Free Groq API key: Turn speech into text in the cloud
Author: Mert S. Kaplan · Last updated: November 4, 2026
In LiveType, a free Groq API key lets you turn speech into text in the cloud without downloading a model to your device. You enter the key you get from Groq in the app, the audio goes from your browser to Groq and Whisper Large-v3 Turbo writes it down. It is a short route to large-model quality on a computer without a graphics card or on a phone, and in exchange the audio leaves your device.
Getting a key from Groq
- Open a free account at console.groq.com/keys. You can use Google, GitHub or e-mail.
- In the menu, press API Keys, then Create API Key.
- Give the key a name and copy it. It is shown only once.
With a free key, Groq offers up to 8 hours of transcription a day on this model (November 2026). Groq sets these limits and can change them, so check the limits page in your account for the current ones.
Try it on your own recording
No card needed. 30 minutes of transcription on the free plan.
Entering the key for yourself
- In LiveType, open the Cloud transcription section on the My account page.
- Choose Groq as the Provider. The address and the model fill in by themselves.
- In Key name, write something like “My Groq key”.
- Paste the key into API key and press Save key.
LiveType tries the key before saving it. If Groq refuses it, the key is not saved and you are told so. A saved key is stored encrypted on the server and never shown again. You can add up to 10 keys.
Entering the key for a team
On a team plan, the team leader adds a key the same way, under The team’s cloud transcription keys on the Team page. Members can then use cloud transcription without their own key, and only the leader can add or remove team keys.
| Personal key | Team key | |
|---|---|---|
| Entered in | My account → Cloud transcription | Team → The team’s cloud transcription keys |
| Used by | Only you | All team members |
| Removed by | You | Only the team leader |
| Limits and cost | The key’s Groq account | The key’s Groq account, shared by the whole team |
Before you share a team key, know this: since audio goes straight from the browser to Groq, the key is handed to the member’s browser when a transcription starts. Use it only in a team you trust, and when someone leaves, renewing the key at Groq is a good habit.
Transcribing in the cloud
- Under New transcript, choose the source and language, then press Continue.
- On the transcript page, open Settings: Where to transcribe? has the cloud option with your key’s name preselected. If not, choose it from the list.
- Press Start transcription. There is no model download to wait for.
The microphone, streams and files can all go to the cloud. Final text still lands in the editor, and you can still edit while it transcribes.
How it behaves live and on files
- Streams and the microphone: The audio is cut at quiet moments and goes in pieces of at most 30 seconds. So the text comes later than with a model on your device, from a few seconds up to half a minute.
- Finished files: This is the fastest option, and a two-hour file usually finishes in minutes. It works on files of up to 2 hours.
- Accuracy: About the level of M3 or a little below. Choosing a model compares the options.
Usage limits and error messages
On the My account or Team page, each key shows its use over the last 24 hours and the last hour, and its share of the limit.
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Near its limit, unavailable | 90% of the limit has been reached | Wait for time to free up or choose another key |
| The provider did not accept the key | The key is wrong or deleted | Get a new key from Groq and enter it again |
| The usage limit was reached; transcription stopped | Groq’s limit ran out | The text is kept; continue later or with another key |
So that a long stream does not stop halfway, check your remaining limit before important work.
Where the audio goes in the cloud
In cloud transcription, pieces of audio go from your browser straight to Groq’s servers. They do not pass through LiveType’s server, and Groq’s terms apply. Do not use this option for a confidential conversation; take the route described in private transcription instead.
A Groq key does not change your plan’s time: on the free plan, transcribing with your own key still counts against the 30 minutes in total. If you would rather not enter a key, look at the credit packages. OpenAI, or another OpenAI-compatible service, can be added in the same section.
We compare the options other than a key under cloud transcription, credit and remote devices.
Works in news, software and design; founder of LiveType. Worked as a reporter for many years. Has done SEO consulting, content editing and reporting for several online news sites, and has developed many pieces of software. Currently works in the press office of the Turkish Medical Association and provides SEO support to Elips Haber.
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Try it on your own recording
No card needed. 30 minutes of transcription on the free plan.