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

As of May 2025, the short answer is: No, ChatGPT cannot directly transcribe video files. While it's a powerful language model, it's not equipped to handle video 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 Video Files

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

When ChatGPT incorrectly claims it can transcribe videos, 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 .mp4 and other video files to ChatGPT
• Asked direct questions about video transcription
• Compared responses across sessions
• Cross-checked with OpenAI documentation

These steps confirm that ChatGPT cannot transcribe videos directly, and any claims otherwise should be treated cautiously. Use VideoToBe.com instead.

🚫 Why ChatGPT Can't Transcribe Videos

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

1. No Built-In Video Processing

ChatGPT is a text-based assistant. It doesn't have native support for processing video files. If you try to upload an .mp4 or other video format, the system won't be able to interpret it.

2. No Audio Extraction Capability

ChatGPT cannot extract the audio track from video content, which would be the first step in transcribing video. It 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 videos — 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 Video Transcription

💬 Can I directly upload videos to ChatGPT for transcription?

No. While you can upload files in some ChatGPT environments, ChatGPT cannot transcribe videos 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 from videos before using ChatGPT?

To prepare video content for transcription or to analyze transcripts in ChatGPT, use:

• FFmpeg: Open-source tool to extract audio from video (.mp3, .wav)
• Audacity: Free audio editor to trim or clean up extracted audio
• 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 videos?

ChatGPT does not transcribe videos 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 video 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 video.

💬 How do I improve the quality of video 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 video 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 video 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 Video Transcription

1. Visit VideoToBe.com/tools/transcribe
2. Upload your video 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 video.

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

While OpenAI may add video 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 video to text.