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Bing Speech API Azure AI Speech

Legacy names Bing Speech API, Custom Speech Service (CRIS), Azure Cognitive Services Speech

Unified speech AI service providing real-time and batch speech-to-text transcription, neural text-to-speech synthesis, custom voice and acoustic models, speech translation, and Voice Live conversational audio.

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Naming timeline

  1. Bing Speech API & Custom Speech Service (CRIS)

    · Microsoft Build 2016

    Initial speech recognition and synthesis APIs offered separately as Bing Speech API, Custom Recognition Intelligent Service (CRIS), and Translator Speech API.

  2. Azure Cognitive Services Speech

    · Microsoft Build 2018 Unification (GA Sept 2018; Bing Speech Retired Oct 15, 2019)

    Unified Bing Speech API, Custom Speech Service (CRIS), and Translator Speech into a single Speech service and SDK.

  3. Azure AI SpeechCurrent name

    · Azure AI Services Rebrand

    Rebranded from Azure Cognitive Services Speech to Azure AI Speech (and surfaced as Azure Speech in Foundry Tools).

What is Bing Speech API called now?

Bing Speech API is now called Azure AI Speech, with the latest change on 18 July 2023 (Azure AI Services Rebrand). Earlier names covered by this entry also include Custom Speech Service (CRIS), Azure Cognitive Services Speech. Unified speech AI service providing real-time and batch speech-to-text transcription, neural text-to-speech synthesis, custom voice and acoustic models, speech translation, and Voice Live conversational audio. Only the customer-facing name changed; the underlying technical identifiers remain backward compatible.

Also known as

  • Azure Speech in Foundry Tools
  • Azure Speech
  • Speech Service
  • Translator Speech API

Technical identifiers

Technical identifiers unchanged. Only the customer-facing product name changed; the APIs, CLI commands, IAM roles and Terraform resources below keep their legacy identifiers for backward compatibility.

ARM Resource Providers (Microsoft.*)Microsoft.CognitiveServices/accounts (kind: SpeechServices) *.stt.speech.microsoft.com *.tts.speech.microsoft.com
Azure CLI (az) / PowerShellaz cognitiveservices account spx
Entra ID / Azure RBAC RolesCognitive Services Speech User Cognitive Services Speech Contributor Cognitive Services User
Terraform Resources (azurerm_*)azurerm_cognitive_account

ARM resource provider Microsoft.CognitiveServices/accounts (kind 'SpeechServices'), Speech CLI (spx), RBAC roles (Cognitive Services Speech User/Contributor), and azurerm_cognitive_account remain unchanged.

Notes & disambiguation

  • At Microsoft Build in May 2018 (GA September 2018), Microsoft unified the legacy Bing Speech API, Custom Speech Service (CRIS), and Translator Speech API into the unified Azure Cognitive Services Speech service, retiring the standalone Bing Speech API on October 15, 2019.
  • In July 2023, Azure Cognitive Services Speech was rebranded to Azure AI Speech alongside the broader Azure AI Services portfolio rename, and is also styled as 'Azure Speech in Foundry Tools' in Microsoft Foundry documentation.
  • All underlying technical identifiers remain unchanged: ARM resources provision via Microsoft.CognitiveServices/accounts with kind 'SpeechServices', managed via az cognitiveservices account, Cognitive Services Speech User / Cognitive Services Speech Contributor RBAC roles, and Terraform azurerm_cognitive_account.

Sources & official documentation

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