Spoken

What is Spoken?

Spoken is a transcript API that turns any published podcast into clean Markdown with real speaker names, not “Speaker 1.” It retrieves named, timestamped text via a single API call, designed for LLMs, RAG pipelines, summarizers, and search. It’s a retrieval service for already-published shows, typically 5–10× cheaper than running audio through a transcription service.

How to use Spoken?

Install and configure the MCP server via npx -y spoken-mcp or from source, setting the SPOKEN_API_KEY environment variable. Add the server to your MCP client config (e.g., Claude Desktop’s claude_desktop_config.json) to expose tools like search_podcasts, list_episodes, get_transcript, and get_balance. Alternatively, use the HTTP API directly via curl with an x-api-key header.

Key features of Spoken

• Real speaker names resolved automatically
• Clean Markdown with timestamps tuned for LLMs
• Search by text query or paste Spotify/YouTube URL
• Pay-per-use credits with no subscription
• Repeat fetches are free after first charge
• Agent-native with MCP server and OpenAPI spec

Use cases of Spoken

• Fetch a podcast transcript and summarize it with an LLM
• Chunk transcripts for a vector store or RAG pipeline
• Search for episodes by topic or podcast name
• Integrate as a tool in MCP-compatible agents (Claude, Cursor, Cline)

FAQ from Spoken

How does authentication work?

Authentication is via the x-api-key header. A demo key (pt_demo) is available for testing (search works fully; transcripts limited to a demo episode).

Is there a free tier or demo?

Yes, you can use pt_demo as the API key to try search and get one transcript from the demo episode. Full access requires a paid key from spoken.md.

What does it cost?

Spoken uses pay-per-use credits: 100 for $15, 500 for $50, 2,000 for $160. Failed calls are never charged, and repeated fetches of the same transcript are free after the first request.

Can I use it with any podcast?

Spoken works on already-published podcasts. You can find episodes by text search or by pasting a Spotify or YouTube URL. It does not process uploaded audio.

What happens if I run out of credits?

The API returns credit balance info in the X-Credits-Remaining header. You can top up or buy a new key via Stripe endpoints (/buy, /top-up).