Flashlight
Don’t want to install Flashlight? 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.
Meta's C++ ML library — homed wav2letter.
Best for researchers needing wav2letter-style fast CNN decoders. Pricing: free.
What it is
Header-only C++ ML library used by wav2letter++. BSD-3-Clause.
Watch out for: Build pipeline complex; community shrunk after wav2vec.
Install / use
git clone https://github.com/flashlight/flashlightWhat people actually do with Flashlight-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 | Yes |
| Streaming / real-time | No |
| Languages supported | 40 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
Links
Flashlight vs Whipscribe
| Feature | Flashlight | Whipscribe |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Open source | Transcription APIs |
| Pricing | free | $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 | Yes | Yes |
| Streaming | No | No |
| Languages | 40 | 99 |
| Platforms | Linux, macOS | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to Flashlight
Frequently asked about Flashlight
Is Flashlight free?
Yes. Flashlight is free and open source.
Does Flashlight work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
Flashlight runs on Linux and macOS. It is not listed for other platforms; check the vendor for anything beyond Linux and macOS.
How do I install Flashlight?
Clone and run it from source: `git clone https://github.com/flashlight/flashlight`. Expect to install its dependencies yourself — the README has the exact steps per OS.
How many languages does Flashlight support?
Flashlight lists 40 languages.
Does Flashlight identify different speakers?
No. Flashlight 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 Flashlight give word-level timestamps?
Yes — Flashlight produces timing per word, which is what subtitle cues and clip boundaries need.
Can Flashlight transcribe live audio?
No — Flashlight works on finished files, not a live stream.
Is Flashlight HIPAA compliant?
Flashlight 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 Flashlight?
Build pipeline complex; community shrunk after wav2vec.
Who is Flashlight best for?
Researchers needing wav2letter-style fast CNN decoders.
Does Flashlight run offline?
Flashlight runs on your own machine — it is open source, so nothing leaves the computer unless you configure it to.
Can I use Flashlight in the browser?
No — Flashlight is a Linux and macOS application, not a web app. You install it rather than sign in to it.
Where is the Flashlight source code?
On GitHub at github.com/flashlight/flashlight. It is maintained by Meta AI.
What kind of tool is Flashlight?
In this directory Flashlight is filed under framework, research, cpp as a open-source tool.
What are the alternatives to Flashlight?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/flashlight-alternatives comparing Flashlight 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.
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One file up to 10 hours, as an upload or a link: see how to transcribe an MP3 of any length, how to transcribe a podcast and the SRT file generator.
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