---
title: "Processing times"
description: "Speak AI processes a file in roughly half its length. A 30-minute meeting takes about 15 minutes, a 1-hour file about 30."
---

> Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.speakai.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Processing times

## Typical processing times

As a general rule, Speak AI processes files in about **half the length of the file**:

- A 10-minute recording takes about 5 minutes
- A 30-minute meeting takes about 15 minutes
- A 1-hour file takes about 30 minutes
- A 2-hour recording takes about 1 hour

## What affects processing speed

- **File length:** Longer files take proportionally longer to process
- **File format:** Standard formats (MP3, MP4, WAV) process fastest. Unusual formats may need conversion first, adding time.
- **Audio quality:** Very noisy or low-quality audio can slow down the transcription engine
- **Server load:** During peak times, processing may take slightly longer
- **Plan type:** Paid plans get priority servers with faster transcription and analysis

## Checking your file's status

You can track processing progress from your [dashboard](https://app.speakai.co/dashboard):

- **Spinner icon:** File is still processing
- **Green check:** Processing complete
- **Red exclamation:** Processing failed (see our [troubleshooting guide](/help/troubleshoot/transcription/))

You will also receive an email notification when your file is ready.

## What if it's taking too long?

If a file has been processing for more than twice its duration (e.g., a 30-minute file has been processing for over an hour):

1. Refresh the page to check if the status has updated
1. Try re-transcribing the file from the options menu
1. If it continues to fail, reach out to us and we will investigate

## How Long Does Transcription Take

## Typical processing times

As a general rule, Speak AI processes files in about **half the length of the file**:

- A 10-minute recording takes about 5 minutes
- A 30-minute meeting takes about 15 minutes
- A 1-hour file takes about 30 minutes
- A 2-hour recording takes about 1 hour

## What affects processing speed

- **File length:** Longer files take proportionally longer to process
- **File format:** Standard formats (MP3, MP4, WAV) process fastest. Unusual formats may need conversion first, adding time.
- **Audio quality:** Very noisy or low-quality audio can slow down the transcription engine
- **Server load:** During peak times, processing may take slightly longer
- **Plan type:** Paid plans get priority servers with faster transcription and analysis

## Checking your file's status

You can track processing progress from your [dashboard](https://app.speakai.co/dashboard):

- **Spinner icon:** File is still processing
- **Green check:** Processing complete
- **Red exclamation:** Processing failed (see our [troubleshooting guide](/help/troubleshoot/transcription/))

You will also receive an email notification when your file is ready.

## What if it's taking too long?

If a file has been processing for more than twice its duration (e.g., a 30-minute file has been processing for over an hour):

1. Refresh the page to check if the status has updated
1. Try re-transcribing the file from the options menu
1. If it continues to fail, reach out to us and we will investigate

Evaluating Speak AI for a team? [Book a demo and see your own recordings analyzed](https://calendly.com/speak-ai/demo?utm_source=docs&utm_campaign=book-demo).

---
Related: [Transcription](/help/transcription/) · [Accuracy](/help/transcription/accuracy/)

Source: https://docs.speakai.co/help/transcription/processing-times/index.mdx