Audio time is the cleanest volume measure
The dashboard recorded 22,103 seconds of transcription, not words, transcript text, or a trustworthy count of finished dictations.
A real seven-day API snapshot
A real week of Listen Orb dictation.
In the API project used for day-to-day Listen Orb dictation, OpenAI recorded 6 hours and 8 minutes of audio and $1.66 in transcription charges. Optional polish and every text-model charge are excluded.
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The provider receipt
$1.66 to transcribe 6 hours and 8 minutes.
This example is intentionally transcription-only. Optional polish and every text-model charge were removed.
| API work | Observed amount | Actual charge |
|---|---|---|
| Transcription | 368 min 23 sec of provider-recorded audio | $1.66 |
| Transcription-only total | 7-day project snapshot | $1.66 |
The time machine
About 12 hours returned in one week.
The transcription charge is small. The gap between typing and dictating is the larger value.
Estimated typing time18h 25mat 40 words per minute
−Observed dictation time6h 8mOpenAI-recorded audio
=Estimated time saved12h 17mabout 12 hours returned
The estimate treats the observed audio as speech at 120 words per minute—about 44,206 words—then compares it with typing at Listen Orb's documented 40 WPM baseline. OpenAI retained audio duration for this historical week, not word totals or confirmed insertions. The audio and cost are observed; the time saved is modeled and assumes the transcribed audio became useful text. See the calculation and privacy details.
What the number means
It is one transparent example—not a typical-use promise.
Your own OpenAI dashboard is the source of truth for your model mix, processing tier, credits, and bill.
Time saved is an estimate
The historical provider record has no word total, so the time-machine calculation uses visible speaking- and typing-speed assumptions rather than presenting the result as measured behavior.
Polish is outside this example
The public total excludes all optional polish and text-model charges, so it answers one narrow question: what the audio transcription cost.
The Mac license is separate
The one-time Listen Orb license is not included in this API total. Listen Orb does not resell OpenAI usage.
ChatGPT billing is separate too
A ChatGPT subscription does not include OpenAI API usage. The API project connected to your key is billed independently.
How we prepared it
Real records, with private account details removed.
The public example keeps only the facts needed to understand volume and cost.
1 · Select the window
August 22–28, 2026
We used seven consecutive UTC days from a deliberately busy period.
2 · Isolate Listen Orb
The day-to-day API project
The dashboard was filtered to Codex Dictation, the project used for normal Listen Orb dictation. The separate prompt-polish experiment project was excluded.
3 · Keep billed work
gpt-transcribe only
We kept the Audio Transcriptions duration and its matching transcription spend line. Every text-model and polish charge was removed.
4 · Remove identifiers
No content or credentials
No audio, transcript text, API key, email, account name, project ID, user ID, or API-key ID appears on this page.
Sources · checked September 1, 2026
Want the billing basics first? Read the Listen Orb API usage guide.
Try before you buy
Measure your own week.
Use the free trial, then check the OpenAI project associated with your key for your actual usage.
Simple ownership
One-time license. No subscription.
Try every feature for 14 days with no card. One license works on up to 3 Macs.
Pay once for the Mac app. There is no recurring Listen Orb fee.
Pay OpenAI separately for API usage. ChatGPT subscriptions do not include API usage. Listen Orb does not resell it. Understand API billing or see a real seven-day example.
One-time Mac license
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- 14-day trial before purchase
- No subscription
- One license for up to 3 Macs
Your key, your provider records
Try Listen Orb in your real workflow.
Try every feature for 14 days. No card required. API usage is billed separately by OpenAI.
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