Parakeet STT for OpenClaw

Fast CPU-based speech-to-text using NVIDIA's Parakeet TDT INT8 models.

Features

• 4x faster than real-time (0.25x RTF)
• CPU-only - no GPU required
• Two model versions:
  • V2 - English optimized (higher accuracy for English)
  • V3 - Multilingual (25 European languages, auto-detect)
• Lazy loading - model loads on first transcription, unloads after inactivity

Installation

1. Install the plugin

openclaw plugins install @nicfox77/parakeet-stt

2. Install a model

# English optimized (default)
~/.openclaw/extensions/parakeet-stt/scripts/install.sh v2

# Or multilingual
~/.openclaw/extensions/parakeet-stt/scripts/install.sh v3

This downloads the pre-quantized INT8 model (~475MB) from the Handy project.

3. Configure OpenClaw

Add to your openclaw.json:

{
  "tools": {
    "media": {
      "audio": {
        "enabled": true,
        "models": [
          {
            "type": "cli",
            "command": "/home/YOUR_USER/.openclaw/tools/parakeet/parakeet-audio-client.py",
            "args": ["{{MediaPath}}", "{{OutputDir}}"]
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  },
  "plugins": {
    "entries": {
      "parakeet-stt": {
        "enabled": true,
        "modelVersion": "v2"
      }
    }
  }
}

Switching Models

# Switch to V2 (English)
~/.openclaw/extensions/parakeet-stt/scripts/install.sh v2

# Switch to V3 (Multilingual)
~/.openclaw/extensions/parakeet-stt/scripts/install.sh v3

The install script updates a symlink, so the daemon automatically uses the new model on next load.

CLI Commands

# Check status
openclaw parakeet:status

# Install model
openclaw parakeet:install v2

Requirements

• Python 3.8+
• ~500MB disk space for model
• ~500MB RAM when model loaded

Credits

• Models: NVIDIA Parakeet TDT
• INT8 Quantization: Handy by cjpais
• ONNX Runtime for inference

License

MIT