IARPA Babel
Need a transcript, not a dataset? Drop the file here.
The first 20 minutes of any recording are transcribed free: a recording up to 20 minutes transcribes in full, a longer one is previewed, and a pack from $6 (500 minutes) transcribes the rest and opens every export, and credits never expire.
Low-resource multilingual ASR + KWS corpora — 25+ languages from telephony.
Best for low-resource ASR + KWS evaluation across 25+ languages. Pricing: paid.
What it is
IARPA Babel ran 2011–2016, producing 25+ telephone-speech corpora for low-resource languages (Cantonese, Pashto, Tagalog, Turkish, Vietnamese, Lao, Zulu, Tamil, ...). LDC paid.
Watch out for: LDC license · paid · US-government-funded · telephony 8kHz · variable quantity per language. Cite: Harper, 2013.
Install / use
Go to IARPA Babel catalog.ldc.upenn.eduWhat people actually do with IARPA Babel-style transcription
The tool is the means. These are the jobs — each one priced at published rates, each one wired up on its own page.
Features
| Speaker diarization | No |
| Word-level timestamps | No |
| Streaming / real-time | No |
| Languages supported | 25 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
IARPA Babel vs Whipscribe
| Feature | IARPA Babel | Whipscribe |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Open source | Transcription APIs |
| Pricing | paid | $6–$24 one-time packs (credits never expire) · first 20 minutes free |
| Speaker identification | No | Named in the summary, key quotes and chapters |
| Word timestamps | No | Yes |
| Streaming | No | No |
| Languages | 25 | 99 |
| Platforms | LDC | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to IARPA Babel
Frequently asked about IARPA Babel
How much does IARPA Babel cost?
IARPA Babel is a paid product. Pricing changes; verify on the vendor's own page before budgeting.
Does IARPA Babel work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
IARPA Babel runs on LDC. It is not listed for other platforms; check the vendor for anything beyond LDC.
How do I install IARPA Babel?
Download the installer for your platform from https://catalog.ldc.upenn.edu/search?searchString=Babel # LDC paid. No terminal needed.
How many languages does IARPA Babel support?
IARPA Babel lists 25 languages.
Does IARPA Babel identify different speakers?
No. IARPA Babel does not label speakers; a conversation comes back as one continuous text. If you need speaker labels, that is a separate tool or a different service.
Does IARPA Babel give word-level timestamps?
No — IARPA Babel produces segment or sentence timing only, so subtitle cues can land mid-word.
Can IARPA Babel transcribe live audio?
No — IARPA Babel works on finished files, not a live stream.
Is IARPA Babel HIPAA compliant?
IARPA Babel does not claim HIPAA compliance. For PHI, run it on infrastructure you control or choose a service that will sign a BAA.
What are the limitations of IARPA Babel?
LDC license · paid · US-government-funded · telephony 8kHz · variable quantity per language. Cite: Harper, 2013.
Who is IARPA Babel best for?
Low-resource ASR + KWS evaluation across 25+ languages.
Does IARPA Babel run offline?
IARPA Babel runs on your own machine — it is open source, so nothing leaves the computer unless you configure it to.
Can I use IARPA Babel in the browser?
No — IARPA Babel is a LDC application, not a web app. You install it rather than sign in to it.
Who makes IARPA Babel?
IARPA Babel is made by IARPA / LDC.
What kind of tool is IARPA Babel?
In this directory IARPA Babel is filed under dataset as a open-source tool.
What are the alternatives to IARPA Babel?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/babel-alternatives comparing IARPA Babel with the closest tools in the same category on price, platform and features.
Whipscribe is a hosted transcription service. If you want transcripts without running infrastructure, paste a URL or drop a file in the form below — you'll have a transcript in seconds.
Transcribe your recordings
Running IARPA Babel yourself? Send the same file here and compare the transcript. Transcribe any language, any recording · Transcription services from $0.29 an hour · Transcribe from any meeting or recording platform · How to transcribe, step by step
Explore
All transcription tools · By language · By platform · By file format · How-to guides · Transcription services · Transcription API · Pricing
Have the recording already?
Skip the setup and send the file or the link: see how to transcribe an MP3 of any length, transcribing a podcast episode and the SRT file generator.
Rather have it done for you?
Free tools cost setup time. When you want a finished transcript instead: see an honest roundup of the best transcription services, affordable transcription priced per hour and our transcription service with prices and turnaround.