ProductAnalysisMicrosoft AI launches MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming and MAI-Voice-2.1 models
What happened.Microsoft AI released MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming, a low-latency speech-to-text model designed for continuous transcription across 60 languages with automatic language detection. The model produces initial partial transcripts in roughly 120 milliseconds. Alongside the transcription system, Microsoft introduced MAI-Voice-2.1 and MAI-Voice-2.1-Flash text-to-speech models covering 23 languages. The models are available through Microsoft Foundry with introductory pricing set at $0.54 per audio hour for streaming transcription through 2026.
Why it matters.Low-latency transcription combined with multilingual voice models lowers the barrier for interactive audio agents. Builders can integrate continuous speech processing through WebSocket connections without managing custom speech infrastructure.
The technical specifications:
- Detail: Generates initial partial transcripts in approximately 120 milliseconds across 60 supported languages.
- Detail: Paired with multilingual MAI-Voice-2.1 text-to-speech models priced at $0.54 per audio hour on Microsoft Foundry.