MUSAN
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.
109h corpus of music + speech + noise — augmentation backbone for ASR/SV.
Best for data augmentation (additive noise, music) for ASR + speaker verification training. Pricing: free.
What it is
MUSAN (OpenSLR-17) is the canonical augmentation corpus for speech systems — 109 hours of mixed speech, music, and noise, all CC BY 4.0.
Watch out for: CC BY 4.0 · 60h speech + 42h music + 6h noise · curated to be permissively-licensed source material. Cite: Snyder et al., 2015.
Install / use
Go to MUSAN www.openslr.orgWhat people actually do with MUSAN-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 |
MUSAN vs Whipscribe
| Feature | MUSAN | 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 | OpenSLR | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to MUSAN
Frequently asked about MUSAN
Is MUSAN free?
Yes. MUSAN is free and open source.
Does MUSAN work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
MUSAN runs on OpenSLR. It is not listed for other platforms; check the vendor for anything beyond OpenSLR.
How do I install MUSAN?
Download the installer for your platform from https://www.openslr.org/17/. No terminal needed.
Does MUSAN identify different speakers?
No. MUSAN 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 MUSAN give word-level timestamps?
No — MUSAN produces segment or sentence timing only, so subtitle cues can land mid-word.
Can MUSAN transcribe live audio?
No — MUSAN works on finished files, not a live stream.
Is MUSAN HIPAA compliant?
MUSAN 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 MUSAN?
CC BY 4.0 · 60h speech + 42h music + 6h noise · curated to be permissively-licensed source material. Cite: Snyder et al., 2015.
Who is MUSAN best for?
Data augmentation (additive noise, music) for ASR + speaker verification training.
Does MUSAN run offline?
MUSAN runs on your own machine — it is open source, so nothing leaves the computer unless you configure it to.
Can I use MUSAN in the browser?
No — MUSAN is a OpenSLR application, not a web app. You install it rather than sign in to it.
Who makes MUSAN?
MUSAN is made by JHU CLSP.
What kind of tool is MUSAN?
In this directory MUSAN is filed under dataset as a open-source tool.
What are the alternatives to MUSAN?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/musan-alternatives comparing MUSAN with the closest tools in the same category on price, platform and features.
Can I automate MUSAN-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 MUSAN 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 transcribing a long MP3 or M4A, a podcast episode as text from its link and the SRT file generator.
Rather have it done for you?
Free tools cost setup time. When you want a finished transcript instead: see how the best transcription services compare, affordable transcription priced per hour and how our transcription services work.