---
title: "/audio/transcriptions"
url: "/docs/audio_transcription"
canonical_url: "https://docs.litellm.ai/docs/audio_transcription"
type: "docs"
last_updated: "2026-10-08"
related:
  - "/docs/image_generation"
  - "/docs/text_to_speech"
---
# /audio/transcriptions

> Index of all LiteLLM docs: https://docs.litellm.ai/llms.txt


## Overview 

| Feature | Supported | Notes | 
|-------|-------|-------|
| Cost Tracking | ✅ | Works with all supported models |
| Logging | ✅ | Works across all integrations |
| End-user Tracking | ✅ | |
| Fallbacks | ✅ | Works between supported models |
| Loadbalancing | ✅ | Works between supported models |
| Guardrails | ✅ | Applies to output transcribed text (non-streaming only) |
| Supported Providers | `openai`, `azure`, `vertex_ai`, `gemini`, `deepgram`, `groq`, `fireworks_ai`, `ovhcloud`, `mistral` | |

## Quick Start

### LiteLLM Python SDK

```python showLineNumbers title="Python SDK Example"
from litellm import transcription
import os 

# set api keys 
os.environ["OPENAI_API_KEY"] = ""
audio_file = open("/path/to/audio.mp3", "rb")

response = transcription(model="whisper", file=audio_file)

print(f"response: {response}")
```

### LiteLLM Proxy

### Add model to config 

**OpenAI**

```yaml showLineNumbers title="OpenAI Configuration"
model_list:
- model_name: whisper
  litellm_params:
    model: whisper-1
    api_key: os.environ/OPENAI_API_KEY
  model_info:
    mode: audio_transcription
    
general_settings:
  master_key: os.environ/LITELLM_MASTER_KEY
```
**OpenAI + Azure**

```yaml showLineNumbers title="OpenAI + Azure Configuration"
model_list:
- model_name: whisper
  litellm_params:
    model: whisper-1
    api_key: os.environ/OPENAI_API_KEY
  model_info:
    mode: audio_transcription
- model_name: whisper
  litellm_params:
    model: azure/azure-whisper
    api_version: 2024-02-15-preview
    api_base: os.environ/AZURE_EUROPE_API_BASE
    api_key: os.environ/AZURE_EUROPE_API_KEY
  model_info:
    mode: audio_transcription

general_settings:
  master_key: os.environ/LITELLM_MASTER_KEY
```

### Start proxy 

```bash showLineNumbers title="Start Proxy Server"
litellm --config /path/to/config.yaml 

# RUNNING on http://0.0.0.0:4000
```

### Test 

**Curl**

```bash showLineNumbers title="Test with cURL"
curl --location 'http://0.0.0.0:4000/v1/audio/transcriptions' \
--header "Authorization: Bearer $LITELLM_API_KEY" \
--form 'file=@"/Users/krrishdholakia/Downloads/gettysburg.wav"' \
--form 'model="whisper"'
```

**OpenAI Python SDK**

```python showLineNumbers title="Test with OpenAI Python SDK"
from openai import OpenAI
client = openai.OpenAI(
    api_key="sk-<your-litellm-api-key>",
    base_url="http://0.0.0.0:4000"
)

audio_file = open("speech.mp3", "rb")
transcript = client.audio.transcriptions.create(
  model="whisper",
  file=audio_file
)
```

## Supported Providers

- OpenAI
- Azure
- [Fireworks AI](./providers/fireworks_ai.md#audio-transcription)
- [Groq](./providers/groq.md#speech-to-text---whisper)
- [Deepgram](./providers/deepgram.md)
- [Google AI Studio (Gemini)](./providers/gemini.md#audio-transcription-speech-to-text)
- [Mistral (Voxtral)](./providers/mistral.md#audio-transcription)
- [OVHcloud AI Endpoints](./providers/ovhcloud.md)

---

## Fallbacks

You can configure fallbacks for audio transcription to automatically retry with different models if the primary model fails.

**Curl**

```bash showLineNumbers title="Test with cURL and Fallbacks"
curl --location 'http://0.0.0.0:4000/v1/audio/transcriptions' \
--header "Authorization: Bearer $LITELLM_API_KEY" \
--form 'file=@"gettysburg.wav"' \
--form 'model="groq/whisper-large-v3"' \
--form 'fallbacks[]="openai/whisper-1"'
```

**OpenAI Python SDK**

```python showLineNumbers title="Test with OpenAI Python SDK and Fallbacks"
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI(
    api_key="sk-<your-litellm-api-key>",
    base_url="http://0.0.0.0:4000"
)

audio_file = open("gettysburg.wav", "rb")
transcript = client.audio.transcriptions.create(
    model="groq/whisper-large-v3",
    file=audio_file,
    extra_body={
        "fallbacks": ["openai/whisper-1"]
    }
)
```

### Testing Fallbacks

:::warning[Deprecated for Proxy requests]
Starting in LiteLLM Proxy v1.85.0, `mock_testing_fallbacks` is stripped from incoming Proxy requests and has no effect. It remains supported only for direct `litellm.Router` calls in tests.
:::

To validate audio transcription fallbacks through the Proxy, trigger an actual provider error in a non-production environment and send a normal request with the fallback configuration.

## Related pages

- [image_generation()](https://docs.litellm.ai/docs/image_generation.md)
- [speech()](https://docs.litellm.ai/docs/text_to_speech.md)