---
title: Transcription
description: Learn how to transcribe audio with the AI SDK.
---

# Transcription

The AI SDK provides the [`transcribe`](/docs/reference/ai-sdk-core/transcribe)
function to transcribe audio using a transcription model.

```ts
import { transcribe } from 'ai';
import { openai } from '@ai-sdk/openai';
import { readFile } from 'fs/promises';

const transcript = await transcribe({
  model: openai.transcription('whisper-1'),
  audio: await readFile('audio.mp3'),
});
```

The `audio` property can be a `Uint8Array`, `ArrayBuffer`, `Buffer`, `string` (base64 encoded audio data), or a `URL`.

To access the generated transcript:

```ts
const text = transcript.text; // transcript text e.g. "Hello, world!"
const segments = transcript.segments; // array of segments with start and end times, if available
const language = transcript.language; // language of the transcript e.g. "en", if available
const durationInSeconds = transcript.durationInSeconds; // duration of the transcript in seconds, if available
```

## Streaming Transcription

<Note type="warning">Streaming transcription is an experimental feature.</Note>

Use `experimental_streamTranscribe` when you have live raw audio and need transcript updates before the full audio stream is complete. The function uses transcription models with streaming support; provider options configure provider-specific behavior, but the streaming operation is selected by the function itself.

```ts
import { openai } from '@ai-sdk/openai';
import { experimental_streamTranscribe as streamTranscribe } from 'ai';

const result = streamTranscribe({
  model: openai.transcription('gpt-realtime-whisper'),
  audio: audioStream, // ReadableStream<Uint8Array | string>
  inputAudioFormat: { type: 'audio/pcm', rate: 24000 },
  providerOptions: {
    openai: {
      language: 'en',
      streaming: {
        delay: 'low',
      },
    },
  },
});

for await (const part of result.fullStream) {
  if (part.type === 'transcript-delta') {
    process.stdout.write(part.delta);
  }

  if (part.type === 'transcript-partial') {
    console.log('partial:', part.text);
  }

  if (part.type === 'transcript-final') {
    console.log('final:', part.text);
  }
}

console.log(await result.text);
```

To access the final transcript metadata:

```ts
const text = await result.text; // final transcript text
const segments = await result.segments; // final segments with timing, if available
const language = await result.language; // language of the transcript, if available
const durationInSeconds = await result.durationInSeconds; // duration in seconds, if available
```

The `audio` stream must contain raw audio chunks. `Uint8Array` chunks are raw bytes; `string` chunks are base64-encoded raw bytes. Always set `inputAudioFormat` to match the chunks you send.

<Note>
  Streaming transcription requires a provider model instance (e.g.
  `openai.transcription('gpt-realtime-whisper')`). String model IDs resolve
  through the global provider (AI Gateway by default), which does not support
  streaming transcription yet.
</Note>

OpenAI streaming transcription uses `openai.transcription('gpt-realtime-whisper')`. xAI uses the same `xai.transcription()` model for request/response and streaming transcription; `experimental_streamTranscribe` uses xAI's WebSocket STT transport under the hood.

```ts
import { xai } from '@ai-sdk/xai';
import { experimental_streamTranscribe as streamTranscribe } from 'ai';

const result = streamTranscribe({
  model: xai.transcription(),
  audio: audioStream,
  inputAudioFormat: { type: 'audio/pcm', rate: 16000 },
  providerOptions: {
    xai: {
      language: 'en',
      keyterm: ['AI SDK', 'Grok'],
      streaming: {
        interimResults: true,
        endpointing: 500,
      },
    },
  },
});
```

Some providers require WebSocket headers for direct streaming STT. In those runtimes, pass a provider-specific `webSocket` implementation when creating the provider.

## Settings

### Provider-Specific settings

Transcription models often have provider or model-specific settings which you can set using the `providerOptions` parameter.

```ts highlight="8-12"
import { transcribe } from 'ai';
import { openai } from '@ai-sdk/openai';
import { readFile } from 'fs/promises';

const transcript = await transcribe({
  model: openai.transcription('whisper-1'),
  audio: await readFile('audio.mp3'),
  providerOptions: {
    openai: {
      timestampGranularities: ['word'],
    },
  },
});
```

### Download Size Limits

When `audio` is a URL, the SDK downloads the file with a default **2 GiB** size limit.
You can customize this using `createDownload`:

```ts highlight="1,8"
import { transcribe, createDownload } from 'ai';
import { openai } from '@ai-sdk/openai';

const transcript = await transcribe({
  model: openai.transcription('whisper-1'),
  audio: new URL('https://example.com/audio.mp3'),
  download: createDownload({ maxBytes: 50 * 1024 * 1024 }), // 50 MB limit
});
```

You can also provide a fully custom download function:

```ts highlight="6-12"
import { transcribe } from 'ai';
import { openai } from '@ai-sdk/openai';

const transcript = await transcribe({
  model: openai.transcription('whisper-1'),
  audio: new URL('https://example.com/audio.mp3'),
  download: async ({ url }) => {
    const res = await myAuthenticatedFetch(url);
    return {
      data: new Uint8Array(await res.arrayBuffer()),
      mediaType: res.headers.get('content-type') ?? undefined,
    };
  },
});
```

If a download exceeds the size limit, a `DownloadError` is thrown:

```ts
import { transcribe, DownloadError } from 'ai';
import { openai } from '@ai-sdk/openai';

try {
  await transcribe({
    model: openai.transcription('whisper-1'),
    audio: new URL('https://example.com/audio.mp3'),
  });
} catch (error) {
  if (DownloadError.isInstance(error)) {
    console.log('Download failed:', error.message);
  }
}
```

### Abort Signals and Timeouts

`transcribe` accepts an optional `abortSignal` parameter of
type [`AbortSignal`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/AbortSignal)
that you can use to abort the transcription process or set a timeout.

