***

title: Quickstart
description: >-
This guide will help you get started quickly with transcribing your first
audio using Python and the Smallest AI API.
icon: rocket
------------

## Step 1: Sign Up & Get Your API Key

1. Visit the [platform](https://atoms.smallest.ai/dashboard/speech-to-text?utm_source=documentation\&utm_medium=speech-to-text) and sign up for an account or log in if you already have an account.
2. Navigate to `API Key` tab in your account dashboard.
3. Create a new API Key and copy it.
4. Export the API Key in your environment with the name `SMALLEST_API_KEY`, ensuring that your application can access it securely for authentication.

## Step 2: Install Dependencies

To install the required library:

```bash
pip install requests
```

## Step 3: Make Your First API Call

Here is a basic example of how to use Python to transcribe an audio file:

<CodeGroup>
  ```python Python
  import os
  import requests

  API_KEY = os.environ.get("SMALLEST_API_KEY")

  response = requests.post(
      "https://waves-api.smallest.ai/api/v1/pulse/get_text",
      params={"model": "pulse", "language": "en"},
      headers={
          "Authorization": f"Bearer {API_KEY}",
          "Content-Type": "audio/wav",
      },
      data=open("audio.wav", "rb").read(),
      timeout=120
  )

  result = response.json()
  print(result["transcription"])
  ```

  ```bash cURL
  curl --request POST \
    --url "https://waves-api.smallest.ai/api/v1/pulse/get_text?model=pulse&language=en" \
    --header "Authorization: Bearer $SMALLEST_API_KEY" \
    --header "Content-Type: audio/wav" \
    --data-binary "@audio.wav"
  ```
</CodeGroup>

Replace `YOUR_API_KEY` with the API key you obtained in Step 1.

## Step 4: Explore More Features

* **[Real-Time Transcription](/waves/documentation/speech-to-text/realtime-web-socket/quickstart):** Stream audio via WebSocket for live transcription.
* **[Speaker Diarization](/waves/documentation/speech-to-text/features/diarization):** Identify and label different speakers in multi-speaker audio.
* **[Word Timestamps](/waves/documentation/speech-to-text/features/word-timestamps):** Get precise timing information for each word.
* **[Emotion Detection](/waves/documentation/speech-to-text/features/emotion-detection):** Analyze emotional tone in transcribed speech.

For detailed documentation on all available features and endpoints, visit our [API Reference](/waves/api-reference/api-reference/speech-to-text/pulse).

### Need Help?

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact our support team at [support@smallest.ai](mailto:support@smallest.ai).