BerriAI/litellm · error · ValueError

process_audio_file does not accept bare str inputs. Pass byt

Error message

process_audio_file does not accept bare str inputs. Pass bytes, an open file handle, a (filename, content) tuple, or a pathlib.Path.

What it means

Error "process_audio_file does not accept bare str inputs. Pass bytes, an open file handle, a (filename, content) tuple, or a pathlib.Path." thrown in BerriAI/litellm.

Source

Thrown at litellm/litellm_core_utils/audio_utils/utils.py:61

    Returns:
        ProcessedAudioFile: Structured data with file content, filename, and content type

    Raises:
        ValueError: If audio_file type is unsupported or content cannot be extracted
    """
    file_content = None
    filename = None

    if isinstance(audio_file, (bytes, bytearray)):
        # Raw bytes
        filename = "audio.wav"
        file_content = bytes(audio_file)
    elif isinstance(audio_file, str):
        # Bare strings are rejected — see extract_file_data for the same
        # rationale: in a proxy request handler the string is
        # attacker-controlled, and opening it as a path is an arbitrary
        # file read.
        raise ValueError(
            "process_audio_file does not accept bare str inputs. Pass bytes, "
            "an open file handle, a (filename, content) tuple, or a "
            "pathlib.Path."
        )
    elif isinstance(audio_file, os.PathLike):
        # File path or PathLike — PathLike is a Python-level type that
        # HTTP form values can't fabricate.
        file_path: Final = str(audio_file)
        with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
            file_content = f.read()
        filename = file_path.split("/")[-1]
    elif isinstance(audio_file, tuple):
        # Tuple format: (filename, content, content_type) or (filename, content)
        if len(audio_file) >= 2:
            filename = audio_file[0] or "audio.wav"
            content: Final = audio_file[1]
            if isinstance(content, (bytes, bytearray)):
                file_content = bytes(content)

View on GitHub (pinned to 6c2dcb801b)

Solutions

1. Pass bytes, an open file handle, a (filename, content) tuple, or a pathlib.Path instead of a bare string path.

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at litellm/litellm_core_utils/audio_utils/utils.py:61 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of BerriAI/litellm@6c2dcb801b (2026-08-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/818a7884fcef2d58. Report an issue: GitHub.