Delivering 120X more with voice AI
Powering live content through AI-powered transcription, built on industry-leading voice AIEnabling 100,000+ developers with leading speech recognition
Pairing LiveKit’s flexible agent framework with Speechmatics to build world-class agentsRedefining real-time captioning
How NCI delivered a 99% increase in usage of automated captioningDelivering a 20% leap in accuracy improvements
Improved transcription performance across more than 20 languages for their global clientsDriving better conversations at scale
Leveraging speech recognition to track customer interactions, highlight key insights, and raise contact center performanceBuild accurate, low-latency voice agents rapidly with the Speechmatics API available in these frameworks.
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Why builders choose Speechmatics
Why builders choose Speechmatics
The accuracy, latency, and deployment options builders need to ship AI voice agents that hold up in production.
Capture what's actually said
Capture what users actually say, even with accents, background noise, or overlapping speech.
Keep conversations moving
Keep conversations moving with speech-to-text that supports fast, natural responses.
Build AI voice agents faster with a flexible API
Build AI voice agents without rebuilding the speech layer from scratch. Speechmatics gives teams a flexible API for accurate, low-latency transcription. Developers can focus on the agent experience, workflow logic, and what happens after the conversation.
Or build on the voice agent frameworks you already use ->
# Install the speechmatics package using the command "pip install speechmatics-rt"
#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""Real-time transcription with microphone."""
import asyncio
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv
from speechmatics.rt import (
AsyncClient,
ServerMessageType,
TranscriptionConfig,
TranscriptResult,
OperatingPoint,
AudioFormat,
AudioEncoding,
Microphone,
AuthenticationError,
)
load_dotenv()
async def main():
api_key = os.getenv("SPEECHMATICS_API_KEY")
transcript_parts = []
audio_format = AudioFormat(
encoding=AudioEncoding.PCM_S16LE,
chunk_size=4096,
sample_rate=16000,
)
transcription_config = TranscriptionConfig(
language="en",
enable_partials=True,
operating_point=OperatingPoint.ENHANCED,
)
mic = Microphone(
sample_rate=audio_format.sample_rate,
chunk_size=audio_format.chunk_size,
)
if not mic.start():
print("PyAudio not installed. Install: pip install pyaudio")
return
try:
async with AsyncClient(api_key=api_key) as client:
@client.on(ServerMessageType.ADD_TRANSCRIPT)
def handle_final_transcript(message):
result = TranscriptResult.from_message(message)
transcript = result.metadata.transcript
if transcript:
print(f"[final]: {transcript}")
transcript_parts.append(transcript)
@client.on(ServerMessageType.ADD_PARTIAL_TRANSCRIPT)
def handle_partial_transcript(message):
result = TranscriptResult.from_message(message)
transcript = result.metadata.transcript
if transcript:
print(f"[partial]: {transcript}")
try:
print("Connected! Start speaking (Ctrl+C to stop)...\n")
await client.start_session(
transcription_config=transcription_config,
audio_format=audio_format,
)
while True:
frame = await mic.read(audio_format.chunk_size)
await client.send_audio(frame)
except KeyboardInterrupt:
pass
finally:
mic.stop()
print(f"\n\nFull transcript: {' '.join(transcript_parts)}")
except (AuthenticationError, ValueError) as e:
print(f"\nAuthentication Error: {e}")
if __name__ == "__main__":
asyncio.run(main())Should you build or buy AI voice agents?
Should you build or buy AI voice agents?
Whether you build a voice agent from scratch or buy a hosted one, Speechmatics sits underneath as the speech-to-text layer. How you integrate it depends on how much of the pipeline you want to control.
Path | Best for | How it works |
|---|---|---|
Hosted platforms | Fastest to launch | Use Speechmatics through providers like Vapi, Telnyx, and LiveKit Inference. You trade some control for build speed. |
Open-source frameworks | Standard workflows, community support | Pre-built integrations for LiveKit Agents and Pipecat. Proven patterns, no build from scratch. |
Custom pipeline | Maximum control | Integrate directly through our SDKs into your own STT, LLM, and TTS pipeline. For builders who need customization and low-latency transcription. |
Not sure which path fits? Talk to our team.
