> ## Documentation Index
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# What is the minimum audio duration that the API can transcribe?

The minimum audio duration for a file submitted to our API is 160ms.

Files submitted to our API that are shorter than 160ms will return an error:

```json theme={null}
{
  ...
  "status": "error",
  "audio_url": "https://foo.bar",
  "error": "Audio duration is too short.",
  ...
}
```

**To fix this issue**:

* **Add error handling for this error message**: When this error occurs, handle it safely by checking the error string and returning the error.
* **Add pre-submit checks for the duration of the audio file**: Prior to submitting a file for transcription, check the duration using a tool like soxi (part of the SoX package): `soxi -D audio.mp3`