Kathbath
Don’t want to install Kathbath? 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.
1684h read-speech ASR benchmark across 12 Indian languages.
Best for indic ASR evaluation with consistent splits across 12 languages. Pricing: free.
What it is
Kathbath is a 1684-hour benchmark across 12 Indian languages, crowd-sourced via smartphones. Evaluation companion to IndicSUPERB. License: CC BY 4.0.
Watch out for: CC BY 4.0 · read speech bias (smartphone-recorded). Cite: Javed et al., 2022.
Install / use
from datasets import load_dataset; ds = load_dataset('ai4bharat/kathbath')What people actually do with Kathbath-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 | 12 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
Links
Kathbath vs Whipscribe
| Feature | Kathbath | 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 | No | Yes |
| Streaming | No | No |
| Languages | 12 | 99 |
| Platforms | HuggingFace, GitHub | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to Kathbath
Frequently asked about Kathbath
Is Kathbath free?
Yes. Kathbath is free and open source.
Does Kathbath work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
Kathbath runs on HuggingFace and GitHub. It is not listed for other platforms; check the vendor for anything beyond HuggingFace and GitHub.
How do I install Kathbath?
Download the installer for your platform from the vendor. No terminal needed.
How many languages does Kathbath support?
Kathbath lists 12 languages.
Does Kathbath identify different speakers?
No. Kathbath 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 Kathbath give word-level timestamps?
No — Kathbath produces segment or sentence timing only, so subtitle cues can land mid-word.
Can Kathbath transcribe live audio?
No — Kathbath works on finished files, not a live stream.
Is Kathbath HIPAA compliant?
Kathbath 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 Kathbath?
CC BY 4.0 · read speech bias (smartphone-recorded). Cite: Javed et al., 2022.
Who is Kathbath best for?
Indic ASR evaluation with consistent splits across 12 languages.
Does Kathbath run offline?
Kathbath runs on your own machine — it is open source, so nothing leaves the computer unless you configure it to.
Can I use Kathbath in the browser?
No — Kathbath is a HuggingFace and GitHub application, not a web app. You install it rather than sign in to it.
Where is the Kathbath source code?
On GitHub at github.com/AI4Bharat/IndicWav2Vec. It is maintained by AI4Bharat (IIT Madras).
What kind of tool is Kathbath?
In this directory Kathbath is filed under dataset, benchmark as a open-source tool.
What are the alternatives to Kathbath?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/kathbath-alternatives comparing Kathbath 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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