---
title: "Transcription"
method: POST
path: "/v1/transcribe"
tags: ["Transcription"]
deprecated: true
---

# Transcription

`POST /v1/transcribe`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.thecompound.tech`
- URL: `https://api.thecompound.tech/v1/transcribe`
- Auth: HTTP bearer

> **Deprecated.**

ParseRail turns an audio recording into accurate text with speakers and paragraph timestamps. It supports meetings, calls, and voice notes.

Cost: 10 credits ($0.10) — charged only on success.

**Paused since 2026-08-19.** Calls return `503 inference_unavailable` and are never charged. Audio transcription needs a multimodal provider that we can run under a no-training agreement. Every other endpoint already runs under those terms. ParseRail has paused audio transcription instead of serving it under terms that would contradict our privacy commitment.

## Headers

- `ParseRail-Dry-Run` '1' | 'true'
- `Idempotency-Key` string

## Request body

- object: Provide audio { data, mimeType } or audioUrl.
  - `audio` object
    - `data` string, required: Base64 audio.
    - `mimeType` string, required
  - `audioUrl` string, uri
  - `diarize` boolean: Label speakers.
  - `language` string: BCP-47 hint, e.g. "en".

## Response `200`

The call succeeded. The response contains result fields and a usage envelope. With `ParseRail-Dry-Run: 1` the body is a DryRun object instead.

- union
  - object
    - `text` string, required: The full transcript.
    - `segments` object[], required
      - `speaker` string, nullable: e.g. "Speaker 1".
      - `start` string, nullable: MM:SS.
      - `text` string, required
    - `language` string, nullable
    - `usage` Usage, required
      - `credits` integer, required: Credits burned by this call.
      - `balanceRemaining` integer, required: Wallet balance after the charge.
  - DryRun: A dry run: auth, the per-key throttle, body validation and the balance precheck ran. No model ran and nothing was charged.
    - `dryRun` true, required
    - `valid` true, required: The body passed validation. An invalid body returns 400 instead.
    - `endpoint` string, required
    - `wouldCharge` integer, required: Credits a successful live call would charge.
    - `balance` integer, required: Your wallet balance now.
    - `liveStatus` 200 | 202 | 402, required: The status a live call with this body would get: 402 when the balance or the key's monthly cap cannot cover it, 202 for `async: true`, else 200.
    - `keyCapRemaining` integer: Present when the key carries a monthly cap: credits left under it this month.
    - `usage` Usage, required
      - `credits` integer, required: Credits burned by this call.
      - `balanceRemaining` integer, required: Wallet balance after the charge.
    - `requestId` string, required

## Other responses

- `400`: Invalid request body.
- `401`: Missing or invalid API key.
- `402`: `insufficient_credits`: the balance cannot cover the call. `spend_cap_reached`: the key has reached its monthly cap. Nothing is charged.
- `429`: Rate limit exceeded.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/thecompound/apis/parserail.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/thecompound/apis/parserail/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/thecompound/apis/parserail/revisions/7895a3b7812b?raw)