Speech to TextAbout Whisper 1
Convert a recording to text with word timings and longer segments for arranging subtitles.
Call it with the model name openai/whisper-1/speech-to-text on POST /jobs/createTask, from $0.0001.
Introduction
Convert a recording to text with word timings and longer segments for arranging subtitles.
openai/whisper-1/speech-to-text
Request parameters
| Parameter | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
audio_url | Yes | The voice or music track to use. |
language | No | The language of the speech. aa · ab · ae · af · ak · am · an · ar · as · av · ay · az · ba · be · bg · bh · bi · bm · bn · bo · br · bs · ca · ce · ch · co · cr · cs · cu · cv · cy · da · de · dv · dz · ee · el · en · eo · es · et · eu · fa · ff · fi · fj · fo · fr · fy · ga · gd · gl · gn · gu · gv · ha · he · hi · ho · hr · ht · hu · hy · hz · ia · id · ie · ig · ii · ik · io · is · it · iu · ja · jv · ka · kg · ki · kj · kk · kl · km · kn · ko · kr · ks · ku · kv · kw · ky · la · lb · lg · li · ln · lo · lt · lu · lv · mg · mh · mi · mk · ml · mn · mr · ms · mt · my · na · nb · nd · ne · ng · nl · nn · no · nr · nv · ny · oc · oj · om · or · os · pa · pi · pl · ps · pt · qu · rm · rn · ro · ru · rw · sa · sc · sd · se · sg · si · sk · sl · sm · sn · so · sq · sr · ss · st · su · sv · sw · ta · te · tg · th · ti · tk · tl · tn · to · tr · ts · tt · tw · ty · ug · uk · ur · uz · ve · vi · vo · wa · wo · xh · yi · yo · za · zh · zu |
prompt | No | Describe what you want to make. |
temperature | No | Variation between takes. Higher is less predictable. ≥ 0 · ≤ 1 |
Pricing
Prices are in USD. The API uses a separate USD balance. Website credits cannot be used or transferred to it, and API funds cannot be transferred to website credits. When a task is accepted, we reserve the maximum quoted amount from your API balance. On completion, we charge for actual usage, never more than the hold, and release the remainder. If the task fails, the hold is released.
| Option | USD per second |
|---|---|
| Standard | $0.0001 |
Send the same request body to POST /jobs/quote to see the estimated and maximum USD charge before running. A quote does not run the task or charge your balance.
API quick start
Call the Whisper 1 API in three steps
- Create an API key. Sign in to PopNow and create a key in the API console. Keys start with sk-popnow-. API calls use your separate USD balance.
- Send the request. POST /jobs/createTask with model openai/whisper-1/speech-to-text and an input object that follows the parameter table. The response returns a task ID straight away.
- Get the result. Poll GET /jobs/recordInfo with the task ID, or pass a callBackUrl and we post the result to it. Download the output links when the task succeeds.
# 1. Create the task. Keep the Idempotency-Key if you retry after a network error.
export IDEMPOTENCY_KEY="$(uuidgen)"
curl -X POST https://api.popnow.ai/api/v1/jobs/createTask \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $POPNOW_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Idempotency-Key: $IDEMPOTENCY_KEY" \
-d '{
"model": "openai/whisper-1/speech-to-text",
"input": {
"audio_url": "https://media.popnow.ai/shortfilm/voices/Aoede-46e4c427.mp3"
}
}'
# 2. Copy data.taskId from the response, then poll until state is succeeded, failed, canceled or expired.
TASK_ID="TASK_ID_FROM_RESPONSE"
curl "https://api.popnow.ai/api/v1/jobs/recordInfo?taskId=$TASK_ID" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $POPNOW_API_KEY"Replace the prompt and any links with your own. The API tab has the response, polling and callback reference.
Whisper 1 price on other platforms
| Options |  PopNow | OpenAI |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $0.00010/ s | $0.00010/ s |
Each platform's public API list price for the same model and settings, checked Nov 6, 2026.
Whisper 1 API questions
How much does the Whisper 1 API cost?
Whisper 1 costs $0.0001 per second. The API uses a separate USD balance. When a task is accepted, we reserve the maximum quoted amount from your API balance. On completion, we charge for actual usage, never more than the hold, and release the remainder. If the task fails, the hold is released.
What is the model name for Whisper 1 in the API?
Put openai/whisper-1/speech-to-text for Speech to Text in the model field of POST /jobs/createTask.
Does Whisper return word and segment timing?
Word intervals let a transcript viewer seek near a selected term and highlight speech during playback. Use these intervals to build a player that jumps from a selected word to the recording. Alignment is approximate, especially near pauses or overlapping voices. Segment intervals provide a first structure for subtitles; you choose readable line breaks after transcription. Treat the intervals as an editing starting point, then choose line breaks and reading time yourself. Timing arrays do not by themselves constitute a finished subtitle file.
Is this a hosted version of open-source Whisper?
A short prompt can supply uncommon spellings or preceding speech to the API version of the classic open-source Whisper recognizer.
Can I use context from the preceding passage?
Add relevant spellings or the preceding passage in the same language as the audio.
Are Whisper's word boundaries exact?
Whisper's word boundaries are approximate; pauses, music and simultaneous voices can shift an interval.
Does this endpoint export a ready-made subtitle file?
Word and segment timing are configured for this endpoint; selectable subtitle formats and translation are not public inputs here.
What are the limits of the Whisper 1 API?
Prompt length (characters): 2,048; Largest upload: 25 MB; Languages: 184. Requests outside these limits are rejected before anything is charged.
Can I try Whisper 1 without writing code?
Run Whisper 1 in the Playground with your API USD balance, without an API key. Each run appears in your developer history with its matching code.