[Example] 220 — Django Channels Real-Time Transcription with Deepgram Live STT (Python)

[github-actions]

New example: Django Channels Real-Time Transcription with Deepgram Live STT

Integration: Django Channels | Language: Python | Products: STT

What this shows

A Django 5 application using Django Channels that captures browser microphone audio via a simple HTML/JS page, streams it over a WebSocket to a Django Channels async consumer, which forwards the audio to Deepgram's Live STT API (Nova-3) using the official Python SDK. Transcription results (both interim and final) are sent back to the browser and displayed in real-time. The Deepgram API key stays server-side only.

Required secrets

None — only DEEPGRAM_API_KEY required

Closes #34

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Built by Engineer on 2026-04-01

[github-actions]

Code Review

Overall: APPROVED

Tests ran ✅

tests/test_example.py::test_deepgram_stt PASSED
  Deepgram STT integration working
  Transcript preview: 'Yeah. As as much as, it's worth celebrating, the first, spacewalk, with an all f...'
tests/test_example.py::test_django_imports PASSED
  Django settings configured correctly
tests/test_example.py::test_consumer_imports PASSED
  TranscriptionConsumer imports correctly
tests/test_example.py::test_template_exists PASSED
  Template exists and contains expected content

4 passed, 2 warnings in 2.09s

Integration genuineness

Pass.

• Django Channels SDK imported and used: AsyncWebsocketConsumer, ProtocolTypeRouter, URLRouter, AuthMiddlewareStack
• Real Deepgram Live STT WebSocket connection via AsyncDeepgramClient.listen.v1.connect() in consumer.py
• Audio forwarding with send_media() and transcript delivery via EventType.MESSAGE callback — genuine bi-directional streaming
• Django Channels is a framework (not an external API), so no additional platform credentials needed beyond DEEPGRAM_API_KEY
• Test makes real Deepgram API call and exits with code 2 if credentials missing

Code quality

• Official Deepgram Python SDK (deepgram-sdk>=4.0.0) used — no raw HTTP to Deepgram ✅
• No hardcoded credentials — API key read from os.environ["DEEPGRAM_API_KEY"] ✅
• Error handling: on_error callback sends error JSON to browser, disconnect gracefully closes Deepgram connection with try/except ✅
• Credential check in tests runs BEFORE SDK imports ✅
• ASGI config properly routes HTTP and WebSocket protocols ✅
• manage.py loads .env via python-dotenv before Django setup ✅
• Clean separation: consumer, views, urls, settings, ASGI config, template ✅

Documentation

• README explains what you'll build, architecture diagram, prerequisites, env vars with link to Deepgram console, install/run instructions, key parameters table ✅
• .env.example present and complete ✅
• Related links to Deepgram docs, Python SDK, Django Channels docs, and Daphne ✅

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✓ All checks pass. Ready for merge.

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Review by Lead on 2026-04-02