-->

⏱️ Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

Introduction

Audio transcription has become an essential task for researchers, journalists, content creators, and professionals who work with recorded interviews or meetings. While manual transcription is time-consuming and expensive, noScribe offers a cutting-edge solution that combines the power of OpenAI’s Whisper AI with advanced speaker identification capabilities.

noScribe is an open-source desktop application that provides a user-friendly interface for automated audio transcription, featuring speaker detection, timestamp insertion, and a built-in editor for refining results. With over 1.3k stars on GitHub, it has become a trusted tool in the qualitative research community.

What is noScribe?

noScribe is a comprehensive audio transcription solution that leverages:

  • OpenAI’s Whisper: State-of-the-art speech recognition AI supporting 60+ languages
  • pyannote: Advanced speaker diarization for identifying different speakers
  • Built-in Editor: Integrated tool for reviewing and correcting transcripts
  • Multiple Output Formats: HTML, text, and other formats compatible with research tools

Key Features

  • High Accuracy: Precise transcription with multiple quality settings
  • Speaker Detection: Automatic identification of different speakers
  • Pause Marking: Detection and notation of silence periods
  • Overlapping Speech: Experimental feature for simultaneous speech detection
  • Disfluencies: Option to include filler words and incomplete sentences
  • Timestamps: Configurable timestamp insertion
  • Multi-language Support: Excellent support for major languages
  • Research Integration: Compatible with MAXQDA, ATLAS.ti, QualCoder

System Requirements and Installation

Prerequisites

Before installing noScribe, ensure your system meets these requirements:

  • Operating System: Windows 10+, macOS 10.14+, or Linux
  • RAM: Minimum 8GB (16GB recommended for longer audio files)
  • Storage: At least 5GB free space for models and temporary files
  • Audio Format: Supports most common formats (MP3, WAV, M4A, etc.)

Installation Methods

  1. Visit the noScribe GitHub releases page
  2. Download the latest version for your operating system
  3. Extract the archive and run the executable
  4. The application will download required AI models on first run

Method 2: Python Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/kaixxx/noScribe.git
cd noScribe

# Create virtual environment
python -m venv noscribe-env
source noscribe-env/bin/activate  # On Windows: noscribe-env\Scripts\activate

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Run the application
python noScribe.py

Initial Setup

On first launch, noScribe will:

  1. Download AI Models: Whisper models (several GB) will be downloaded automatically
  2. Create Configuration: A config.yml file will be created in your user directory
  3. Set Up Logging: Log files will be stored for troubleshooting

Important: The initial model download requires a stable internet connection and may take 30-60 minutes depending on your connection speed.

Step-by-Step Transcription Guide

Step 1: Audio File Selection

  1. Launch noScribe and click the “Browse” button
  2. Select your audio file - supported formats include:
    • MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC
    • Video files (MP4, AVI) - audio will be extracted
  3. Verify file path appears correctly in the input field

Step 2: Output Configuration

  1. Choose output location by clicking “Browse” next to the output field
  2. Select file format:
    • HTML (recommended): Compatible with word processors and QDA software
    • Text: Plain text format
    • SRT: Subtitle format with timestamps

Step 3: Transcription Settings

Audio Processing Options

Start/Stop Times:

  • Leave blank to transcribe entire file
  • Set specific time ranges for long recordings
  • Format: HH:MM:SS (e.g., 00:05:30 for 5 minutes 30 seconds)

Quality Settings:

  • Precise (recommended): Highest accuracy, slower processing
  • Fast: Quicker results, may require more manual editing
  • Custom Models: Advanced users can install specialized models

Advanced Features

Mark Pause:

  • 1sec+: Mark pauses of 1 second or longer
  • 2sec+: Mark pauses of 2 seconds or longer
  • 3sec+: Mark only longer pauses
  • None: Disable pause detection

Pauses appear as:

  • Short pauses: (..) (dots represent seconds)
  • Long pauses: (XX seconds pause) or (XX minutes pause)

Speaker Detection:

