diff --git a/lib/utils/transcription-utils.js b/lib/utils/transcription-utils.js
index 32182659..a74d82d6 100644
--- a/lib/utils/transcription-utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils/transcription-utils.js
@@ -188,8 +188,10 @@ module.exports = (logger) => {
           {GOOGLE_SPEECH_SINGLE_UTTERANCE: 0}),
         ...(rOpts.diarization === false &&
           {GOOGLE_SPEECH_SPEAKER_DIARIZATION: 0}),
-        ...(rOpts.hints.length > 0 &&
+        ...(rOpts.hints.length > 0 && typeof rOpts.hints[0] === 'string' &&
           {GOOGLE_SPEECH_HINTS: rOpts.hints.join(',')}),
+        ...(rOpts.hints.length > 0 && typeof rOpts.hints[0] === 'object' &&
+          {GOOGLE_SPEECH_HINTS: JSON.stringify(rOpts.hints)}),
         ...(typeof rOpts.hintsBoost === 'number' &&
           {GOOGLE_SPEECH_HINTS_BOOST: rOpts.hintsBoost}),
         ...(rOpts.altLanguages.length > 0 &&
@@ -217,8 +219,10 @@ module.exports = (logger) => {
     else if ('microsoft' === rOpts.vendor) {
       opts = {
         ...opts,
-        ...(rOpts.hints  && rOpts.hints.length > 0 &&
+        ...(rOpts.hints.length > 0 && typeof rOpts.hints[0] === 'string' &&
           {AZURE_SPEECH_HINTS: rOpts.hints.map((h) => h.trim()).join(',')}),
+        ...(rOpts.hints.length > 0 && typeof rOpts.hints[0] === 'object' &&
+          {AZURE_SPEECH_HINTS: rOpts.hints.map((h) => h.phrase).join(',')}),
         ...(rOpts.altLanguages && rOpts.altLanguages.length > 0 &&
           {AZURE_SERVICE_ENDPOINT_ID: rOpts.sttCredentials}),
         ...(rOpts.requestSnr && {AZURE_REQUEST_SNR: 1}),
@@ -318,8 +322,10 @@ module.exports = (logger) => {
           {DEEPGRAM_SPEECH_SEARCH: deepgramOptions.search.join(',')},
         ...(deepgramOptions.replace) &&
           {DEEPGRAM_SPEECH_REPLACE: deepgramOptions.replace.join(',')},
-        ...(rOpts.hints.length > 0 &&
-          {DEEPGRAM_SPEECH_KEYWORDS: rOpts.hints.join(',')}),
+        ...(rOpts.hints.length > 0 && typeof rOpts.hints[0] === 'string' &&
+          {DEEPGRAM_SPEECH_KEYWORDS: rOpts.hints.map((h) => h.trim()).join(',')}),
+        ...(rOpts.hints.length > 0 && typeof rOpts.hints[0] === 'object' &&
+          {DEEPGRAM_SPEECH_KEYWORDS: rOpts.hints.map((h) => h.phrase).join(',')}),
         ...(deepgramOptions.keywords) &&
           {DEEPGRAM_SPEECH_KEYWORDS: deepgramOptions.keywords.join(',')},
         ...('endpointing' in deepgramOptions) &&