This is particularly useful when combined with URL downloads to prevent long-running requests:

```ts highlight="8"
import { openai } from '@ai-sdk/openai';
import { transcribe } from 'ai';

const transcript = await transcribe({
  model: openai.transcription('whisper-1'),
  audio: new URL('https://example.com/audio.mp3'),
  abortSignal: AbortSignal.timeout(5000), // Abort after 5 seconds
});
```

### Custom Headers

`transcribe` accepts an optional `headers` parameter of type `Record<string, string>`
that you can use to add custom headers to the transcription request.

```ts highlight="8"
import { openai } from '@ai-sdk/openai';
import { transcribe } from 'ai';
import { readFile } from 'fs/promises';

const transcript = await transcribe({
  model: openai.transcription('whisper-1'),
  audio: await readFile('audio.mp3'),
  headers: { 'X-Custom-Header': 'custom-value' },
});
```

### Warnings

Warnings (e.g. unsupported parameters) are available on the `warnings` property.

```ts
import { openai } from '@ai-sdk/openai';
import { transcribe } from 'ai';
import { readFile } from 'fs/promises';

const transcript = await transcribe({
  model: openai.transcription('whisper-1'),
  audio: await readFile('audio.mp3'),
});

const warnings = transcript.warnings;
```

### Error Handling

When `transcribe` cannot generate a valid transcript, it throws a [`AI_NoTranscriptGeneratedError`](/docs/reference/ai-sdk-errors/ai-no-transcript-generated-error).

This error can arise for any of the following reasons:

- The model failed to generate a response
- The model generated a response that could not be parsed

The error preserves the following information to help you log the issue:

- `responses`: Metadata about the transcription model responses, including timestamp, model, and headers.
- `cause`: The cause of the error. You can use this for more detailed error handling.

```ts
import { transcribe, NoTranscriptGeneratedError } from 'ai';
import { openai } from '@ai-sdk/openai';
import { readFile } from 'fs/promises';

try {
  await transcribe({
    model: openai.transcription('whisper-1'),
    audio: await readFile('audio.mp3'),
  });
} catch (error) {
  if (NoTranscriptGeneratedError.isInstance(error)) {
    console.log('NoTranscriptGeneratedError');
    console.log('Cause:', error.cause);
    console.log('Responses:', error.responses);
  }
}
```

## Transcription Models

| Provider                                                                        | Model                    |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ |
| [OpenAI](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/openai#transcription-models)               | `whisper-1`              |
| [OpenAI](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/openai#transcription-models)               | `gpt-4o-transcribe`      |
| [OpenAI](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/openai#transcription-models)               | `gpt-4o-mini-transcribe` |
| [ElevenLabs](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/elevenlabs#transcription-models)       | `scribe_v1`              |
| [ElevenLabs](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/elevenlabs#transcription-models)       | `scribe_v1_experimental` |
| [Groq](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/groq#transcription-models)                   | `whisper-large-v3-turbo` |
| [Groq](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/groq#transcription-models)                   | `whisper-large-v3`       |
| [Azure OpenAI](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/azure#transcription-models)          | `whisper-1`              |
| [Azure OpenAI](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/azure#transcription-models)          | `gpt-4o-transcribe`      |
| [Azure OpenAI](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/azure#transcription-models)          | `gpt-4o-mini-transcribe` |
| [Rev.ai](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/revai#transcription-models)                | `machine`                |
| [Rev.ai](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/revai#transcription-models)                | `low_cost`               |
| [Rev.ai](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/revai#transcription-models)                | `fusion`                 |
| [Deepgram](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/deepgram#transcription-models)           | `base` (+ variants)      |
| [Deepgram](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/deepgram#transcription-models)           | `enhanced` (+ variants)  |
| [Deepgram](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/deepgram#transcription-models)           | `nova` (+ variants)      |
| [Deepgram](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/deepgram#transcription-models)           | `nova-2` (+ variants)    |
| [Deepgram](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/deepgram#transcription-models)           | `nova-3` (+ variants)    |
| [Gladia](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/gladia#transcription-models)               | `default`                |
| [AssemblyAI](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/assemblyai#transcription-models)       | `universal-3-5-pro`      |
| [AssemblyAI](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/assemblyai#transcription-models)       | `universal-3-pro`        |
| [Fal](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/fal#transcription-models)                     | `whisper`                |
| [Fal](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/fal#transcription-models)                     | `wizper`                 |
| [Google Vertex](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/google-vertex#transcription-models) | `chirp_2`                |
| [Google Vertex](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/google-vertex#transcription-models) | `chirp_3`                |
| [Google Vertex](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/google-vertex#transcription-models) | `telephony`              |
| [xAI](/providers/ai-sdk-providers/xai#transcription-models)                     | `default`                |

Above are a small subset of the transcription models supported by the AI SDK providers. For more, see the respective provider documentation.