  • Auto: Automatically detect number of speakers
  • Specific Number: Set if you know exact speaker count
  • None: Disable speaker identification (faster processing)

Additional Options:

  • Overlapping Speech: Mark simultaneous speech with //double slashes//
  • Disfluencies: Include “um”, “uh”, and incomplete words
  • Timestamps: Add [hh:mm:ss] markers at speaker changes or intervals

Step 4: Processing

  1. Review all settings before starting
  2. Click “Start” to begin transcription
  3. Monitor progress via the progress bar and log messages
  4. Processing time: Expect 2-3x the audio length (1-hour audio = 2-3 hours processing)

Performance Tips:

  • Close unnecessary applications
  • Use AC power (not battery)
  • Avoid heavy system usage during processing
  • Consider processing overnight for long files

Using the noScribe Editor

The integrated editor automatically opens when transcription completes, offering powerful features for transcript refinement:

Audio Synchronization

  • Play Audio: Press Ctrl + Spacebar (Mac: ⌘ + Space) or click the orange play button
  • Text Following: Selection automatically follows audio playback
  • Navigate: Click anywhere in text to jump to that audio position
  • Speed Control: Adjust playback speed from 50% to 200%

Editing Features

Basic Editing:

  • Standard text editing (cut, copy, paste, undo, redo)
  • Find and replace functionality (Ctrl + F)
  • Zoom in/out for better readability
  • Auto-save every few seconds

Speaker Management:

  • Use Find & Replace to rename speakers consistently
  • Format: Replace “Speaker 1” with “John Smith”
  • Bulk changes across entire transcript

Quality Control:

  • Listen while reading to identify errors
  • Common issues: proper nouns, technical terms, unclear speech
  • Mark uncertain sections for later review

Keyboard Shortcuts

Function Windows/Linux Mac
Play/Pause Audio Ctrl + Space ⌘ + Space
Save Ctrl + S ⌘ + S
Find/Replace Ctrl + F ⌘ + F
Undo Ctrl + Z ⌘ + Z
Redo Ctrl + Y ⌘ + Shift + Z

Optimizing Transcription Quality

Audio Recording Best Practices

Before Recording:

  • Use quality microphones (external preferred over built-in)
  • Choose quiet environments with minimal echo
  • Test audio levels before important recordings
  • Consider using lapel mics for multiple speakers

Recording Settings:

  • Sample Rate: 44.1 kHz or higher
  • Bit Depth: 16-bit minimum, 24-bit preferred
  • Format: Uncompressed (WAV) or high-quality compressed (320kbps MP3)

Language Considerations

Best Supported Languages:

  1. English
  2. Spanish
  3. Italian
  4. Portuguese
  5. German

Dialect Handling:

  • Whisper handles regional accents reasonably well
  • Swiss German, British English, American English all supported
  • Expect more manual corrections for less common dialects

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Repetitive Text Loops:

  • Cause: AI gets stuck repeating phrases
  • Solution: Process shorter segments (15-30 minutes)
  • Prevention: Ensure good audio quality

Poor Speaker Separation:

  • Cause: Similar voices or poor audio quality
  • Solution: Manual speaker correction in editor
  • Alternative: Disable speaker detection, add manually

Hallucinations:

  • Cause: AI interprets background noise as speech
  • Solution: Use noise reduction before transcription
  • Identification: Look for nonsensical text in quiet sections

Advanced Configuration

Custom Settings

Access advanced options through config.yml in your user directory:

Windows: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\noScribe\noScribe\config.yml Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/noscribe/config.yml Linux: ~/.config/noscribe/config.yml

# Example configuration
locale: en  # Interface language
whisper_model: medium  # Model size
output_format: html
enable_logging: true
max_segment_length: 30  # seconds

Custom Whisper Models

For specialized use cases, you can install custom models:

  1. Download custom model (e.g., fine-tuned for medical terminology)
  2. Place in models directory within noScribe installation
  3. Update configuration to reference custom model
  4. Restart application to load new model

Batch Processing

For multiple files, consider creating scripts:

#!/bin/bash
# Batch transcription script
for file in *.mp3; do
    python noScribe.py --input "$file" --output "${file%.mp3}.html" --auto
done

Integration with Research Tools

MAXQDA Integration

  1. Export as HTML from noScribe
  2. Import in MAXQDA: Document System → Import → Text Documents
  3. Coding: Use MAXQDA’s coding features on transcribed text
  4. Audio Linking: Link back to original audio for verification

ATLAS.ti Workflow

  1. Prepare transcript in noScribe editor
  2. Export as RTF for better formatting preservation
  3. Import in ATLAS.ti: Documents → Import Documents
  4. Code and analyze using ATLAS.ti’s qualitative analysis tools

QualCoder Integration

  1. Export as plain text from noScribe
  2. Import in QualCoder: Files → Import → Text file
  3. Utilize QualCoder’s open-source analysis features

Performance Optimization

Hardware Recommendations

CPU: Multi-core processor (Intel i5/AMD Ryzen 5 minimum) RAM: 16GB for optimal performance with long audio files Storage: SSD recommended for faster model loading GPU: CUDA-compatible GPU can accelerate processing (advanced setup)

Processing Strategies

For Long Recordings (2+ hours):

  1. Split into segments: 30-60 minute chunks
  2. Process overnight: Avoid system interruption
  3. Monitor temperature: Ensure adequate cooling
  4. Batch processing: Queue multiple short files

For Multiple Files:

  1. Prioritize by importance: Process critical files first
  2. Use consistent settings: Maintain quality standards
  3. Organize outputs: Create folder structure for projects

Troubleshooting Guide

Common Error Messages

“Model not found”:

  • Solution: Re-download models or check internet connection
  • Location: Models stored in application directory

“Out of memory”:

  • Solution: Close other applications, process shorter segments
  • Alternative: Use “fast” quality setting

“Audio format not supported”:

  • Solution: Convert to MP3 or WAV using audio conversion tools
  • Tools: FFmpeg, Audacity, or online converters

Performance Issues

Slow Processing:

  • Check CPU usage and close unnecessary programs
  • Ensure adequate free disk space (10GB+)
  • Consider using “fast” quality setting for initial drafts

Application Crashes:

  • Check log files in user directory
  • Verify system meets minimum requirements
  • Try processing shorter audio segments

Best Practices Summary

Pre-Processing Checklist

  • Audio Quality: Clear recording with minimal background noise
  • File Format: Supported format (MP3, WAV recommended)
  • System Resources: Adequate RAM and storage available
  • Settings Review: Appropriate quality and feature settings
  • Output Location: Sufficient disk space for results

During Processing

  • Monitor Progress: Check for error messages
  • System Performance: Avoid heavy tasks during processing
  • Power Management: Use AC power for long sessions
  • Backup: Ensure original audio files are backed up

Post-Processing

  • Quality Review: Listen while reading transcript
  • Speaker Verification: Correct speaker labels if needed
  • Error Correction: Fix obvious transcription errors
  • Format Export: Save in required format for your workflow
  • Archive: Store both original audio and final transcript

Conclusion

noScribe represents a significant advancement in automated audio transcription, offering professional-quality results with minimal manual intervention. By combining OpenAI’s Whisper with intelligent speaker detection and a powerful editing interface, it provides an end-to-end solution for researchers, journalists, and content creators.

The key to success with noScribe lies in:

  1. Quality Input: Starting with clear, well-recorded audio
  2. Appropriate Settings: Choosing the right balance of speed and accuracy
  3. Thorough Review: Using the integrated editor for quality control
  4. Workflow Integration: Incorporating results into your research or content creation process

With proper setup and understanding of its capabilities, noScribe can dramatically reduce the time and cost associated with audio transcription while maintaining the accuracy required for professional work.

Whether you’re conducting qualitative research interviews, transcribing podcast episodes, or processing meeting recordings, noScribe provides the tools needed to transform audio into actionable text efficiently and accurately.

Resources:

참고