Google Drive Transcription API

Connect shared Google Drive media to a transcription workflow without first moving the file into your application. Submit an accessible audio or video share link and poll for the completed transcript.

Transcribe shared Drive media from a backend

A public Drive share link can act as the source for an asynchronous transcription job. This is useful when collaborators already deliver recordings through Drive and your application only needs the transcript, timestamps, and job status.

Choose the right Google Drive audio or video file URL

Standard file shares: drive.google.com/file/d/{file-id}/view links are the clearest choice for an uploaded audio or video file.
ID-based shares: drive.google.com/open?id={file-id} and Drive download links can resolve when the same file is publicly downloadable.
Actual media only: the file behind the link must contain audio or video; a Drive folder or Google Workspace document is not a media source.

Quickstart: queue a Google Drive audio or video file transcription

Create a Fast Transcriber API key and store it in a server-side environment variable. Send the public media URL as source_url; never expose the Bearer key in browser code or commit it to source control.

curl --request POST https://fast-transcriber.com/api/v1/transcriptions \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $FAST_TRANSCRIBER_API_TOKEN" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
    "source_url": "https://drive.google.com/file/d/FILE_ID/view?usp=sharing",
    "speaker_diarization": false
  }'

A valid request returns 202 Accepted. This means the job was queued, not that the source was fetched successfully. Read the Location response header, set LOCATION_PATH to that path, and poll it until the job status is completed or failed.

LOCATION_PATH="/api/v1/transcriptions/95c3fdd8-..."
curl --request GET "https://fast-transcriber.com$LOCATION_PATH" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $FAST_TRANSCRIBER_API_TOKEN"

Ready to run this request? Create an API key, or review every endpoint in the API documentation.

Work with text and timestamped segments

Completed jobs contain the transcript text and timestamped segments available under the authenticated account's plan limits. The same response shape lets an application index a video, jump to quoted moments, create summaries, or feed the transcript into an authorized search or RAG workflow.

{
  "data": {
    "id": "95c3fdd8-...",
    "filename": "source-video.mp4",
    "status": "completed",
    "duration_seconds": 84,
    "text": "Completed transcript text...",
    "segments": [
      { "start": 0, "end": 3.8, "text": "First segment..." }
    ]
  }
}

Set speaker_diarization to true when speaker labels are needed. Speaker diarization requires a Pro account and uses the same account limits as the web application.

What developers build with Google Drive audio or video file transcripts

Interview intake: turn shared research or journalism recordings into searchable transcripts after collaborators upload them.
Meeting archives: process exported recordings stored in a permitted shared Drive location.
Production handoffs: create transcript text and timestamps from audio or video assets delivered through Drive.

Supported links and access requirements

The source must be an actual audio or video file in Google Drive with General access set to Anyone with the link.

The file must open and download without Google authentication.
Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, folders, and ordinary webpages are not audio or video transcription sources.
If your organization cannot use public sharing, fetch the authorized media in your own integration and use the direct-upload API.

If a recording is private and you are authorized to process it, retrieve the media through your own authenticated workflow and use the direct audio and video upload API instead.

Troubleshoot Google Drive audio or video file imports

Verify General access: set the file to Anyone with the link and confirm it opens in a private browser window without choosing a Google account.
Check the download response: the link must return media rather than an HTML permission, quota, or access-warning page.
Keep private Drive auth in your app: for restricted organizational files, use your own authorized Drive integration to fetch the bytes and then use the upload API.

Plan for asynchronous errors

Production integrations should handle invalid or inaccessible sources, authentication failures, account limits, and temporary processing failures. Immediate HTTP failures use an {"error":{"code":"...","message":"..."}} envelope. A queued source can later return data.status as failed with details in data.error when polled. Do not retry private, removed, or login-gated media indefinitely; surface a clear message or offer an authorized file-upload fallback.

Frequently asked questions

Which Drive sharing setting is required?

The media file must use Anyone with the link and open without Google authentication.

Can it transcribe Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides?

No. This flow is for audio and video files stored in Drive.

What should I do with a private Drive recording?

If you are permitted to use it, retrieve the media through your authenticated Drive workflow and send the file through the direct-upload API.

Google Drive Transcription API for Audio and Video

Create your Fast Transcriber API key