Seamless (SeamlessM4T family)
Don’t want to install Seamless? 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.
Meta's multilingual speech-translation + transcription foundation suite.
Best for open multilingual S2ST / S2TT research and 100+ language transcription. Pricing: free.
What it is
Includes SeamlessM4T v2, SeamlessExpressive, SeamlessStreaming, and the underlying w2v-BERT 2.0 encoder. Apache-2.0 code, CC-BY-NC weights.
Watch out for: CC-BY-NC-4.0 — non-commercial; check Meta's model license before shipping.
Install / use
pip install fairseq2What people actually do with Seamless (SeamlessM4T family)-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 | Yes |
| Streaming / real-time | No |
| Languages supported | 101 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
Links
Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) vs Whipscribe
| Feature | Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) | 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 | Yes | Yes |
| Streaming | No | No |
| Languages | 101 | 99 |
| Platforms | Linux, Docker | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to Seamless (SeamlessM4T family)
Frequently asked about Seamless (SeamlessM4T family)
Is Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) free?
Yes. Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) is free and open source.
Does Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) runs on Linux and Docker. It is not listed for other platforms; check the vendor for anything beyond Linux and Docker.
How do I install Seamless (SeamlessM4T family)?
With pip: `pip install fairseq2`. You need Python and, for most audio tools, ffmpeg on your PATH first.
How many languages does Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) support?
Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) lists 101 languages. That is the Whisper-family multilingual set, so quality varies by language — English and the large European languages are strongest.
Does Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) identify different speakers?
No. Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) 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 Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) give word-level timestamps?
Yes — Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) produces timing per word, which is what subtitle cues and clip boundaries need.
Can Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) transcribe live audio?
No — Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) works on finished files, not a live stream.
Is Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) HIPAA compliant?
Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) 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 Seamless (SeamlessM4T family)?
CC-BY-NC-4.0 — non-commercial; check Meta's model license before shipping.
Who is Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) best for?
Open multilingual S2ST / S2TT research and 100+ language transcription.
Does Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) run offline?
Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) runs on your own machine — it is open source, so nothing leaves the computer unless you configure it to.
Can I use Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) in the browser?
No — Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) is a Linux and Docker application, not a web app. You install it rather than sign in to it.
Where is the Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) source code?
On GitHub at github.com/facebookresearch/seamless_communication. It is maintained by Meta AI.
What kind of tool is Seamless (SeamlessM4T family)?
In this directory Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) is filed under foundation, translation, multilingual as a open-source tool.
What are the alternatives to Seamless (SeamlessM4T family)?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/seamless-streaming-alternatives comparing Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) 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 Seamless (SeamlessM4T family) 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 generator.
Looking at paid options?
Before you choose a transcription tool or service: see how the best transcription services compare, affordable transcription priced per hour and how our transcription services work.