Attempting to Start Transcriptions Fails With Error

Video SDK Web
1

Description
I developed an application that utilizes the Zoom Video Web SDK and in doing so, included the live transcription functionality.

This was functional until a very recent point, but I am now encountering the subsequent error in the console…

Browser Console Error

{
    "type": "INVALID_OPERATION",
    "reason": "Live transcription is not enabled."
}

Which Web Video SDK version?
@zoom/videosdk v1.8.7

Video SDK Code Snippets

if (zoomClient.isOriginalHost()) {
      const transcriptionClient = zoomClient.getLiveTranscriptionClient();
      await transcriptionClient.startLiveTranscription(); // <-- Breaks here
}

Troubleshooting Routes

  • Stepping back through package versions all the way to 1.7.0
  • Explicitly enabling transcriptions (i.e., transcriptionClient.disableCaptions(false);

Device (please complete the following information):

  • Device: Several different PCs
  • OS: Windows 10, Windows iOT, Mac OS
  • Browser: Chrome, Firefox

Additional context
It appears that the source of this issue lies within the Zoom side of the equation. Several months ago, I developed an initial demo application incorporating this functionality, which has remained untouched since. Upon revisiting and testing it (in order to eliminate potential problems with my most recent implementation), I observed that the issue persists in that version as well.

2

I have the same issue.
We’re using the Video SDK for react native.
I posted over at Video SDK React Native Live transcription sdk Error.

They have a new pricing for it at [Video SDK Universal Credit Plan]. but the sales people at zoom i’ve talked to are not up to speed at all on it or how to activate it on Video SDK accounts. So maybe they’re just discontinuing the feature

3

Hmm, interesting. It would be nice if someone from the Zoom dev team could chime in and provide some clear guidance for this issue. It’s not mentioned anywhere in their existing documentation that there are any additional steps required to use this functionality.

4

@null @ray1 ,

Live Transcription is indeed an add-on plan, and needs to be turn on for your account before you can use it.

Thanks for highlighting that the documentation is missing information regarding activation. I’ll do something about this.

To check if it is enabled on your account, signin to your video sdk account at zoom.us
When you click on billing you should see something like this under the billing section

I’ll PM you individually to understand your issues @ray1 @null . Meanwhile feel free to post on this thread.

Screenshot 2023-08-28 at 11.04.59 AM
Screenshot 2023-08-28 at 11.04.59 AM1390×1018 102 KB

5

Can you PM this account? My org switched and I was logged into the old account before.

I was on the phone with sales for hours and they didn’t know how to enable this and referred me to open tickets which they said they didn’t know how to do it and refered me here.

It says “An error occurred: Sorry, you can’t embed media items in a post.” when I attempt to show what I see in our billing tab on the Video SDK account, but it basically only has the first 3 items “video sdk” , “audio conferencing” and “cloud recording storage” but there is no “transcription” category there.

Thanks,

Ray.

6

@chunsiong.zoom I just took a look at the billing page and it only lists the Zoom Video SDK. This is the only plan that I’ve had since I first signed up and began developing against your platform a few months ago.

Is the need for an additional plan to support transcriptions a recent change?

7

@null ,

I’m not aware of any changes made recently related to live transcription and translation.

It has always been the case where an additional plan was needed to activate live transcription and translation for Video SDK

8

Oh, interesting. Do free developer accounts come with a certain number of free transcription minutes by default? If I’ve never had this feature enabled within my account, I’m curious as to how I was able to use it for so long.

9

@null Early this month (August 2023) and any time before that it was working without an additional add-on plan. Zoom changed something on their side to disable it for developers.

All the tickets to support, calls to sales and posts on the forums here and I just keep getting referred to my account manager in sales. He finally returned an email to setup a call to discuss options with me, but then disappeared again when I gave my availability. :person_shrugging:

@chunsiong.zoom It is a little weird that they have all these hoops to jump through. Zoom should add something to the process or documentation to allow Video SDK accounts to add transcription feature like the cloud recording feature (just through the billing page).

10

@ray.elward @ray1 @null ,

I’m not aware of any changes which might have contributed to what you have experienced.

Nevertheless, Live Transcription and Translation for Video SDK has always been an add-on feature.

We are working towards a seamless model where developers can have a self-service experience when it comes to these add-ons. Let me take this feedback and follow up with our team.

11

Hey @chunsiong.zoom !

I tried contacting sales to get this add-on feature and the sales team is pointing me to the dev forum here. I noticed the person in this thread has the same issue as us which is why we contacted sales, but they seem to think that the developers need to help us. Would you be able to either point me in the right direction or get this sorted? I need the add-on added to my account.

Thanks

12

@jacob.munro ,

Sorry about the experience of going around. There might be confusion on the sales side as this is a billing question rather than a technical question.

You will need to mention that you want to turn on the Live Transcription and Translation addon for your video SDK account.

Do you already have a sales contact, or ticket in place? If you do, please share the ticket number, and I’ll help to follow up on my side.

If not do try to reach out to sales at the form below.

13

@chunsiong.zoom is cloud recording required for transcription? The billing sales person activated a trial for recording and live transcription. And everything worked great in testing.

We started paying monthly for live transcription but now the transcript, but the cloud recording feature that we weren’t using expired its trial. So now the live transcription does not function anymore.

14

@ray1 cloud recording is not required for transcription.

If cloud recording expires, it should not affect live transcription.
Let me know if you need help on this.

15

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