Whisper API v1 (large-v1)
by OpenAI
Announced
2023-11-15
Complete
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Refund status
No refund applicable
OpenAI released the Whisper API in March 2023, exposing the speech-recognition model that the open-source community had been running locally for months. The original "large-v1" checkpoint was the only version available via the hosted API at first. As newer Whisper checkpoints (large-v2, large-v3) released through 2023, the API alias `whisper-1` was updated to point at the latest checkpoint. Apps pinning to specific dated checkpoints saw breakage; apps using the alias kept working.
Refund flow
- 1
Not applicable. Pay-per-minute API, no pre-paid credits.
Migration path
Recommended successor
whisper-1 alias (still active, points to latest)
Why this is the closest fit
OpenAI maintains the `whisper-1` alias to always point at the current best Whisper checkpoint. Most apps using the alias never broke.
What differs from the original
If your app pinned to a specific dated checkpoint, you needed to migrate to the alias. Newer Whisper versions have meaningfully better non-English support and reduced hallucinations on silent audio.
What this tool meant
Whisper was a watershed moment for speech-recognition — the first time a state-of-the-art STT model was both open-weight and exposed via affordable hosted API. The original release powered most AI transcription tools in 2023. The model continues to be relevant in 2026 although the hosted API has been augmented by newer models (gpt-4o-transcribe, GPT-4o-mini-transcribe) that improve on Whisper's blind spots (accented speech, silent passages, code-switching).
Sources
Verification note
The exact deprecation status of the dated Whisper checkpoint endpoints (vs the still-active alias) needs Joe to verify against the current deprecation page. The `whisper-1` alias is still active as of training cutoff.
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