GPT-4o mini Transcribe
GPT-4o mini Transcribe is a speech-to-text model built on the GPT-4o mini architecture, delivering lower word error rates and better language recognition than the original Whisper models at the cost-efficient end of OpenAI's transcription lineup.
- Input and output price
- Input $1.25, Output $5, Per 1M tokens
import { experimental_transcribe as transcribe } from 'ai';import { gateway } from '@ai-sdk/gateway';import { readFile } from 'node:fs/promises';
const result = await transcribe({ model: gateway.transcriptionModel('openai/gpt-4o-mini-transcribe'), audio: await readFile('audio.mp3'),});Copy link to headingPlayground
Try out GPT-4o mini Transcribe by OpenAI. Usage is billed to your team at API rates. Free users (those who haven't made a payment) get $5 of credits every 30 days.
GPT-4o mini TranscribeSpeech to text
Record a short clip from your microphone and the model transcribes it to text.
Record a clip to see the transcript here.
Copy link to headingProviders
Route requests across multiple providers. Copy a provider slug to set your preference. Visit the docs for more info. Using a provider means you agree to their terms, listed under Legal.
Copy link to headingMore models by OpenAI
| Model |
|---|
| 1.1M | 2.9 s | 56 tps | $10/M+2 more | $50/M+2 more | Read$1/M Write$12.50/M | $10/K | +4 |  | 09/04/2026 | |||||
| 1.1M | 2.4 s | 156 tps | $0.20/M+2 more | $1.20/M+2 more | Read$0.02/M Write$0.25/M | $10/K | +4 |  | 07/09/2026 | |||||
| 1.1M | 2.6 s | 69 tps | $2/M+2 more | $10/M+2 more | Read$0.20/M Write$2.50/M | $10/K | +4 | | 07/09/2026 | |||||
| 1.1M | 2.6 s | 94 tps | $2/M+2 more | $12/M+2 more | Read$0.20/M Write$2.50/M | $10/K | +4 | | 07/09/2026 | |||||
| 1.1M | 3.5 s | 88 tps | $2.50/M+2 more | $15/M+2 more | Read$0.25/M | $10/K | +4 | | 03/05/2026 | |||||
| 400K | 4.4 s | 208 tps | $0.05/M | $0.40/M | Read$0.005/M | $14/K | +3 | | 08/07/2025 |
Copy link to headingAbout GPT-4o mini Transcribe
GPT-4o mini Transcribe launched on March 13, 2024 as part of OpenAI's next-generation audio models for the API. The model builds on the GPT-4o mini architecture and was pretrained on specialized audio-centric datasets. OpenAI used enhanced distillation techniques to transfer knowledge from larger audio models into this smaller one.
Compared to the original Whisper models, GPT-4o mini Transcribe improves word error rate and language recognition. OpenAI attributes the gains to reinforcement learning work and midtraining on diverse, high-quality audio data. The improvements show up most in difficult conditions: accents, noisy environments, and varying speech speeds.
Through AI Gateway, GPT-4o mini Transcribe handles transcription jobs behind the same authentication, observability, and spend controls as your text models. Send audio with the AI SDK's transcribe function and get back the transcript, plus segments and language metadata where available.
Copy link to headingWhat To Consider When Choosing a Provider
- Configuration: Audio support on AI Gateway is in beta. You call GPT-4o mini Transcribe with the AI SDK's
transcribefunction, passing audio as a file buffer, base64 string, or URL. If accuracy on your hardest recordings is the deciding factor, compare results againstgpt-4o-transcribeon your own audio before settling on the mini variant. - Zero Data Retention: Zero Data Retention is offered on a per-provider and model basis. See the documentation for details.
- Authentication: AI Gateway authenticates requests using an API key or OIDC token. You do not need to manage provider credentials directly.
Copy link to headingWhen to Use GPT-4o mini Transcribe
Best for
- High-volume transcription pipelines: Per-request cost shapes the architecture and the mini rate keeps unit economics workable
- Call and meeting transcription: Accuracy improvements over Whisper-generation models reduce cleanup work downstream
- Difficult audio conditions: Accents, background noise, and varying speech speeds that trip up older models
- Unified gateway workflows: Adding speech input to apps that already route text models through AI Gateway
Consider alternatives when
- Maximum transcription accuracy:
gpt-4o-transcribeis the stronger variant when difficult audio justifies a higher rate - Speech translation needs:
whisper-1handles translation to English and language identification as a multitask model - Live voice conversations: The gpt-realtime family serves speech-to-speech agents rather than transcription jobs
Copy link to headingConclusion
GPT-4o mini Transcribe is a practical default for transcription through AI Gateway: more accurate than Whisper-generation models and priced for volume. Start here for most speech-to-text workloads, and step up to gpt-4o-transcribe when your hardest audio demands it.
Copy link to headingFrequently Asked Questions
How do I access GPT-4o mini Transcribe through AI Gateway?
Use the AI SDK's
transcribefunction from theaipackage with this model's slug. Audio support on AI Gateway is in beta. Authenticate with an AI Gateway API key or OIDC token; no OpenAI credentials are needed in your application.How does GPT-4o mini Transcribe differ from gpt-4o-transcribe?
Both are speech-to-text models from the same next-generation audio release. GPT-4o Transcribe builds on the larger GPT-4o architecture for the strongest accuracy, while GPT-4o mini Transcribe builds on GPT-4o mini and targets cost-efficient, high-volume transcription.
Is GPT-4o mini Transcribe more accurate than Whisper?
Yes. OpenAI reports improvements to word error rate and better language recognition and accuracy compared to the original Whisper models, with the largest gains on accents, noisy environments, and varying speech speeds.
What audio inputs does the AI SDK accept?
The
transcribefunction accepts a file buffer, a base64-encoded string, or a URL. The result includes the transcript text, plus segments, detected language, and duration where available.How is GPT-4o mini Transcribe priced?
Pricing is listed on this page. Rates reflect the providers routing through AI Gateway and update when providers change list prices.
Does GPT-4o mini Transcribe support zero data retention through AI Gateway?
Zero Data Retention is not currently available for this model. Zero Data Retention is offered on a per-provider basis. See https://vercel.com/docs/ai-gateway/capabilities/zdr for details.
What are typical latency characteristics?
This page shows live performance metrics measured across real AI Gateway traffic.