Environment:Mistralai Client python Realtime Transcription Environment

Knowledge Sources	mistralai/client-python
Domains	Infrastructure, Audio
Last Updated	2026-02-15 14:00 GMT

Overview

Extension environment requiring `websockets` >= 13.0 for Mistral real-time audio transcription via WebSockets.

Description

This environment extends the core Python SDK environment with WebSocket support for real-time audio transcription. The `websockets` library is an optional dependency that is only required when using the `mistralai.extra.realtime` module. The SDK uses the `websockets.asyncio.client` API which requires version 13.0 or higher.

Usage

Use this environment when working with real-time audio transcription features of the Mistral API. It is required for streaming audio input and receiving live transcription results.

System Requirements

Category	Requirement	Notes
OS	Linux, macOS, Windows	Same as core SDK
Python	>= 3.10	Same as core SDK
Network	WebSocket connectivity	Must be able to establish WSS connections to `wss://api.mistral.ai`

Dependencies

Python Packages

• All core SDK dependencies (see Environment:Mistralai_Client_python_Python_SDK_Environment)
• `websockets` >= 13.0

Credentials

• `MISTRAL_API_KEY`: Required (same as core SDK).
• `MISTRAL_BASE_URL`: Optional override; default WebSocket URL is `wss://api.mistral.ai`.

Quick Install

# Install with realtime extra
pip install "mistralai[realtime]"

Code Evidence

Import guard in `src/mistralai/extra/realtime/connection.py:11-17`:

try:
    from websockets.asyncio.client import ClientConnection  # websockets >= 13.0
except ImportError as exc:
    raise ImportError(
        "The `websockets` package (>=13.0) is required for real-time transcription. "
        "Install with: pip install 'mistralai[realtime]'"
    ) from exc

Same import guard in `src/mistralai/extra/realtime/transcription.py:9-18`:

try:
    from websockets.asyncio.client import (
        ClientConnection,
        connect,
    )  # websockets >= 13.0
except ImportError as exc:
    raise ImportError(
        "The `websockets` package (>=13.0) is required for real-time transcription. "
        "Install with: pip install 'mistralai[realtime]'"
    ) from exc

Optional dependency declaration in `pyproject.toml:32-34`:

realtime = [
    "websockets >=13.0",
]

Common Errors

Error Message	Cause	Solution
`ImportError: The websockets package (>=13.0) is required for real-time transcription`	`websockets` not installed or version < 13.0	`pip install "mistralai[realtime]"`
`RuntimeError: Connection is closed`	Attempting to send audio on a closed WebSocket connection	Check connection lifecycle; ensure `send_audio` is called within an active connection context
`RuntimeError: ffmpeg conversion failed`	ffmpeg not installed or audio format unsupported	Install ffmpeg and ensure audio input is in a supported format

Compatibility Notes

• websockets < 13.0: Not supported. The SDK specifically requires the `websockets.asyncio.client` API introduced in version 13.0.
• Sync usage: Real-time transcription is async-only. There is no synchronous API for WebSocket connections.