Granite Speech 5.0 2B
Granite Speech 5.0 2B is a 2B-parameter speech-to-text model from IBM, released under the Apache-2.0 license. The reviewed source lists 6 languages (6 explicitly enumerated in our record), and the model is designed for batch-first transcription. It is a specialist rather than a general pick: its best placement in the common setups we test is #13 of 26, for long recordings on a mid-range NVIDIA GPU. Use the matcher with your own language and hardware to see where it fits.
IBM's October 2026 speech model with Apache-2.0 weights, six listed languages and speech translation to and from English. It transcribes segments of up to about two minutes, so split longer audio first. Documented runtimes include Transformers, vLLM, llama.cpp and mlx-audio. Ratings are provisional until independent benchmarks are available.
Key facts
| Provider | IBM |
|---|---|
| Model family | Granite Speech |
| Parameters | 2B |
| License | Apache-2.0 · Permissive — license text ↗ |
| Language coverage | 6 listed languages · 6 enumerated in our record |
| Streaming | Batch-first (no streaming path in the reviewed source) |
| Timestamps | Not documented |
| Speaker diarization | No — needs a separate component |
| Speech translation | Yes |
| Documented runtimes | Hugging Face Transformers ≥ 4.52.1, vLLM, llama.cpp (GGUF), mlx-audio ≥ 0.5.9 — how to run it |
| Primary source | huggingface.co/ibm-granite/granite-speech-5.0-2b ↗ |
| Rating status | Provisional (added November 3, 2026) |
| Last reviewed |
Hardware and workload fit
These are Speech Model Match's conservative 1–5 editorial ratings, relative to the other 19 reviewed models. They come from model size, official memory guidance and documented runtimes — not from a universal benchmark. How the ratings work.
| Dimension | Rating | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| CPU-only fit | 2/5 | |
| Apple Silicon fit | 4/5 | |
| NVIDIA GPU fit | 5/5 | |
| Speed | 3/5 | |
| Accuracy (relative) | 3/5 | |
| Low memory use | 3/5 | |
| Long recordings | 3/5 | |
| Live / low latency | 1/5 | |
| Subtitle work | 2/5 | |
| Edge / low-power devices | 2/5 |
Where it is strong
- Apple Silicon fit: rated 4/5
- NVIDIA GPU fit: rated 5/5
- Speech translation is supported in the model family
What to check first
- No streaming path in the reviewed source — plan for file/batch transcription
- CPU-only fit: rated 2/5
- Live / low latency: rated 1/5
- Subtitle work: rated 2/5
- Edge / low-power devices: rated 2/5
- No native speaker diarization — pair it with a separate diarization pipeline if you need speaker labels
- Timestamp support is limited or runtime-dependent — test it if you need subtitles
How it ranks in common setups
Ranks come from the same deterministic matcher that runs on the homepage, applied to all 26 reviewed models. They are decision guidance, not accuracy claims.
| Setup | Rank | Fit score | Top match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long recordings on an 8–12 GB NVIDIA GPU, balanced | #13 of 26 | 69/100 · Possible fit | Whisper turbo |
| Live captions or voice input (native streaming + timestamps, speed first) | #22 of 26 | 52/100 · Weak fit | Nemotron 3.5 ASR Streaming 0.6B |
| Subtitles with timing, accuracy first | #19 of 26 | 66/100 · Possible fit | Whisper medium |
| Meetings with speaker labels (diarization + timestamps) | #18 of 26 | 66/100 · Possible fit | VibeVoice-ASR 7B |
| CPU-only machine, low memory use | #19 of 26 | 54/100 · Weak fit | VibeVoice-ASR-BitNet |
| Apple Silicon with 8–16 GB unified memory, long recordings | #22 of 26 | 59/100 · Possible fit | Whisper small |
| Japanese live transcription (native streaming, speed first) | #15 of 26 | 52/100 · Weak fit | Nemotron 3.5 ASR Streaming 0.6B |
Supported languages
Compare coverage across every reviewed model in the language support matrix.
Community activity on Hugging Face
- Downloads, last 30 days
- 9,852
- Likes
- 82
- Repository last updated
- 6 Nov 2026
- Published on the Hub
- 7 Oct 2026
Figures from the Hugging Face Hub API, 11 Nov 2026. Source: huggingface.co/ibm-granite/granite-speech-5.0-2b ↗. Downloads count file downloads, not active users, and do not affect the matcher's scores. Compare all models.
