---
title: "Speech and transcription"
description: "Turn text into speech and audio into text with Laravel AI's Audio and Transcription APIs and Workers AI models."
---

> Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://laravel-cf-workersai-docs.mdick85.workers.dev/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Speech and transcription

The package adds Workers AI to Laravel AI's `Audio` and `Transcription` APIs. Both need no extra config, and work on the [direct route and the gateway route](/docs/concepts/routes/). The exception is `nova-3`.

## Generate speech

```php
use Laravel\Ai\Audio;

$audio = Audio::of('Your order has shipped.')->generate(provider: 'workers-ai');

$path = $audio->store('audio', 'public');
$bytes = (string) $audio;
$mime = $audio->mime; // audio/mpeg
```

The default model is `@cf/deepgram/aura-2-en`. To change it, set `models.audio.default` on the provider entry in `config/ai.php`, or pass `model:` to `generate()`.

| Model | Voices |
| --- | --- |
| `@cf/deepgram/aura-2-en` | `luna`, `asteria`, `orion`, `zeus` and others |
| `@cf/deepgram/aura-2-es` | `carina`, `celeste`, `nestor`, `javier` and others |
| `@cf/deepgram/aura-1` | `luna`, `angus`, `asteria`, `orion` and others |
| `@cf/myshell-ai/melotts` | No voices. Set the language with `lang`. |

Choose a voice with `voice()`. `male()` and `female()` pick `orion` and `luna`, or `nestor` and `carina` on the Spanish model.

```php
Audio::of('Hello.')->voice('asteria')->generate(provider: 'workers-ai');

Audio::of('Hello.')
    ->withProviderOptions(['lang' => 'fr'])
    ->generate(provider: 'workers-ai', model: '@cf/myshell-ai/melotts');
```

`withProviderOptions()` needs `laravel/ai` 1.0 or later. On Aura models, it also accepts `encoding`, `container`, `sample_rate` and `bit_rate`. These models have no input for `instructions()`, so that method has no effect here.

## Transcribe audio

```php
use Laravel\Ai\Transcription;

$transcript = Transcription::fromPath(storage_path('app/call.mp3'))
    ->language('en')
    ->generate(provider: 'workers-ai');

$transcript->text;

foreach ($transcript->segments as $segment) {
    $segment->text;
    $segment->startSeconds;
    $segment->endSeconds;
}
```

`Transcription::fromStorage()`, `fromUpload()` and `fromBase64()` also work.

The default model is `@cf/openai/whisper-large-v3-turbo`. To change it, set `models.transcription.default` on the provider entry in `config/ai.php`, or pass `model:` to `generate()`.

| Model | `language()` | `diarize()` | Segments are |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `@cf/openai/whisper-large-v3-turbo` | Yes | No | Phrases |
| `@cf/deepgram/nova-3` (no gateway) | Yes | Yes | One per speaker turn |
| `@cf/openai/whisper` | No | No | Words |
| `@cf/openai/whisper-tiny-en` | No, English only | No | Words |

Accuracy varies, so test your own audio. In tests on 2026-11-05 with synthetic speech, `whisper-tiny-en` heard "invoice" as "inblice", and `whisper-large-v3-turbo` once heard it as "in-place".

`nova-3` cannot run through AI Gateway, so it throws when a gateway is set. Use a provider entry with no gateway for that call. The Whisper models work through a gateway, with `key` alone. See [Non-JSON models](/docs/concepts/routes/#non-json-models).

## Label speakers

Only `nova-3` labels speakers. `diarize()` on another model throws before a request. A speaker-labeled call therefore cannot go through a gateway. Speakers are named `speaker_0`, `speaker_1` and so on.

```php
$transcript = Transcription::fromPath(storage_path('app/call.mp3'))
    ->diarize()
    ->generate(provider: 'workers-ai', model: '@cf/deepgram/nova-3');

foreach ($transcript->segments as $segment) {
    echo "{$segment->speaker}: {$segment->text}\n";
}
```

## Long audio

Laravel AI sends a 30-second timeout unless you set one. For long audio, set a longer one:

```php
Transcription::fromPath($path)->timeout(300)->generate(provider: 'workers-ai');
```

## Omit the provider name

Laravel AI's defaults are `openai` until you change them. Set them in `config/ai.php` to omit `provider:`:

```php
'default_for_audio' => 'workers-ai',
'default_for_transcription' => 'workers-ai',
```

## Test your code

```php
use Laravel\Ai\Audio;
use Laravel\Ai\Transcription;

Audio::fake();
Transcription::fake(['Hello']);

// run your code, then:
Audio::assertGenerated(fn ($prompt) => $prompt->contains('shipped'));
Transcription::assertGenerated(fn ($prompt) => true);
```

## Cost

Cloudflare bills speech and transcription in neurons. The package reports them with `WorkersAiUsageReported`. See [Cost tracking](/docs/guides/cost-tracking/).

Source: https://laravel-cf-workersai-docs.mdick85.workers.dev/docs/guides/audio/index.mdx