Can ChatGPT Transcribe Audio? The Truth About AI and Transcription in 2025

As of May 2025, the short answer is: No, ChatGPT cannot directly transcribe audio files. While it's a powerful language model, it's not equipped to handle audio inputs or convert speech into text on its own.

Despite growing public interest in AI-powered transcription, there are common misunderstandings about ChatGPT's capabilities — and this post aims to clear those up.

📸 Why ChatGPT Claims It Can Transcribe Audio Files

Sometimes, ChatGPT gives confident but incorrect responses about its transcription capabilities. This happens because the model is trained on text that discusses audio transcription, but it doesn't actually have the ability to process audio files.

When ChatGPT incorrectly claims it can transcribe audio, it's providing misleading information. That's why it's important to use dedicated transcription services like VideoToBe that are specifically built for this purpose.

🧪 How We Tested This

To confirm these limitations, we:

• Tried uploading .mp3 and .mp4 files to ChatGPT
• Asked direct questions about transcription
• Compared responses across sessions
• Cross-checked with OpenAI documentation

These steps confirm that ChatGPT cannot transcribe audio directly, and any claims otherwise should be treated cautiously.

🚫 Why ChatGPT Can't Transcribe Audio

Although ChatGPT can analyze and generate text with impressive accuracy, it does not support direct audio transcription. Here's why:

1. No Built-In Audio Processing

ChatGPT is a text-based assistant. It doesn't have native support for processing audio or video files. If you try to upload an .mp3 or .wav file, the system won't be able to interpret it.

2. No Speech-to-Text Engine

Unlike tools like Whisper (also developed by OpenAI), ChatGPT lacks the backend required for converting spoken language into written text.

3. Confusing or Misleading Responses

Some users report that ChatGPT seems to suggest it can transcribe audio — but that's an example of what's known as AI hallucination: when a model gives a confident but incorrect response.

4. Not a Frontend for Whisper

While OpenAI's Whisper is a robust speech recognition model, it's not integrated into ChatGPT's standard interface. To use Whisper, you'd need to install it locally or access it via code or external tools — not through ChatGPT directly.

🔪 Common Questions About ChatGPT and Transcription

💬 Can I directly upload audio to ChatGPT for transcription?

No. While you can upload files in some ChatGPT environments, ChatGPT cannot transcribe audio directly. It may suggest tools, but the actual transcription must be done with external services like Whisper, Descript, or VideoToBe.

💬 What tools do I need to extract audio before using ChatGPT?

To prepare audio for use with transcription tools or to analyze transcripts in ChatGPT, use:

• FFmpeg: Open-source tool to convert video to audio (.mp3, .wav)
• Audacity: Free audio editor to trim or clean up recordings
• Online tools: Sites like Audio Converter, Kapwing, or VEED.io

Once extracted, you can transcribe the audio using Whisper or other services.

💬 How accurate is ChatGPT in transcribing long or complex audio?

ChatGPT does not transcribe audio natively, so accuracy doesn't apply in the traditional sense. However, if you paste a transcript into ChatGPT, it can:

• Summarize long content accurately
• Fix grammar and punctuation
• Format the text into readable sections

The quality depends on the original transcription source, not ChatGPT.

💬 Can ChatGPT handle multilingual audio transcriptions effectively?

Only after the transcription is complete. ChatGPT can:

• Translate transcripts
• Summarize multilingual content
• Rephrase or explain text in different languages

But it cannot detect or transcribe spoken foreign languages from raw audio.

💬 How do I improve the quality of transcripts generated with ChatGPT?

While ChatGPT can't transcribe, you can improve transcript quality by:

• Using accurate transcription tools (e.g., Whisper, VideoToBe, Otter)
• Breaking long transcripts into sections for ChatGPT to refine
• Asking ChatGPT to:
  • Fix errors
  • Summarize key points
  • Reformat into articles, show notes, or scripts

✅ What You Should Use Instead

If you're looking for accurate, fast transcription, use a platform built for that purpose. VideoToBe offers a specialized solution specifically designed for this purpose:

Why Choose VideoToBe?

• Purpose-Built for Transcription: Unlike ChatGPT, VideoToBe is specifically designed to handle audio transcription
• Free Daily Usage: 3 transcriptions, 30 minutes each
• High Accuracy: 95%+ accuracy rate
• 90+ Languages: Support for multiple languages and dialects
• No Registration Required: Quick and easy process
• Pay-Per-Use Options: Affordable plans for larger projects
• Privacy-Focused: Secure handling of your media files

How to Use VideoToBe for Audio Transcription

1. Visit VideoToBe.com/tools/transcribe
2. Upload your audio file
3. Choose your language and options
4. Receive your transcription by email

🔍 Final Thoughts

While ChatGPT is exceptional at explaining, summarizing, and editing transcripts once you have them, it cannot create a transcript from raw audio.

💡 Tip: Use a dedicated transcription tool like VideoToBe to convert your audio into text — then bring it into ChatGPT for polishing, summarizing, or analyzing.

While OpenAI may add audio transcription capabilities to ChatGPT in the future, there is no official announcement about this feature as of May 2025. For now, specialized transcription services like VideoToBe remain the most reliable option for converting audio to text.