Use your own AI keys
On Plus and Pro you can add a key from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and others, then choose for each task whether your key or Transcript.audio cloud does it.
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AI is included in every plan, so you never need a key. If you already pay an AI provider, Plus and Pro let you use your own key instead, task by task.
Add a key
- Open Settings, then AI, and scroll to Your own keys.
- Find the provider. The five most used are shown first; the rest are under More providers.
- Click Get a key. The provider page opens in your browser. Create a key there (a key just for this app, with a spend limit, is best).
- Paste the key and click Test and save. The app makes a small test call. The key is saved only if the test passes.
A saved key is never shown again: the card shows only its last four characters and when it last passed a test. Use Test again, Replace key or Remove key (which asks you to confirm).
| If the test says | What to do |
|---|---|
| The provider did not accept the key | Copy the whole key again, or create a new one. |
| No credit or limit reached | Add credit or raise the spend limit at the provider, then test again. |
| Cannot use the model we test with | Turn on access to that model, or check the key's permissions and region. |
| Could not reach the provider | Check your internet connection and try again. |
Providers and where to get a key
| Provider | Transcription | Meeting notes | Questions as you go | Get a key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | Yes | Yes | Yes | platform.openai.com/api-keys |
| Anthropic (Claude) | Yes | Yes | platform.claude.com/settings/keys | |
| Google Gemini | Yes | Yes | Yes | aistudio.google.com/apikey |
| ElevenLabs (Scribe) | Yes | elevenlabs.io/app/settings/api-keys | ||
| AssemblyAI | Yes | www.assemblyai.com/dashboard/home | ||
| Deepgram | Yes | console.deepgram.com | ||
| Groq | Yes | Yes | Yes | console.groq.com/keys |
| Mistral | Yes | Yes | console.mistral.ai/api-keys | |
| xAI (Grok) | Yes | Yes | console.x.ai/team/default/api-keys | |
| OpenRouter | Yes | Yes | openrouter.ai/settings/keys | |
| AWS Bedrock | Yes | Yes | Yes | console.aws.amazon.com/bedrock/home#/api-keys |
Meeting notes also covers details to capture and meeting titles. Azure OpenAI and other OpenAI-compatible servers are not offered yet, because no task has a tested model for them.
Choose who does each task
Under Models for each task, each task (transcription, meeting notes, details to capture, titles, and Questions as you go with the help assistant) has three choices:
| Choice | What it means |
|---|---|
| Transcript.audio cloud (included) | Included in your plan. Counts toward your fair-use allowance. |
| My own key | You pay the provider directly. It does not use your plan's AI allowance. Then pick the model. |
| On this computer | Runs on this computer. Nothing leaves it. Only where the task can run on your computer. |
My own key lists only providers with a tested key that can do that task. Every task stays on Transcript.audio cloud until you change it.
Privacy
- Audio or text goes from this computer straight to the provider, under its terms. Transcript.audio never sees your key or that data.
- Keys are kept in your computer's secure storage (Keychain on a Mac, Windows Data Protection on Windows). They never appear in settings files, logs, error reports or support bundles.
- Each provider keeps data under its own terms. Check its data retention and training settings in your account with that provider.
- Privacy optimised mode overrides your choices: every task runs on this computer while it is on.
Costs and limits
- The provider bills you for what your key uses. Each model in the list shows a typical cost per meeting hour.
- Tasks on your own key have no AI fair-use limit from us. Your plan's meeting and device limits still apply.
- Set a spend limit at the provider (the card has a Set a spend limit link) so a mistake can never cost more than you expect.
If a key stops working
Because you chose your key for that task, the app never switches to another provider on its own. The meeting stops at that task and a notification says what went wrong. In Recent meetings you can fix the key and click Try again, or click Use Transcript.audio cloud for this meeting to finish it with the cloud just this once.
Still stuck? Contact us and we’ll help.