Resources for AI Voice Agents
![[alt: Vapi integration launch blog social asset]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.ctfassets.net%2Fyze1aysi0225%2F5rvEvjLDjyosWx3mVI7L76%2Fbacc01b541e87a90558373ca7b16d539%2FVapi-blog-assets-V1-Social-sharing.png&w=3840&q=75)
Vapi and Speechmatics: Build agents that understand every voice
Ship Voice AI agents that stay readable in real time, even in noisy, multi-speaker calls.
![[alt: Livekit and Speechmatics partnership]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.ctfassets.net%2Fyze1aysi0225%2F55uo621nIAzecVIcDsrrGX%2Fa81809b4dcf9acd1883ce628f8a10552%2FLiveKit-blog_assets-V1_-_Header_16-9.webp&w=3840&q=75)
Introducing real-time, speaker-aware Voice Agents with LiveKit + Speechmatics
Speechmatics brings speaker diarization to LiveKit agents - enabling them to understand not just what was said, but who said it.
![[alt: The Pipecat logo]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.ctfassets.net%2Fyze1aysi0225%2FpvtJ7dqMe5Kdfc6zSeyxI%2F173057fb186137baa7c5c1126e8e62da%2FSocial_sharing.png&w=3840&q=75)
Pipecat and Speechmatics: Building Voice Agents that know exactly ‘Who’ said ‘What’
Build smarter voice agents on Pipecat with Speechmatics speech-to-text, now with powerful speaker diarization for real-world, multi-speaker conversations.

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Build AI voice agents: Frequently asked questions
What do I need to build AI voice agents from scratch?
What do I need to build AI voice agents from scratch?
To build AI voice agents from scratch, you need speech recognition, a language model, conversation logic, text-to-speech, integrations, and secure deployment. Speechmatics provides the speech-to-text layer, helping your agent understand users clearly before it decides what to do next.
Should I build or buy AI voice agents for my business?
Should I build or buy AI voice agents for my business?
The choice depends on how much control, speed, and customization you need. Many teams use a hybrid approach: buy specialist components like speech recognition, then build the agent experience, workflows, and integrations around their own users.
What are the best tools to build AI voice agents in 2026?
What are the best tools to build AI voice agents in 2026?
The best tools to build AI voice agents in 2026 usually include speech-to-text, text-to-speech, an LLM, orchestration, analytics, and secure deployment. Speechmatics supports the speech layer with real-time, speaker-aware transcription across 56+ languages.
How does speech-to-text accuracy affect AI voice agent performance?
How does speech-to-text accuracy affect AI voice agent performance?
Speech-to-text accuracy affects what the AI voice agent understands, remembers, and does next. Better transcription helps agents capture names, numbers, intent, and context, so users get more relevant responses with fewer repeat questions.
In independent testing by Pipecat (as of August 2026), Speechmatics returned a 1.07% pooled word error rate on real-time streaming audio, the lowest of the 12 services benchmarked, including Deepgram, AWS, and Azure. Read more in Speed you can trust: the STT metrics that matter for voice agents.
Can I build voice agents that support multiple languages?
Can I build voice agents that support multiple languages?
Yes. You can build voice agents that support multiple languages when your speech-to-text layer can handle global language coverage, accents, and dialects. Speechmatics supports 56+ languages, helping teams serve users across international markets.
How do I get started building AI voice agents with Speechmatics?
How do I get started building AI voice agents with Speechmatics?
Start by getting a Speechmatics API key, reviewing the docs, and testing real-time speech-to-text with your own audio. From there, you can connect Speechmatics into your agent stack and build AI voice agents with faster, more accurate listening.
![[alt: Globe with flags and language labels: Arabic, Mandarin, Latvian, Estonian, Portuguese, Polish, Bengali, Bulgarian, Uyghur, 56+ languages supported.]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.ctfassets.net%2Fyze1aysi0225%2F1u3TniTDYlEb08XdDEhCpP%2Fe7e4a5fee4c3451556eb47ec17c136c2%2Fbuilt-for-every-language.webp&w=3840&q=75)