diff --git a/assemblyai/transcriber.py b/assemblyai/transcriber.py
index eee9ba4..ce1df73 100644
--- a/assemblyai/transcriber.py
+++ b/assemblyai/transcriber.py
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ def wait_for_completion(self) -> Self:
             ):
                 break
 
-            time.sleep(3)
+            time.sleep(self._client.settings.polling_interval)
 
         return self
 
diff --git a/assemblyai/types.py b/assemblyai/types.py
index 5b584cf..d689c20 100644
--- a/assemblyai/types.py
+++ b/assemblyai/types.py
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
     base_url: str = "https://api.assemblyai.com/v2"
     "The base URL for the AssemblyAI API"
 
+    polling_interval: float = 1.0
+    "The default polling interval for long-running requests (e.g. polling the `Transcript`'s status)"
+
     class Config:
         env_prefix = "assemblyai_"
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index c1fbe6c..f7c3223 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 setup(
     name="assemblyai",
-    version="0.8.0",
+    version="0.8.1",
     description="AssemblyAI Python SDK",
     author="AssemblyAI",
     author_email="engineering.sdk@assemblyai.com",