We record everything now — work meetings, online classes, podcast ideas, even quick reminders. And when it's time to turn those recordings into text, many people wonder: Can ChatGPT just transcribe this for me?

It's a fair question. AI is moving fast, and ChatGPT can already write essays, summarize books, and generate code. So speech-to-text should be easy… right? Not exactly.

In this guide, we'll look at what really happens when you try to use ChatGPT for transcription, what it's great at, and which tools actually handle the audio part better.

ChatGPT Audio Transcription

The truth is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. While ChatGPT has transformed how we work with text, its relationship with audio transcription is often misunderstood.

So, we'll cut through the confusion and give you the real story. You'll discover what ChatGPT can actually do with transcripts and where it falls short.

Can ChatGPT Convert Audio to Text?

ChatGPT can directly listen and transcribe raw audio files on its own. However, the 25 MB file size limit prevents processing long recordings.

So, if you upload a long MP3 or WAV file and expect ChatGPT to output a transcript, that usually won't work.

What ChatGPT can do very well is:

• Clean up messy transcripts
• Fix grammar and punctuation
• Summarize long transcripts
• Translate transcripts into other languages

Think of ChatGPT as a transcript editor and enhancer, not a primary speech-to-text engine.

Where ChatGPT Falls Short for Audio Transcription?

Understanding ChatGPT's limitations helps you build a better workflow. Extended recordings such as an hour-long meeting or an in-depth interview can produce transcripts that exceed ChatGPT's input limits.

Lengthy transcripts often need to be divided into sections, requiring multiple prompts and manual reassembly.

ChatGPT works best with small spoken audio, not songs. If you’re trying to extract lyrics from music files, this guide on how to convert music into lyrics walks through better tools and methods.

How ChatGPT Fits Into Your Transcription Workflow?

ChatGPT serves as an incredibly powerful tool when combined with dedicated transcription services such as RichScribe.

Here's the smartest way to use it.

Step 1: Get Your Audio Transcribed First

The first stage requires using a specialized speech to text tool designed specifically for audio processing.

For the best results, use a dedicated transcription platform that handles:

• Multiple audio formats (MP3, WAV, M4A, etc.)
• High accuracy across accents and audio quality levels
• Fast turnaround times

For instance, RichScribe can convert your audio or video into clean, accurate text that's ready for the next step.

Unlike ChatGPT, it's built specifically for speech-to-text conversion, which means better result and accuracy from the start.

Step 2: Enhance Your Transcript with ChatGPT

After obtaining your raw transcript from RichScribe, copy the text and paste it into ChatGPT. This is where it can transform the generated text into polished and professional content.

ChatGPT excels at understanding context. It can infer correct punctuation, speaker changes, and paragraph breaks even when the raw transcript provides few clues.

The Simpler Solution: RichScribe.com Does It All

Here's the real game changer: you don't actually need to use ChatGPT at all.

While the two-tool workflow works, it adds extra steps and complexity to your process. Why copy and paste between platforms when you can do everything in one place?

RichScribe.com: Your All-in-One Transcription Platform

RichScribe.com isn't just a transcription service. It's a complete content transformation platform that combines everything you'd use ChatGPT for.

Built-in AI Content Features:

• Automatic transcription with high accuracy
• Smart summarization that extracts key points, insights and mindmaps
• Blog post generation that turns your transcript into SEO-friendly articles
• Professional editing with grammar correction and formatting
• Content formatting for different use cases (meeting notes, Q&A, articles)
• Export flexibility in multiple formats

For users dealing specifically with phone recordings, voicemail workflows have their own challenges. We cover those in our detailed Guide to Voicemail Transcription.

Instead of:

Uploading to RichScribe → Getting transcript → Copying to ChatGPT → Editing → Formatting → Creating content

You simply:

Upload to RichScribe → Get everything done in one platform

Why Use RichScribe.com for Audio Transcription?

When your primary goal is converting audio to text, RichScribe offers capabilities that ChatGPT simply cannot match:

Feature	ChatGPT	RichScribe.com
File size limit	❌ 25 MB	✅ More
Summary	❌ Requires separate prompt	✅ Automatic
Blog post	❌ Requires separate prompt	✅ Automatic
Ease of use	❌ Learning curve	✅ Intuitive
Manual workflow	❌ Complicated	✅ None
Speaker identification	❌ Manual only	✅ Automatic
Collaboration	❌ Limited	✅ Yes

RichScribe handles the technical challenge of accurate speech-to-text conversion, while ChatGPT excels at understanding context, nuance, and meaning for post-processing.

Final Verdict: Can ChatGPT Transcribe Audio?

The technical short answer: Yes and No — ChatGPT can transcribe only small audio files.

The practical answer: You don't need ChatGPT for transcription at all — RichScribe.com handles everything.

While ChatGPT can enhance transcripts, it creates an unnecessarily complex workflow. Why juggle multiple tools when RichScribe.com provides:

✔ Professional audio transcription with high accuracy
✔ Automatic summarization and content generation
✔ Built-in editing and formatting tools
✔ Blog post creation from your audio
✔ Multiple export formats
✔ All features integrated in one platform