Whisper Turbo on Windows - Easy Tutorial for AI Transcription Locally

Introduction

This tutorial provides a step-by-step guide to locally install and run Whisper Turbo, a lightweight automatic speech recognition (ASR) model from OpenAI, on a Windows system. By following this guide, you will be able to transcribe audio files privately and offline within your browser.

Step 1: Install Required Software

To begin, ensure you have the necessary software components installed on your Windows machine.

1. Install Python:

   • Download the latest version of Python from the official website.
   • During installation, make sure to check the option that adds Python to your system PATH.

2. Install Git:

   • Download Git from the official Git website and install it.

3. Install Visual Studio Build Tools (if not already installed):

   • Go to the Visual Studio downloads page and download the Build Tools.
   • Install with the default settings.

Step 2: Set Up a Virtual Environment

Creating a virtual environment helps manage dependencies for your project.

1. Open a command prompt.
2. Navigate to the directory where you want to create your project folder.
3. Run the following command to create a virtual environment:

   python -m venv whisper-env
   

4. Activate the virtual environment:
   • For Command Prompt:

     whisper-env\Scripts\activate
     

   • For PowerShell:

     .\whisper-env\Scripts\Activate.ps1
     

Step 3: Install Whisper Turbo

Now, install the Whisper Turbo model and its dependencies.

1. Ensure your virtual environment is activated.
2. Install the necessary packages by running:

   pip install torch torchvision torchaudio
   pip install git+https://github.com/openai/whisper.git
   

Step 4: Download the Whisper Model

You need to download the specific Whisper model you want to use.

1. Use the following command to download the whisper-large-v3-turbo model:

   whisper --model large-v3-turbo
   

2. This command will make the model available for local transcription.

Step 5: Transcribe Audio Files

Now you can transcribe audio files using the model.

1. Place your audio files in the project folder.
2. To transcribe an audio file, use the following command:

   whisper your_audio_file.mp3 --model large-v3-turbo
   

3. The transcribed text will be saved in the same directory as the audio file.

Practical Tips

• Ensure your audio files are clear and of good quality for the best transcription results.
• Check the Whisper documentation for additional options and configurations to optimize your transcription process.

Conclusion

You have successfully set up Whisper Turbo on your Windows machine. You can now transcribe audio files locally and privately. For further exploration, consider experimenting with different audio formats or diving deeper into the Whisper documentation for advanced features. Happy transcribing!