Deepgram transcription quality dropped for my audio

Sorry you’re seeing that. Deepgram transcription quality can drop for a few common reasons, and you can usually narrow it down quickly.

Quick things to check

1. Audio format/sample rate changed

   • Make sure the file is still clean mono WAV/FLAC if possible.
   • If you switched to compressed audio (MP3/AAC/OGG), quality may drop.
   • Check the sample rate Deepgram is receiving matches what you expect.

2. Model mismatch

   • If your audio content changed, the best model may also have changed.
   • For example:
     • conversational speech → general speech model
     • phone calls → telephony-optimized model
     • noisy environments → noise-robust model

3. Language/locale

   • If the speaker language, accent, or code-switching changed, ensure the correct language setting is still being used.
   • If you had been relying on auto-detection, it may now be choosing the wrong language.

4. Audio quality issues

   • Lower volume, clipping, background noise, echo, overlapping speakers, or faster speech all reduce accuracy.
   • Compare a “good” file and a “bad” file side by side.

5. Preprocessing pipeline changed

   • If you added resampling, normalization, noise suppression, or channel mixing, that may have unintentionally degraded the audio.
   • Especially watch for:
     • stereo mixed down incorrectly
     • one channel being dropped
     • aggressive noise reduction artifacts

6. New words / domain vocabulary

   • If the audio now includes names, acronyms, product terms, or jargon, transcription may look worse unless the model can be guided with keywords, glossary, or prompt/context features.

7. Endpoint / settings changed

   • A different Deepgram model, version, or parameter change can affect results.
   • Check whether:
     • endpointing changed
     • diarization was enabled/disabled
     • punctuation or smart formatting settings changed
     • you’re using batch vs streaming differently

Fast debugging checklist

• Compare request settings from a good transcription vs a bad transcription
• Check the raw audio file for:
  • sample rate
  • channels
  • codec
  • duration
  • clipping/noise
• Test the same file with:
  • a different model
  • a different language setting
  • a different upload method
• If possible, transcribe a short 10–20 second clip to isolate the issue

If you want, I can help you troubleshoot specifically

Send any of these and I’ll help pinpoint the cause:

• a snippet of your Deepgram API request
• the audio format details
• what changed when quality dropped
• one example of a “bad” transcript vs expected transcript
• whether this is live streaming or pre-recorded/batch transcription