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Speechmatics MCP Server for Claude Code

Folder of media files transforming through waveforms into text transcripts

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that gives Claude Code the ability to transcribe audio and video files using the Speechmatics Batch API.

What This Does

Once installed, Claude Code gains access to transcription tools that allow you to:

  • Transcribe single files - Convert any audio/video file to text

  • Batch transcribe directories - Process entire folders of media files in parallel

  • Speaker diarization - Identify different speakers (S1, S2, etc.) in conversations

  • Search transcripts - Use Claude's native Grep tool to search across all your transcripts

Example usage in Claude Code:

"Transcribe the meeting recording at ~/Downloads/meeting.mp4"
"Transcribe all the podcasts in ~/Podcasts with speaker identification"
"Search my transcripts for mentions of 'quarterly budget'"

Related MCP server: mocoVoice MCP Server

Requirements

Installation

1. Install ffmpeg

# macOS
brew install ffmpeg

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install ffmpeg

# Windows
winget install ffmpeg

2. Clone and install dependencies

git clone https://github.com/ArchieMcM234/speechmatics_claude_code_mcp.git
cd speechmatics_claude_code_mcp
uv sync

3. Register the MCP server

Add to your Claude Code config file (~/.claude.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "transcription": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "/path/to/speechmatics_claude_code_mcp",
        "run",
        "python",
        "server.py"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SPEECHMATICS_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace /path/to/speechmatics_claude_code_mcp with the actual path where you cloned the repo.

Note: Setting the API key in the env block is all you need. You don't need to export it separately or create a .env file.

4. Restart Claude Code

The transcription tools will now be available.

Available Tools

transcribe_file

Transcribe a single audio/video file.

Parameter

Type

Default

Description

file_path

string

required

Absolute path to the media file

accuracy

string

"standard"

"standard" or "enhanced" (enhanced costs more but is more accurate)

diarize

boolean

false

Enable speaker diarization to identify different speakers

with_timestamps

boolean

false

Include word-level timestamps (outputs JSON instead of TXT)

force

boolean

false

Re-transcribe even if a transcript already exists

transcribe_directory

Transcribe all media files in a directory with parallel processing.

Parameter

Type

Default

Description

directory

string

required

Path to directory containing media files

file_types

array

["mp3", "mp4", "wav", ...]

File extensions to include

accuracy

string

"standard"

"standard" or "enhanced"

diarize

boolean

false

Enable speaker diarization

with_timestamps

boolean

false

Include word-level timestamps

force

boolean

false

Re-transcribe even if transcripts exist

recursive

boolean

false

Search subdirectories

max_concurrent

integer

10

Maximum parallel transcription jobs (1-50)

get_transcript

Read an existing transcript file.

Parameter

Type

Description

file_path

string

Path to media file OR transcript file

get_usage

Get Speechmatics API usage statistics for the current month. No parameters required.

Output Formats

Transcripts are saved alongside the original media file.

Plain text (default): filename.transcript.txt

# Transcribed: 2024-01-30T14:32:00Z
# Source: meeting.mp4
# Duration: 12:34
# Accuracy: standard
# Diarization: true

S1: Hello everyone, welcome to the meeting.
S2: Thanks for having me.
...

JSON with timestamps: filename.transcript.json

{
  "metadata": {
    "source": "meeting.mp4",
    "transcribed_at": "2024-01-30T14:32:00Z",
    "duration_seconds": 754,
    "accuracy": "standard",
    "diarization": true
  },
  "transcript": "S1: Hello everyone...",
  "words": [
    {"word": "Hello", "start": 0.0, "end": 0.5, "confidence": 0.98}
  ]
}

Searching Transcripts

After transcribing, Claude can use its native Grep tool to search across all transcripts:

"Search all transcripts in ~/meetings for mentions of 'project deadline'"
"Find where we discussed the budget in the Q4 recordings"

License

MIT

Available Tools

4 tools
get_transcriptC

Read an existing transcript file

Inputs: file_path (required).

get_usageA

Get Speechmatics API usage statistics for the current month

Inputs: no named parameters.

transcribe_directoryB

Transcribe all media files in a directory (parallel processing)

Inputs: directory (required), force, diarize, accuracy, +5 more.

transcribe_fileB

Transcribe a single audio/video file using Speechmatics API

Inputs: file_path (required), force, diarize, accuracy, +2 more.

Tool Schema Changelog

Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Loading tool schema changelog…

    TDQS

    A3.7/5.0

    Scored across 4 tools

    Disambiguation5/5

    Each tool has a distinct purpose: single-file transcription, batch transcription, reading a transcript, and viewing usage statistics. There is no overlap or ambiguity between the tools, even between transcribe_file and transcribe_directory, as their names clearly indicate the scope of operation.

    Naming Consistency5/5

    All tool names follow a consistent verb_noun pattern: transcribe_file, transcribe_directory, get_transcript, get_usage. The verbs (transcribe, get) match the action performed, and the nouns clearly indicate the target. This makes the API predictable and easy to learn.

    Tool Count5/5

    With just four tools, the server is tightly scoped to its purpose of transcription and transcript retrieval. Each tool is necessary and covers a distinct workflow step, leaving no feeling of bloat or missing essential functionality.

    Completeness5/5

    The core transcription workflow is fully covered: transcribing files (individually or in bulk), retrieving the resulting transcript, and checking account usage. There are no obvious gaps for the stated domain; optional operations like deleting or listing transcripts are not essential for the main use case.

    Maintenance

    ActivityInactive
    ResponsivenessNo recent community issues

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