ElevenLabs' Scribe v2 delivers real‑time, negative‑latency transcription
Imagine a transcription model that actually guesses what you’ll say before you finish. In today’s shift from voice-only demos to everyday tools, that kind of latency feels less like a tech footnote and more like a make-or-break factor for users. ElevenLabs’ original Scribe could follow speech in real time, but the latest version claims “negative latency” - it tries to spit out text a beat ahead of the audio.
It sounds like a tiny tweak, yet the ripple effects could be big for anything that needs instant captions: virtual assistants, conference-room software, you name it. The upgrade isn’t just speed-focused; it also bundles text conditioning, voice-activity detection and a manual-commit switch, which should give developers a bit more leeway on when transcripts appear. In practice, that might translate to smoother speaker hand-offs, fewer hiccups in live captions, and a generally more natural feel for the end user.
The quote below spells out who ElevenLabs thinks will benefit most and which features they actually packed in.
Scribe v2 Realtime is aimed at developers and enterprises building voice assistants, meeting tools, and live captioning applications. According to ElevenLabs, the model features negative latency prediction, text conditioning, voice activity detection (VAD), and manual commit controls for enhanced streaming performance. Enterprise applications range from customer call transcription and compliance monitoring to medical dictation, real-time meeting notes, and accessibility captions for education and media.
In India, ElevenLabs has enabled data residency options to comply with local data regulations. The model also integrates with ElevenLabs Agents, allowing developers to create more natural conversational systems for support and sales workflows. Key features include ultra-low latency live transcription, next-word and punctuation prediction, domain-specific custom vocabulary, and zero-retention mode for sensitive workloads.
It also offers speaker diarisation, timestamp precision, and full enterprise compliance with Indian and global standards. Scribe v2 Realtime is available today through the ElevenLabs API and can be directly deployed within ElevenLabs Agents. ElevenLabs also recently launched Chat Mode, a text-only feature for its conversational agents, expanding beyond voice-first AI.
ElevenLabs' Scribe v2 Realtime aims to stretch what live transcription can do. The model says it can hit sub-150 ms latency and 93.5 % accuracy on the FLEURS benchmark for 30 languages. That sounds good on paper, but we still don’t know how it behaves on noisy calls or weird accents.
It supports over 90 languages, including 11 Indian ones, so it could fit a lot of markets - still, developers will have to check how hard it is to plug in and what the price tag looks like. The write-up mentions things like negative-latency prediction, text conditioning, voice activity detection and manual commit controls, yet it doesn’t say how those affect speed, battery or user feel. The target crowd seems to be developers and enterprises building voice assistants, meeting tools or live captions, but we have no data on early adopters or community support.
I think the real test will be how the system holds up outside a lab and whether it can meet the day-to-day needs of its intended users.
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Common Questions Answered
What does "negative latency" mean in ElevenLabs' Scribe v2 Realtime?
Negative latency refers to the model's ability to output transcribed text before the speaker finishes uttering the words. This predictive approach reduces perceived delay, enabling smoother interactions for voice assistants and live captioning.
How does Scribe v2 achieve sub‑150 ms latency while maintaining 93.5 % accuracy on the FLEURS benchmark?
Scribe v2 combines advanced text conditioning, voice activity detection (VAD), and manual commit controls to streamline streaming performance. These optimizations allow the system to process audio quickly and deliver accurate transcriptions across 30 languages.
Which enterprise applications are targeted by ElevenLabs' Scribe v2 Realtime?
The model is aimed at developers building voice assistants, meeting tools, and live captioning solutions. It also supports use cases such as customer call transcription, compliance monitoring, medical dictation, and real‑time meeting notes.
What language coverage does Scribe v2 offer, and does it include Indian languages?
Scribe v2 supports more than 90 languages, including 30 evaluated on the FLEURS benchmark and 11 Indian tongues. This broad coverage positions the system for diverse global markets and accessibility applications.