Libri-Light
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.
60k hours of unlabeled English audiobook audio for self-supervised pretraining.
Upstream is archived. Libri-Light’s repository has been set read-only by its owner, so there are no further releases, fixes, or security patches. The last commit landed 2023-07-11. It can still be cloned and run, and forks may be maintained elsewhere. See the repository.
Best for self-supervised pretraining (wav2vec 2.0, HuBERT) and limited-supervision benchmarks (10min / 1h / 10h splits). Pricing: free.
What it is
Libri-Light packages ~60,000 hours of unlabeled LibriVox audio plus a limited-supervision evaluation suite (10min / 1h / 10h labeled splits). The standard pretraining corpus for English self-supervised speech models. License: CC BY 4.0.
Watch out for: CC BY 4.0 · derived from LibriVox public-domain audiobooks · English-only · read speech bias · 60k hours of audio is ~7 TB. Cite: Kahn et al., ICASSP 2020.
Install / use
What people actually do with Libri-Light-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.
Wire it into Make.comGoogle DriveEmergentNotionYouTubeAmazon S3
Features
| Speaker diarization | No |
| Word-level timestamps | No |
| Streaming / real-time | No |
| Languages supported | 1 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
Links
Libri-Light vs Whipscribe
| Feature | Libri-Light | 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 | 1 | 99 |
| Platforms | GitHub, OpenSLR | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to Libri-Light
Frequently asked about Libri-Light
Is Libri-Light free?
Yes. Libri-Light is free and open source.
Does Libri-Light work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
Libri-Light runs on GitHub and OpenSLR. It is not listed for other platforms; check the vendor for anything beyond GitHub and OpenSLR.
How do I install Libri-Light?
Download the installer for your platform from the vendor. No terminal needed.
How many languages does Libri-Light support?
Libri-Light lists 1 languages.
Does Libri-Light identify different speakers?
No. Libri-Light 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 Libri-Light give word-level timestamps?
No — Libri-Light produces segment or sentence timing only, so subtitle cues can land mid-word.
Can Libri-Light transcribe live audio?
No — Libri-Light works on finished files, not a live stream.
Is Libri-Light HIPAA compliant?
Libri-Light 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 Libri-Light?
CC BY 4.0 · derived from LibriVox public-domain audiobooks · English-only · read speech bias · 60k hours of audio is ~7 TB. Cite: Kahn et al., ICASSP 2020.
Who is Libri-Light best for?
Self-supervised pretraining (wav2vec 2.0, HuBERT) and limited-supervision benchmarks (10min / 1h / 10h splits).
Does Libri-Light run offline?
Libri-Light runs on your own machine — it is open source, so nothing leaves the computer unless you configure it to.
Can I use Libri-Light in the browser?
No — Libri-Light is a GitHub and OpenSLR application, not a web app. You install it rather than sign in to it.
Where is the Libri-Light source code?
On GitHub at github.com/facebookresearch/libri-light. It is maintained by Meta AI / Facebook AI Research.
What kind of tool is Libri-Light?
In this directory Libri-Light is filed under dataset as a open-source tool.
What are the alternatives to Libri-Light?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/librilight-alternatives comparing Libri-Light 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 Libri-Light 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
Long recording to get through?
One file up to 10 hours, as an upload or a link: see transcribing a long MP3 or M4A, how to transcribe a podcast and the SRT file generator.
Comparing tools before you pay?
If you would rather pay a service than run software yourself: see how the best transcription services compare, affordable transcription priced per hour and transcription services from $6.