What is call transcription?
Call transcription is the automatic conversion of speech from a recorded phone call into written, searchable text. In a help desk, that text is attached to the ticket the call belongs to, so a conversation that previously existed only as audio becomes something anyone can read, search, and quote.
In LiveAgent, this happens without an agent doing anything. From version 5.68, a call ends, the recording is saved, and the transcript appears in the ticket timeline right under the audio player.
It works alongside LiveAgent’s call recordings , not instead of them. The audio stays exactly where it was. The transcript just gives you a second, faster way to get at what was said.
Call transcription at a glance
| Detail | Answer |
|---|---|
| What it does | Turns each saved call recording into text automatically |
| Where the text appears | Ticket timeline, directly below that call’s audio player |
| Available from | LiveAgent version 5.68 |
| Requires | An OpenAI provider connected to your account |
| Where to switch it on | Configuration > Calls > Settings > Enable call transcription |
| Applies to | Calls recorded after you enable it — it is not retroactive |
| Agent effort per call | None. Transcription runs by itself in the background |
| Replaces call recording? | No. Recording and transcription run alongside each other |
How does call transcription work?
Automatic, no manual step
Transcription starts by itself in the background as soon as a call recording is saved. Agents do not upload anything or trigger anything by hand.
Lives in the ticket timeline
The finished transcript appears directly below the audio player on the same ticket, so anyone reviewing the call sees the recording and the text together.
Needs an OpenAI provider
The feature runs on an OpenAI provider connected to your account. If OpenAI is already set up for your other AI features, transcription is ready to switch on.
One setting to turn on
Turn it on under Configuration, then Calls, then Settings, with the “Enable call transcription” toggle. It applies to calls recorded after that point, not retroactively.
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Why read a call instead of replaying it?
A recorded call only helps if someone has time to listen to it again, and that rarely happens. Call transcription changes what that review actually costs.
The gap is measurable. Adults read non-fiction prose at around 238 words per minute , while conversational speech runs closer to 150 . Reading the same call is faster before you account for skimming, and skimming is where the real difference shows up: you can jump to the part that matters instead of scrubbing an audio bar to find it.
Escalations move faster
The next person in line can read what happened in seconds, instead of asking for a verbal summary or replaying the whole call themselves.
Quality and compliance reviews stop being a listening job
Scanning ten transcripts takes a fraction of the time it takes to replay ten calls, which means reviews that used to get skipped when things got busy are easier to keep up with. This matters because manual review coverage is usually tiny: industry guidance puts the share of calls a QA team actually listens to at roughly 1% to 3% , often just a handful per agent per month. Text raises the ceiling on how much of that a human can realistically get through.
Calls become searchable
Once a call is text, it behaves like any other ticket content. What was said on the phone stops being locked away in an audio file nobody has time to open.
Who benefits most from call transcription?
Any team that handles calls benefits from being able to read instead of replay, but it matters most where reviewing calls is part of the job, not an occasional task.
Compliance-heavy industries
Banking, insurance, and healthcare teams often need a record of exactly what was said on a call, not just that a call happened. A transcript makes that record something a compliance reviewer can scan in seconds instead of listening through an entire call.
Quality assurance and coaching teams
QA reviewers who sample calls for training or coaching can cover far more ground when they are reading rather than listening. New agents also get a faster way to learn from real calls during onboarding, without a supervisor sitting through hours of audio with them.
High call-volume support teams
The busier a call center is, the more expensive it becomes to replay calls for context. Transcription removes that cost, so escalations and second-line support get the full picture without waiting on someone to relisten first.
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Before you turn it on
Enabling call transcription means confirming that recording and transcribing your calls follows the caller-consent rules that apply to you and your customers. Consent requirements vary by country, and even by US state , so check yours before switching it on, particularly if you handle calls in call center environments with strict compliance needs.
What else does LiveAgent’s call center include?
Interactive voice response
Build your own Interactive Voice Response tree so customers reach the right department before a human ever picks up.
Call routing
Call routing sends inbound calls to the right agent automatically, based on rules you set, so fewer calls sit in the wrong queue.
AI-drafted replies
Once a call is transcribed, AI Answer Composer can draft the follow-up email from that same content, so the agent edits instead of starting from a blank page.
Ready to stop replaying calls?
Turn on call transcription under Configuration, then Calls, then Settings, and read your next call instead of listening to it. Try LiveAgent’s free trial , no credit card required.
