# How to Force a Specific Whisper Backend Using the `--whisper` Flag in Claude-Video > Force Claude-Video to use Groq or OpenAI Whisper backends with the --whisper flag. Override default auto-selection and improve transcription. - Repository: [bradautomates/claude-video](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-07-10 --- **You can force Claude-Video to use a specific Whisper transcription backend by appending `--whisper groq` or `--whisper openai` to your watch command, overriding the default automatic selection logic.** When working with the **bradautomates/claude-video** repository, the video-watch skill automatically falls back to Whisper transcription when native captions are unavailable. While the tool defaults to Groq when both API keys are present, you can force a specific Whisper backend using the `--whisper` flag to control costs, latency, or availability preferences. ## Supported Whisper Backends The `--whisper` flag accepts two distinct backend options, each utilizing different API endpoints and model variants according to the source code in [`skills/watch/scripts/whisper.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/whisper.py) (lines 65-71): **Groq Whisper** (`groq`): Uses the `whisper-large-v3` model via the Groq API endpoint at `https://api.groq.com/openai/v1/audio/transcriptions`. This backend is typically faster and more cost-effective for transcription tasks. **OpenAI Whisper** (`openai`): Uses the `whisper-1` model via the OpenAI API endpoint at `https://api.openai.com/v1/audio/transcriptions`. This serves as the fallback option when Groq credentials are unavailable or when you specifically require OpenAI's implementation. ## Command-Line Usage Examples To force a specific backend, append the `--whisper` flag followed by your preferred provider name when running the watch command. The flag is parsed in [`skills/watch/scripts/watch.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/watch.py) (lines 58-62) and passed to the `load_api_key()` function. Force Groq backend (preferred for speed and cost): ```bash watch "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123" --whisper groq ``` Force OpenAI backend: ```bash watch "/path/to/local/video.mp4" --whisper openai ``` Disable Whisper entirely to process frames only: ```bash watch "https://vimeo.com/123456" --no-whisper ``` ## Internal Backend Selection Logic According to the implementation in [`skills/watch/scripts/whisper.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/whisper.py), the `load_api_key()` function handles backend selection based on the flag value (lines 65-71). When you specify `--whisper groq` or `--whisper openai`, the function validates the corresponding API key environment variable and configures the appropriate endpoint. The CLI argument is defined in [`skills/watch/scripts/watch.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/watch.py) (lines 58-62), where the `--whisper` option is captured via `argparse` and forwarded to `load_api_key()`. If the requested backend's API key is missing, the script aborts with a descriptive error message. Default behavior (when the flag is omitted) prioritizes Groq if both `GROQ_API_KEY` and `OPENAI_API_KEY` are present, falling back to OpenAI only when only the OpenAI key is available, as documented in [`skills/watch/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/SKILL.md) (lines 150-152) and [`README.md`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/README.md) (lines 198-200). ## Summary - Use `--whisper groq` to force transcription via Groq's `whisper-large-v3` endpoint. - Use `--whisper openai` to force OpenAI's `whisper-1` endpoint. - The default logic prefers Groq when both API keys are configured. - The `load_api_key()` function in [`skills/watch/scripts/whisper.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/whisper.py) implements the selection logic, while [`skills/watch/scripts/watch.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/watch.py) handles CLI parsing. - For frames-only analysis without audio transcription, use `--no-whisper`. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What happens if I omit the `--whisper` flag? If you omit the flag, the system automatically selects the backend based on available API keys. As implemented in [`skills/watch/scripts/whisper.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/whisper.py) (lines 65-71), it first checks for Groq availability, defaulting to OpenAI only if Groq credentials are absent. This ensures optimal performance without manual intervention. ### Can I use the `--whisper` flag without configuring API keys? No. The `load_api_key()` function validates that the specified backend's API key exists in your environment or `.env` file. If you force a backend without the corresponding key (e.g., `--whisper groq` without `GROQ_API_KEY`), the script terminates with an error message indicating the missing credential. ### How do I completely disable Whisper transcription? To skip audio transcription and analyze only video frames, use the `--no-whisper` flag instead. This bypasses the `load_api_key()` function entirely and processes visual content only, which is useful when audio analysis is unnecessary or when you want to avoid API costs. ### Which backend offers better performance? Groq generally provides faster inference and lower costs for `whisper-large-v3` compared to OpenAI's `whisper-1`. However, availability and rate limits may vary. If you experience latency issues with one provider, forcing the alternative backend via `--whisper` allows you to optimize for your specific infrastructure constraints.