diff --git a/localstack-core/localstack/services/transcribe/provider.py b/localstack-core/localstack/services/transcribe/provider.py
index b24f960d8e867..e26705386abb1 100644
--- a/localstack-core/localstack/services/transcribe/provider.py
+++ b/localstack-core/localstack/services/transcribe/provider.py
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ def download_model(name: str):
         model_path = LANGUAGE_MODEL_DIR / name
 
         with _DL_LOCK:
-            if (model_path).exists():
+            if model_path.exists():
                 return
             else:
                 model_path.mkdir(parents=True)
diff --git a/tests/aws/conftest.py b/tests/aws/conftest.py
index 7d9669340fc0d..d8a9ace182578 100644
--- a/tests/aws/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/aws/conftest.py
@@ -45,11 +45,19 @@ def pytest_runtestloop(session):
             )
 
             test_init_functions.add(opensearch_install_async)
-        if any(opensearch_test in parent_name for opensearch_test in ["test_es", "firehose"]):
+
+        if any(es_test in parent_name for es_test in ["elasticsearch", "firehose"]):
             from tests.aws.services.es.test_es import install_async as es_install_async
 
             test_init_functions.add(es_install_async)
 
+        if "transcribe" in parent_name:
+            from tests.aws.services.transcribe.test_transcribe import (
+                install_async as transcribe_install_async,
+            )
+
+            test_init_functions.add(transcribe_install_async)
+
     # add init functions for certain tests that download/install things
     for test_class in test_classes:
         # set flag that terraform will be used
diff --git a/tests/aws/services/transcribe/test_transcribe.py b/tests/aws/services/transcribe/test_transcribe.py
index 1ab7b1b16bf4f..9ba22484369f7 100644
--- a/tests/aws/services/transcribe/test_transcribe.py
+++ b/tests/aws/services/transcribe/test_transcribe.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import logging
 import os
+import threading
+import time
 from urllib.parse import urlparse
 
 import pytest
@@ -7,15 +9,81 @@
 
 from localstack.aws.api.transcribe import BadRequestException, ConflictException, NotFoundException
 from localstack.aws.connect import ServiceLevelClientFactory
+from localstack.packages.ffmpeg import ffmpeg_package
+from localstack.services.transcribe.packages import vosk_package
+from localstack.services.transcribe.provider import LANGUAGE_MODELS, TranscribeProvider
 from localstack.testing.pytest import markers
 from localstack.utils.files import new_tmp_file
 from localstack.utils.strings import short_uid, to_str
 from localstack.utils.sync import poll_condition, retry
+from localstack.utils.threads import start_worker_thread
 
 BASEDIR = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
 
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+# Lock and event to ensure that the installation is executed before the tests
+vosk_installed = threading.Event()
+ffmpeg_installed = threading.Event()
+installation_errored = threading.Event()
+
+INSTALLATION_TIMEOUT = 5 * 60
+PRE_DOWNLOAD_LANGUAGE_CODE_MODELS = ["en-GB"]
+
+
+def install_async():
+    """
+    Installs the default ffmpeg and vosk versions in a worker thread.
+    """
+    if vosk_installed.is_set() and ffmpeg_installed.is_set():
+        return
+
+    def install_vosk(*args):
+        if vosk_installed.is_set():
+            return
+        try:
+            LOG.info("installing Vosk default version")
+            vosk_package.install()
+            LOG.info("done installing Vosk default version")
+            LOG.info("downloading Vosk models used in test: %s", PRE_DOWNLOAD_LANGUAGE_CODE_MODELS)
+            for language_code in PRE_DOWNLOAD_LANGUAGE_CODE_MODELS:
+                model_name = LANGUAGE_MODELS[language_code]
+                # downloading the model takes quite a while sometimes
+                TranscribeProvider.download_model(model_name)
+                LOG.info(
+                    "done downloading Vosk model '%s' for language code '%s'",
+                    model_name,
+                    language_code,
+                )
+            LOG.info("done downloading all Vosk models used in test")
+        except Exception:
+            LOG.exception("Error during installation of Vosk dependencies")
+            installation_errored.set()
+            # we also set the other event to quickly stop the polling
+            ffmpeg_installed.set()
+        finally:
+            vosk_installed.set()
+
+    def install_ffmpeg(*args):
+        if ffmpeg_installed.is_set():
+            return
+        try:
+            LOG.info("installing ffmpeg default version")
+            ffmpeg_package.install()
+            LOG.info("done ffmpeg default version")
+        except Exception:
+            LOG.exception("Error during installation of Vosk dependencies")
+            installation_errored.set()
+            # we also set the other event to quickly stop the polling
+            vosk_installed.set()
+        finally:
+            ffmpeg_installed.set()
+
+    # we parallelize the installation of the dependencies
+    # TODO: we could maybe use a ThreadPoolExecutor to use Future instead of manually checking
+    start_worker_thread(install_vosk, name="vosk-install-async")
+    start_worker_thread(install_ffmpeg, name="ffmpeg-install-async")
+
 
 @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
 def transcribe_snapshot_transformer(snapshot):
@@ -23,6 +91,24 @@ def transcribe_snapshot_transformer(snapshot):
 
 
 class TestTranscribe:
+    @pytest.fixture(scope="class", autouse=True)
+    def pre_install_dependencies(self):
+        if not ffmpeg_installed.is_set() or not vosk_installed.is_set():
+            install_async()
+
+        start = int(time.time())
+        assert vosk_installed.wait(
+            timeout=INSTALLATION_TIMEOUT
+        ), "gave up waiting for Vosk to install"
+        elapsed = int(time.time() - start)
+        assert ffmpeg_installed.wait(
+            timeout=INSTALLATION_TIMEOUT - elapsed
+        ), "gave up waiting for ffmpeg to install"
+        LOG.info("Spent %s seconds downloading transcribe dependencies", int(time.time() - start))
+
+        assert not installation_errored.is_set(), "installation of transcribe dependencies failed"
+        yield
+
     @staticmethod
     def _wait_transcription_job(
         transcribe_client: ServiceLevelClientFactory, transcribe_job_name: str