MGB Challenge
Don’t want to install MGB Challenge? 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.
BBC broadcast-media ASR + diarization challenge — multi-year evaluation series.
Best for broadcast-media ASR with diarization; English + Arabic + Egyptian dialect. Pricing: research-only.
What it is
The MGB (Multi-Genre Broadcast) Challenge series ran 2015–2019 with BBC English broadcasts and Aljazeera Arabic. Standard broadcast-ASR + diarization evaluation. Research-only.
Watch out for: BBC license · research-only · ~1600h English BBC broadcast (MGB-1/2) · Arabic + dialectal Arabic (MGB-3/5). Cite: Bell et al., ASRU 2015.
Install / use
Go to MGB Challenge www.mgb-challenge.orgWhat people actually do with MGB Challenge-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 | Yes |
| Word-level timestamps | No |
| Streaming / real-time | No |
| Languages supported | 4 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
MGB Challenge vs Whipscribe
| Feature | MGB Challenge | Whipscribe |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Open source | Transcription APIs |
| Pricing | research-only | $6–$24 one-time packs (credits never expire) · first 20 minutes free |
| Speaker identification | Yes | Named in the summary, key quotes and chapters |
| Word timestamps | No | Yes |
| Streaming | No | No |
| Languages | 4 | 99 |
| Platforms | Web | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to MGB Challenge
Frequently asked about MGB Challenge
Does MGB Challenge work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
MGB Challenge runs in the browser, so it works on any desktop OS with a modern browser, and on phones and tablets.
How do I install MGB Challenge?
Download the installer for your platform from http://www.mgb-challenge.org/ # request form. No terminal needed.
How many languages does MGB Challenge support?
MGB Challenge lists 4 languages.
Does MGB Challenge identify different speakers?
Yes — MGB Challenge has speaker diarization, so a two-person interview comes back with each speaker labelled.
Does MGB Challenge give word-level timestamps?
No — MGB Challenge produces segment or sentence timing only, so subtitle cues can land mid-word.
Can MGB Challenge transcribe live audio?
No — MGB Challenge works on finished files, not a live stream.
Is MGB Challenge HIPAA compliant?
MGB Challenge 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 MGB Challenge?
BBC license · research-only · ~1600h English BBC broadcast (MGB-1/2) · Arabic + dialectal Arabic (MGB-3/5). Cite: Bell et al., ASRU 2015.
Who is MGB Challenge best for?
Broadcast-media ASR with diarization; English + Arabic + Egyptian dialect.
Does MGB Challenge run offline?
MGB Challenge runs on your own machine — it is open source, so nothing leaves the computer unless you configure it to.
Is there a MGB Challenge desktop app?
No — MGB Challenge is browser-only. There is nothing to install and nothing runs on your machine.
Who makes MGB Challenge?
MGB Challenge is made by BBC + academic consortium.
What kind of tool is MGB Challenge?
In this directory MGB Challenge is filed under dataset, benchmark as a open-source tool.
What are the alternatives to MGB Challenge?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/mgb-challenge-alternatives comparing MGB Challenge with the closest tools in the same category on price, platform and features.
Can I automate MGB Challenge-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
Running MGB Challenge 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 how to transcribe an MP3 of any length, transcribing a podcast episode and the SRT generator.
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