Use direct media URLs with the Fast Transcriber API
Submit a public HTTP(S) URL whose response is an accessible audio or video file.
Connect storage, CDNs, and media servers with one field
A stable public media URL can enter the same source_url pipeline as supported platforms. This is useful for owned CDN assets, object storage, podcast files, and other directly downloadable recordings.
HTTP or HTTPS
Submit a URL that the worker can fetch without a private session.
Audio and video
The response should expose a supported media type or recognizable extension.
CDN friendly
Use stable links from your own media pipeline or object storage.
Asynchronous fetch
Keep signed URLs valid until the queued worker downloads the source.
From request to transcript
A predictable sequence you can reuse in server applications, automations, and internal tools.
- 01
Submit one public URL
Send the media URL as source_url with a server-side bearer key.
- 02
Store the job location
Read the job ID and Location header from the 202 Accepted response.
- 03
Retrieve the result
Poll with bounded backoff until the status is completed or failed.
Make the request
Examples use the production API origin and an environment variable for the secret key.
curl --include --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://cdn.example.com/media/interview.mp4",
"speaker_diarization": false
}'Requirements and boundaries
- The response must be the media itself, not an article or generic webpage.
- The URL must be accessible without a login, cookie, or private request header.
- Use a supported filename extension or correct audio/video Content-Type.
- A signed URL must remain valid long enough for asynchronous processing.
Frequently asked questions
Can the API convert any webpage to text?+
No. The URL must identify supported audio or video media.
Can I send custom authorization headers for the source?+
The current source_url contract does not accept source headers. Download authorized media yourself and use direct upload.
Are temporary signed URLs supported?+
They can work if they remain accessible until the worker resolves and downloads the media.