A method for selectively transcribing voice communications that includes: receiving keywords; receiving an audio stream of audio data of speech; searching the audio stream to detect keywords or keyword detections and recording parameter data for each that includes a location of the keyword within the audio stream; generating one or more cumulative datasets for one or more portions of the audio stream that each includes parameter data for the keyword detections occurring therein; for each of the one or more portions of the audio stream, calculating a transcription favorableness score via inputting the corresponding one of the one or more cumulative datasets into an algorithm; and determining whether to transcribe each of the one or more portions of the audio stream by comparing the corresponding transcription favorableness score against a predetermined threshold.