AI & Agents ⚡ Supported by aipp architecture

Paid Audio & Video Transcription

Charge per audio or video file transcription job without subscriptions.

Target Audience: Podcast tool creators, transcription developers, video editors, and AI audio engineers.

The Real Problem

Speech-to-text processing (Whisper, Deepgram, AssemblyAI) consumes per-minute compute and API credits. Creators wanting to sell audio transcription services face high billing friction when forcing users into subscription tiers.

Real-World Example: For example, an audio-to-text service could charge $0.10 per audio file job, verifying payment before transcription starts.

How aipp Solves It

Wrap your transcription route with aipp payment verification. The user uploads the audio metadata or file URL, receives an HTTP 402 challenge, pays, and receives the transcript once processed.

Step-by-Step Payment Flow

STEP 01 Upload Audio Client submits audio URL or file metadata.

STEP 02 402 Challenge API returns HTTP 402 with invoice for transcription cost.

STEP 03 Payment Settlement Client pays via Lightning or Base USDC.

STEP 04 Transcript Returned API verifies payment proof, executes speech model, and returns text.

Scope & Boundaries

What aipp Does

✓ Gates audio and video transcription tasks behind verified micropayments
✓ Supports WebLN browser pay and AI agent automatic settlement
✓ Auto-forwards net earnings to merchant wallet

What aipp Does Not Do

✗ Does not transcribe audio or host speech models
✗ Does not provide speech-to-text API infrastructure
✗ Does not store uploaded audio files

Implementation Pattern

Below is the minimal implementation pattern using standard aipp endpoints / SDK:

@app.route("/api/transcribe", methods=["POST"])
@l402_decorator(amount_usd=0.10)
def transcribe_audio():
    audio_url = request.json.get("audio_url")
    text = run_whisper(audio_url)
    return jsonify({"transcript": text})

Settlement Architecture Note:
• Lightning Rail: In hosted Lightning flows, payments route through aipp's Lightning gateway before net proceeds are automatically forwarded to your configured wallet address.
• Base USDC Rail: USDC transfers settle directly on-chain to your designated EVM wallet address.
• No Merchant Spending Balance: aipp does not maintain a spendable merchant balance or require manual withdrawal steps.

Requirements & Limitations

Merchant operates or integrates the speech-to-text engine
Funds auto-forward to merchant wallet according to payout threshold

Frequently Asked Questions

Does aipp meter audio duration?

No. Set a fixed transcription-job price before execution; aipp verifies that quoted amount and does not calculate per-minute usage.

Related Use Cases

AI & Agents Paid AI Image Generation Require payment before triggering GPU-intensive AI image generation models. APIs & Developers Pay per API Call Charge per HTTP request using L402 or Base USDC HTTP 402 challenge headers. Content & Digital Goods Paid Report & Document Generation Sell automated PDF reports, SEO audits, and company analyses on demand.

Implement Paid Audio & Video Transcription with aipp

Read the developer documentation or generate your API key to gate requests behind Lightning and Base USDC payments.

View Developer Docs → Open Studio Console