speech-to-text transcription with timestamps and diarization.
Which AI agents support this skill?
This skill is designed for Claude.
How difficult is it to install?
The installation complexity is rated as easy. You can find the installation instructions above.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
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SKILL.md Source
# Azure AI Transcription SDK for Python
Client library for Azure AI Transcription (speech-to-text) with real-time and batch transcription.
## Installation
```bash
pip install azure-ai-transcription
```
## Environment Variables
```bash
TRANSCRIPTION_ENDPOINT=https://<resource>.cognitiveservices.azure.com
TRANSCRIPTION_KEY=<your-key>
```
## Authentication
Use subscription key authentication (DefaultAzureCredential is not supported for this client):
```python
import os
from azure.ai.transcription import TranscriptionClient
client = TranscriptionClient(
endpoint=os.environ["TRANSCRIPTION_ENDPOINT"],
credential=os.environ["TRANSCRIPTION_KEY"]
)
```
## Transcription (Batch)
```python
job = client.begin_transcription(
name="meeting-transcription",
locale="en-US",
content_urls=["https://<storage>/audio.wav"],
diarization_enabled=True
)
result = job.result()
print(result.status)
```
## Transcription (Real-time)
```python
stream = client.begin_stream_transcription(locale="en-US")
stream.send_audio_file("audio.wav")
for event in stream:
print(event.text)
```
## Best Practices
1. **Enable diarization** when multiple speakers are present
2. **Use batch transcription** for long files stored in blob storage
3. **Capture timestamps** for subtitle generation
4. **Specify language** to improve recognition accuracy
5. **Handle streaming backpressure** for real-time transcription
6. **Close transcription sessions** when complete
## When to Use
This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.Related Skills
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