ESPnet TTS
Don’t want to install ESPnet TTS? 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.
ESPnet's TTS recipes — multi-architecture, multi-language.
Best for researchers benchmarking TTS architectures (Tacotron2 / FastSpeech / VITS / etc.) on a common harness. Pricing: free (Apache-2.0).
What it is
ESPnet is an end-to-end speech-processing framework with a TTS sub-tree covering Tacotron 2, Transformer-TTS, FastSpeech, FastSpeech 2, VITS, JETS, and more. Pretrained checkpoints in 30+ languages. Apache-2.0. Consent posture: synthetic-only by default.
Watch out for: Heavy framework — overkill for pure inference; better suited to training.
Install / use
pip install espnetWhat people actually do with ESPnet TTS-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 | 30 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
Links
ESPnet TTS vs Whipscribe
| Feature | ESPnet TTS | Whipscribe |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Open source | Transcription APIs |
| Pricing | free (Apache-2.0) | $6–$24 one-time packs (credits never expire) · first 20 minutes free |
| Speaker identification | — | Named in the summary, key quotes and chapters |
| Word timestamps | — | Yes |
| Streaming | — | No |
| Languages | 30 | 99 |
| Platforms | Linux | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to ESPnet TTS
Frequently asked about ESPnet TTS
Is ESPnet TTS free?
Yes. ESPnet TTS is free and open source (free (Apache-2.0)).
Does ESPnet TTS work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
ESPnet TTS runs on Linux. It is not listed for other platforms; check the vendor for anything beyond Linux.
How do I install ESPnet TTS?
With pip: `pip install espnet`. You need Python and, for most audio tools, ffmpeg on your PATH first.
How many languages does ESPnet TTS support?
ESPnet TTS lists 30 languages.
Does ESPnet TTS identify different speakers?
No. ESPnet TTS 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 ESPnet TTS give word-level timestamps?
No — ESPnet TTS produces segment or sentence timing only, so subtitle cues can land mid-word.
Can ESPnet TTS transcribe live audio?
No — ESPnet TTS works on finished files, not a live stream.
Is ESPnet TTS HIPAA compliant?
ESPnet TTS 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 ESPnet TTS?
Heavy framework — overkill for pure inference; better suited to training.
Who is ESPnet TTS best for?
Researchers benchmarking TTS architectures (Tacotron2 / FastSpeech / VITS / etc.) on a common harness.
Does ESPnet TTS run offline?
ESPnet TTS runs on your own machine — it is open source, so nothing leaves the computer unless you configure it to.
Can I use ESPnet TTS in the browser?
No — ESPnet TTS is a Linux application, not a web app. You install it rather than sign in to it.
Where is the ESPnet TTS source code?
On GitHub at github.com/espnet/espnet.
What kind of tool is ESPnet TTS?
In this directory ESPnet TTS is filed under tts as a open-source tool.
What are the alternatives to ESPnet TTS?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/espnet-tts-alternatives comparing ESPnet TTS 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 ESPnet TTS 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
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Long recording to get through?
One file up to 10 hours, as an upload or a link: see MP3 to text for long recordings, transcribing a podcast episode and the SRT file generator.
Comparing tools before you pay?
If you would rather pay a service than run software yourself: see an honest roundup of the best transcription services, cheap transcription services and the real cost per hour and transcription services from $6.