audio model comparison
Gemini 3.5 Transcribe vs MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming
Gemini 3.5 Transcribe and MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming are both current audio models, from Google and Microsoft AI. Gemini 3.5 Transcribe is 44% cheaper per audio minute than MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming, $0.005 vs $0.009.
- Lower price per audio minute
- Gemini 3.5 Transcribe$0.005 against $0.009
- Newer release
- MAI-Transcribe-2-StreamingOct 2026 against Aug 2026
Data verified October 29, 2026 · Dataset 2026-10-29
Side by side
Gemini 3.5 Transcribe and MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming, line by line
Prices in effect today, compared at the same tier wherever both list one. The better value in each row is highlighted.
| Fact | Gemini 3.5 Transcribe | MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ||
| Price per audio minute | $0.005 (estimated) (better) | $0.009 |
| Independent benchmarks | ||
| Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2 | 2.6 % WER (#4 of 6) | Not measured |
| Specs | ||
| Provider | Microsoft AI | |
| Release date | August 26, 2026 | October 1, 2026 |
| Access | API only | API only |
| Context window | Not reported | Not reported |
| Max output | Not reported | Not reported |
| Input | audio | audio |
| Output | text | text |
No independent benchmark has scored both models yet. Each rank counts the current models scored on that benchmark.
Charts
Against every current audio model
Where Gemini 3.5 Transcribe and MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming land among the current models of their task, on every independent benchmark, on price and on context.
Where each stands
Only Gemini 3.5 Transcribe has a current Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2 score: #4 of 6. Each bar is the share of current models it beats.
Independent benchmarks
Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2
Gemini 3.5 Transcribe:#4of 6
2.6% WER · ahead of 40%
MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming: Not scored
Price and context
Price per audio minute
Gemini 3.5 Transcribe:#6of 14
$0.005 · cheaper than 46%
MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming:#11of 14
$0.009 · cheaper than 15%
Cost
What each costs
Example workloads at each provider's listed rates, then every other rate either one lists. The cheaper figure in each row is highlighted.
The same work, priced
For 100 hours of audio, MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming costs 1.8 times as much as Gemini 3.5 Transcribe, at each provider's listed rates.
100 hours of audio
MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming costs 1.8× as much
- Gemini 3.5 Transcribe
- $30
- MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming
- $54
| Workload or rate | Gemini 3.5 Transcribe | MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| Example workloads | ||
| 100 hours of audio | $30 (estimated) (better) | $54 |
Verdict
When to choose each
Gemini 3.5 Transcribe
Where it leads
- Lower price per audio minute, $0.005 vs $0.009
- Supports speaker diarization
Best for
- Batch transcription with speaker labels
- Multilingual meeting and call transcripts
Watch out for
- One hour of audio per request, or 30 minutes with diarization or timestamps
- Custom vocabulary cannot be combined with diarization or timestamps, and there is no Batch API
MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming
Where it leads
No measured lead over Gemini 3.5 Transcribe in this data.
Best for
- Live captions and voice agents
- Multilingual calls where speakers switch languages
Watch out for
- Microsoft Foundry lists it as a preview
- The $0.54 per hour price is introductory until the end of 2026, and the later price is not published
From benchmark to production
Building on Gemini 3.5 Transcribe or MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming?
Public scores rarely hold on your own data. We test both models on your real tasks, then build the agent or pipeline around the one that wins.
FAQ
Gemini 3.5 Transcribe vs MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming FAQ
Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.5 Transcribe or MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming?
Gemini 3.5 Transcribe is 44% cheaper per audio minute than MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming, $0.005 vs $0.009.
How much would 100 hours of audio cost with Gemini 3.5 Transcribe or MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming?
100 hours of audio comes to $30 with Gemini 3.5 Transcribe and $54 with MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming at their listed rates.
How do Gemini 3.5 Transcribe and MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming differ in features?
Only Gemini 3.5 Transcribe supports speaker diarization.
Further reading
More on Gemini 3.5 Transcribe and MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming
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- MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming vs Scribe v2 Realtime
- Gemini 3.5 Transcribe vs GPT Transcribe
- MAI-Transcribe-2 vs MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming
- Gemini 3.5 Transcribe vs Scribe v2
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- Gemini 3.5 Transcribe vs Scribe v2 Realtime
Production evaluation
Choosing between Gemini 3.5 Transcribe and MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming?
Public benchmarks narrow the shortlist. We run both on your own tasks, data and cost limits, then build the routing and review controls to run the winner in production.
- A head-to-head evaluation on your real workload
- Routing between models by cost and difficulty