LIMSI / LISN / CNRS
Don’t want to install LIMSI / LISN / CNRS? 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.
French national speech-tech lab — TC-STAR + Quaero + ELRA-LDC origins.
Best for multilingual ASR + speech translation history; French + Arabic. Pricing: free.
What it is
LIMSI (now part of LISN, Paris-Saclay) drove European ASR + MT research through TC-STAR (2004–2007) and Quaero (2008–2013), co-founding ELRA. Strong multilingual + Arabic dialect tradition.
Watch out for: Academic.
Install / use
Go to LIMSI / LISN / CNRS www.lisn.upsaclay.frWhat people actually do with LIMSI / LISN / CNRS-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 | 0 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
LIMSI / LISN / CNRS vs Whipscribe
| Feature | LIMSI / LISN / CNRS | 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 | 0 | 99 |
| Platforms | Web | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to LIMSI / LISN / CNRS
Frequently asked about LIMSI / LISN / CNRS
Is LIMSI / LISN / CNRS free?
Yes. LIMSI / LISN / CNRS is free and open source.
Does LIMSI / LISN / CNRS work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
LIMSI / LISN / CNRS runs in the browser, so it works on any desktop OS with a modern browser, and on phones and tablets.
How do I get started with LIMSI / LISN / CNRS?
There is nothing to install — LIMSI / LISN / CNRS is used in the browser. Create an account on the vendor's site and upload or connect your audio.
Does LIMSI / LISN / CNRS identify different speakers?
No. LIMSI / LISN / CNRS 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 LIMSI / LISN / CNRS give word-level timestamps?
No — LIMSI / LISN / CNRS produces segment or sentence timing only, so subtitle cues can land mid-word.
Can LIMSI / LISN / CNRS transcribe live audio?
No — LIMSI / LISN / CNRS works on finished files, not a live stream.
Is LIMSI / LISN / CNRS HIPAA compliant?
LIMSI / LISN / CNRS 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 LIMSI / LISN / CNRS?
Academic.
Who is LIMSI / LISN / CNRS best for?
Multilingual ASR + speech translation history; French + Arabic.
Does LIMSI / LISN / CNRS run offline?
LIMSI / LISN / CNRS runs on your own machine — it is open source, so nothing leaves the computer unless you configure it to.
Is there a LIMSI / LISN / CNRS desktop app?
No — LIMSI / LISN / CNRS is browser-only. There is nothing to install and nothing runs on your machine.
Who makes LIMSI / LISN / CNRS?
LIMSI / LISN / CNRS is made by CNRS / Paris-Saclay.
What kind of tool is LIMSI / LISN / CNRS?
In this directory LIMSI / LISN / CNRS is filed under research lab as a open-source tool.
What are the alternatives to LIMSI / LISN / CNRS?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/limsi-cnrs-alternatives comparing LIMSI / LISN / CNRS with the closest tools in the same category on price, platform and features.
Can I automate LIMSI / LISN / CNRS-style transcription without running it myself?
Yes. If what you want is transcripts rather than the tool itself, Whipscribe does the same job as a hosted API: submit a file or URL, poll a job id, pull the result as txt, json, srt, vtt or docx. $0.012 a minute — about $0.72 an audio hour — bought as credits that never expire. The automation recipes on this site show it wired to Drive folders, Zoom recordings, S3 buckets and no-code platforms.
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
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Have the recording already?
Skip the setup and send the file or the link: see MP3 to text for long recordings, transcribing a podcast episode and the SRT generator.
Comparing tools before you pay?
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