OpenAI: tts-1

tts-1 is OpenAI's older hosted TTS SKU, not the live speech default. The same speech block now leads with GPT-4o mini TTS and GPT-4o TTS.

Compare tts-1-hd if you wanted the still-listed higher-priced twin, and whisper-1 if you wandered here for hosted speech-to-text instead.

Key Features

• Hosted API id: tts-1 is the billed speed-oriented OpenAI TTS row, not a local open-weight model.
• Not the 2026 speech lead: GPT-4o TTS rows lead the same block.
• No invented latency: Do not paste leftover "hundreds of milliseconds" unless you re-time a first-party page.

Use Cases

• People with a tts-1 bookmark who need the catalog corrected.
• People who were about to call tts-1 the latest OpenAI voice.

Limitation: We did not synthesize a sample or time first-audio latency.

Pricing

openai.com/api/pricing on 2026-08-17.

If a leftover blog still calls tts-1 the latest TTS, treat the pricing-page order as the source.

Getting Started

1. Open openai.com/api/pricing before you hard-code tts-1.
2. Confirm GPT-4o TTS rows if you wanted the live hosted path.
3. Confirm tts-1-hd if you wanted the still-listed HD twin.
4. Do not paste an unverified latency into a deck.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is tts-1 still the OpenAI TTS default?

GPT-4o TTS rows lead speech.

Same as tts-1-hd?

No. HD is the higher-priced twin at $30 / 1M characters.

Is $15 / 1M still listed?

Yes, on 2026-08-17.

Alternatives

• tts-1-hd: Still-listed higher-priced TTS twin.
• whisper-1: Hosted STT SKU, still $0.006/min.
• GPT-5.6 Sol: Live OpenAI frontier chat if you wandered here for a current model.

Tips

1. Call tts-1 a hosted SKU, not the current default voice.
2. Confirm GPT-4o TTS before you build a 2026 voice stack on tts-1.
3. Keep $15 / 1M only as the listed character price.

Conclusion

tts-1 is still listed at $15 / 1M characters, but it is not the 2026 OpenAI TTS default. Start at openai.com/api/pricing, then decide whether a GPT-4o TTS row or tts-1-hd already covers the path you need.