Calculate the API cost of transcribing audio using OpenAI's Whisper model.
OpenAI's Whisper API charges a flat $0.006 per minute of audio processed, rounded up to the nearest second, with no volume discounts — cost scales linearly no matter how much audio you send. This calculator shows your total cost plus a bulk-volume reference table so you can quickly gauge spend at different scales, from a single call to enterprise-level transcription volumes.
total_cost = audio_minutes × rate_per_minute
As of standard published pricing, no — Whisper API pricing is flat per minute regardless of volume. The bulk table here is for budgeting reference, not a discount schedule.
Self-hosting the open-source Whisper model avoids the per-minute API fee but requires GPU infrastructure, which may cost more or less depending on your utilization.
OpenAI bills to the nearest second, so this calculator's per-minute math is a close approximation of your exact invoice.