Yadullah Abidi is a Computer Science graduate from the University of Delhi and holds a postgraduate degree in Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. With over a decade of experience in Windows and Linux systems, programming, PC hardware, cybersecurity, malware analysis, and gaming, he combines deep technical knowledge with strong editorial instincts.
Yadullah currently writes for MakeUseOf as a Staff Writer, covering cybersecurity, gaming, and consumer tech. He formerly worked as Associate Editor at Candid.Technology and as News Editor at The Mac Observer, where he reported on everything from raging cyberattacks to the latest in Apple tech.
In addition to his journalism work, Yadullah is a full-stack developer with experience in JavaScript/TypeScript, Next.js, the MERN stack, Python, C/C++, and AI/ML. Whether he's analyzing malware, reviewing hardware, or building tools on GitHub, he brings a hands-on, developer's perspective to tech journalism.
If you've ever tried transcribing an audio recording, you know how much of a struggle it can be. Shady online tools, privacy risks, and failed attempts are all part of the process. There are ways to transcribe audio without installing an app, but you'll end up spending a lot of time simply finding the right tool.
But just when I was about to give up and go back to the medieval solution of typing everything manually, I stumbled across an open-source tool that seemed too good to be true. I ended up transcribing hours of interviews offline, without my audio recordings ever leaving my device, and didn't lose a cent to subscriptions or shady apps.
Offline AI transcription finally makes sense Accurate results without uploads, accounts, or cloud dependencies
Buzz is a free, open-source desktop application that brings OpenAI's Whisper model directly to your computer, with no subscriptions, upload limits, or privacy concerns about sending sensitive interviews to third-party servers. The tool runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux and handles everything locally.
In a time where even basic software demands constant connectivity, Buzz feels refreshingly independent. You download the models once, and you're set to transcribe anywhere -- airplanes, remote locations, or just your desk without worrying about internet stability.
Getting started is also easier than you'd expect. Installation is handled by a setup wizard, which also installs all FFmpeg dependencies. Just grab the latest release from the official GitHub repository, run the installer, and you're good to go. For Mac users, there's even a polished version on the App Store with additional features like audio playback and drag-and-drop imports. Windows users can also use Winget to install Buzz with a single command:
winget install ChidiWilliams.Buzz
Beyond convenience, Buzz solves a critical problem for journalists, researchers, and anyone handling sensitive audio: privacy. Your recordings never leave your machine. No terms of service grant companies rights to your data. No concerns about confidential interviews sitting on external servers.
This local-first approach also means no usage limits. You can easily transcribe hundreds of hours without paying a cent or hitting arbitrary caps. For freelancers, small organizations, or anyone with a budget, this is no small deal.
Buzz OS Windows, macOS, Linux Developer Chidi Williams Price model Free, Open-source
Buzz is a free, open-source desktop app that uses OpenAI's Whisper models to transcribe and translate audio locally, without sending your recordings to the cloud.
See at GitHub Expand Collapse Serious power, surprisingly little setup An open-source tool that stays usable instead of getting in your way
When you first launch Buzz, you'll be greeted with a minimalist interface that might seem underwhelming at first. There are no flashy dashboards or complicated menus, just a clean window with options to transcribe or translate audio.
The workflow itself is quite straightforward. Click the New Transcription button, drag in your audio or video file, select the model, and hit run. Buzz supports virtually every popular media format around, so you don't have to worry about converting your files before transcribing them.
Under the hood, Buzz uses multiple Whisper implementations, letting you choose the model based on your needs and hardware. The options include:
Whisper: The original OpenAI implementation. Accurate but slower and memory-intensive. Whisper.cpp: A C++ port that's significantly faster and comes with Vulkan GPU support. Faster Whisper: An optimized version that delivers noticeable speed improvements.
The model selection screen presents multiple sizes: tiny, base, small, medium, and large. Each model size is a trade-off between accuracy and resource consumption. The tiny model can run on almost anything, but makes more errors. The large-v3 model delivers near-human accuracy but needs substantial RAM and processing power.
My audio recordings are mostly recorded in quiet environments with professional audio gear. The medium model worked best for me, transcribing a 45-minute audio recording in about 15 minutes on my Omen Transcend 14 laptop with 16 GB LPDDR5X memory and an RTX 4060. The transcript did require some light editing, but Buzz got most of it right.
Processing happens in the background with a progress indicator showing the estimated time remaining. You can queue multiple files, and the application displays a live preview as it transcribes, letting you spot-check quality without waiting for completion.
Once finished, the transcription viewer lets you search through the text, adjust playback speed, loop specific segments, and follow along with the audio. Export options include plain text, SRT for subtitles, or VTT for web players.
It's good -- but it's not magic Understanding accuracy limits, hardware needs, and real-world trade-offs
No automated transcription tool is perfect, and Buzz is no exception. Whisper's accuracy varies by language, accent, audio quality, and background noise. In my experience with clear English interviews, Buzz was accurate most times. However, technical jargon, proper nouns, and crosstalk often required manual corrections.
For languages with fewer training resources, accuracy drops noticeably. In my experience with Buzz, English is about the only language you can reliably transcribe, but that can change given AI's breakneck development pace. In any case, it's better to test with a short sample before committing to hours of processing.
Buzz's offline nature also means your hardware determines speed. Vulkan GPU support helps, but it's not a replacement for hardware. If you're running hour-long files through the program and want accurate results, you're going to need a decent computer. My gaming laptop with 16 GB RAM and a dedicated GPU handled most models fine, but your mileage may vary.
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The interface, while functional, lacks the polish of commercial alternatives. There's no built-in collaborative editing, AI-powered summarization, or fancy repurposing tools either. Translation also requires additional setup with external services like Ollama.
Last but not least, real-time transcription from your mic works but requires significant resources. Depending on your system, it might not be as real-time as the tool suggests. Larger models can easily show a three to five second delay.
Long interviews don't have to feel like work Offline transcription can change how you handle audio altogether
Buzz has now become an essential part of my toolkit. Transcription is now a background process that I barely think about. The combination of offline capability, cost-effectiveness, and open-source transparency is a hard combination to beat. Open-source software may not always be the better choice, but in this case, it certainly comes close.
Related I've Finally Found the Best Free Transcription Service
I tested them all, and this one actually delivers.
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For content creators, researchers, journalists, or anyone regularly converting speech to text, Buzz offers near professional-grade capabilities without the professional-grade price tag or privacy compromises. It's not just a free alternative to cloud services; it's often the better choice.
The next time you're staring at hours of audio and a looming deadline, skip the upload frustration. Download Buzz, pick your model, and let your computer do the work while you focus on what actually matters.