How to run Granite Speech 5.0 2B locally
IBM documents an unusually wide set of runtimes for Granite Speech 5.0 2B, from Transformers and vLLM to llama.cpp and Apple's MLX. Runtimes below are the ones the official model card or repository documents for this model (checked November 2, 2026).
- Hugging Face Transformers ≥ 4.52.1 ↗Framework · reference usage
- vLLM ↗Serving engine · documented on the model card
- llama.cpp (GGUF) ↗Third-party runtime · documented on the model card
- mlx-audio ≥ 0.5.9 ↗Third-party runtime · Apple Silicon
Install command shown in the official huggingface.co page ↗:
pip install transformers torchaudio soundfile
Audio input: Transcribes segments of up to about 2 minutes; IBM advises splitting longer recordings, for example with VAD.
Official hardware guidance: No memory figure is published. Source ↗
Whatever runtime you choose, measure speed and accuracy on your own audio with the benchmark tool; results differ a lot between runtimes, precision and hardware.
Before you deploy Granite Speech 5.0 2B
A printable checklist built from the facts on this page. Tick it off before putting the model into production.
- Language. Confirm your language is in the 6-language list on this page, and test any accents or code-switching you expect.
- License. Apache-2.0: Give recipients a copy of the license, keep copyright and attribution notices, carry forward any NOTICE file and mark files you changed. The patent license ends if you start patent litigation over the work. License guide.
- Install. Start from the official command:
pip install transformers torchaudio soundfile(full run notes). - Audio input. Transcribes segments of up to about 2 minutes; IBM advises splitting longer recordings, for example with VAD.
- Hardware. No memory figure is published.
- Features you rely on. For Granite Speech 5.0 2B, no streaming path is documented; timestamps are not documented; speaker labels need a separate diarization component. Test each one you need with real audio.
- Measure. Run 10–20 representative clips, score them with the WER calculator and record speed in the benchmark workspace before you commit.
- Provisional ratings. This model was added on November 3, 2026; treat its hardware and workload ratings as estimates and weight your own measurements higher.
Alternatives and related models
Same family: Granite Speech 5.0 470M TurboCTC.
Similar fit profile: Jais-ASR (IFM, 5.7B total), Omnilingual ASR CTC 300M (Meta AI, 325M), Fun-ASR-MLT-Nano-2512 (FunAudioLLM, 800M). Similarity is computed from the ten fit ratings plus streaming and diarization support.
| Fact | Granite Speech 5.0 2B | Granite Speech 5.0 470M TurboCTC |
|---|---|---|
| Provider · size | IBM · 2B | IBM · 470M |
| License | Apache-2.0 Permissive | Apache-2.0 Permissive |
| Languages | 6 listed languages | 7 listed languages |
| Streaming | Batch-first | Batch-first |
| Timestamps | Not documented | Not documented |
| Speaker diarization | Separate pipeline | Separate pipeline |
| CPU · Apple · NVIDIA fit | 2/5 · 4/5 · 5/5 | 4/5 · 4/5 · 4/5 |
| Live · long recordings | 1/5 · 3/5 | 2/5 · 3/5 |
| Main runtime | Hugging Face Transformers ≥ 4.52.1 | Hugging Face Transformers ≥ 5.16 |
Head-to-head pages: Whisper turbo vs Granite Speech 5.0 2B
Compare Granite Speech 5.0 2B side by side
Check Granite Speech 5.0 2B for your setup
Pick your language, hardware and workload to see this model's fit score, the reasons behind it and where it ranks against all reviewed models. Everything runs in your browser.
Common questions
Can I use Granite Speech 5.0 2B commercially?
Permissive license; commercial use is allowed under the listed terms. The listed license is Apache-2.0; read the current license text ↗ before shipping a product, because terms can change. The license guide compares the obligations of all 26 reviewed models.
Does Granite Speech 5.0 2B support real-time streaming?
No streaming path is documented in the reviewed source. Treat it as a file/batch transcription model.
Which languages does Granite Speech 5.0 2B transcribe?
6 listed languages. The full list of 6 explicitly enumerated languages is shown above.
Can Granite Speech 5.0 2B tell speakers apart?
Not natively. Combine it with a dedicated diarization component and evaluate that component separately; the meetings guide covers this workflow.
Primary sources
Reviewed against primary sources on November 3, 2026. Model behavior, runtime support, language coverage and licenses can change; re-check the linked primary source before production use. See the full source directory.