OpenStudio
OpenStudio is a free, self-hosted web studio for live call-in programs, multi-host podcasts, and community radio.
What OpenStudio is
OpenStudio is a free, self-hosted web studio for live call-in programs, multi-host podcasts, and community radio. It uses peer-to-peer WebRTC mesh audio with mix-minus monitoring for around 15 participants, and can send a broadcast through Icecast to unlimited listeners on the operator’s own domain. The browser records separate voice tracks and a program mix, with WAV or WebM export; MP3 export requires ffmpeg. Optional post-production tools include on-device transcription with whisper.cpp, audio cleaning, and LLM-generated show notes. Those notes can use OpenAI-compatible endpoints such as LM Studio, Ollama, OpenAI, Together AI, and Groq; Anthropic needs a compatibility shim. The project describes room tokens, role-based access, rate limits, and other controls, and says audio remains on infrastructure the operator controls. To start, clone the repository, install dependencies with npm, and run the app at localhost:6736. Self-hosted broadcasts have unlimited airtime; broadcasts on the live demo expire after 15 minutes. Hosts currently share room URLs manually because the interface lacks an invite-link creation button.
Good
- Free plan with self-hosted unlimited airtime
- Streams to unlimited listeners through Icecast
- Records separate voice tracks and a program mix
- Optional on-device transcription and audio cleaning
Watch out
- Web demo broadcasts expire after 15 minutes
- Hosts must share room URLs manually
- Optional post-production setup requires tools and disk space
Who it suits
OpenStudio suits community radio hosts and podcast collectives that want to run their own broadcast infrastructure. It may also fit creators who need separate recordings and optional transcription or show-note tools.
Verdict
OpenStudio combines live browser-based broadcasting, multi-track recording, and optional post-production tools in a self-hosted package. The demo has a 15-minute broadcast limit, while self-hosting removes that airtime cap.
Plans and prices
From OpenStudio's own pricing page, checked 5 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free / self-host | Free | Self-hosted; unlimited airtime when self-hosted; WebRTC mesh supports up to ~15 participants |
The facts
Each one read from OpenStudio's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Audience
- The project describes itself as built for creators, including community radio hosts and podcast collectives.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Audio
- It uses peer-to-peer WebRTC mesh audio with mix-minus monitoring and supports around 15 participants.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Demo limit
- Broadcasts on the live demo automatically expire after 15 minutes; self-hosted broadcasts have unlimited airtime.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Show notes can use OpenAI-compatible endpoints, with examples for LM Studio, Ollama, OpenAI, Together AI, and Groq; Anthropic requires a compatibility shim.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Known limitation
- The host interface does not yet expose a button to create invite links, so hosts share the room URL manually.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Post-production
- Optional tools provide on-device transcription with whisper.cpp, audio cleaning, and LLM-generated show notes.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- The README says the audio stays on infrastructure the operator controls and characterizes the project as having zero tracking.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- OpenStudio is a self-hosted virtual broadcast studio for live call-in shows, multi-host podcasts, and community radio.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Recording
- It records separate voice tracks and a program mix client-side, with WAV or WebM export and MP3 export when ffmpeg is installed.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Requirements
- Optional transcription and audio-cleaning setup requires ffmpeg, ffprobe, cmake, and about 1.5 GB of free disk space for the default Whisper model.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Security
- The project describes 24-hour JWT room tokens, scoped invite tokens, role-based access, WebSocket message caps, per-IP connection limits, rate limits, CORS controls, and hardened security headers.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Setup
- The quick start uses git clone, npm install, and npm start, then opens the app at localhost:6736.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Streaming
- It streams through Icecast to unlimited listeners using the operator's own domain.checked 5 Oct 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 21 Sep 2026
Alternatives to OpenStudio
- 1
Restream
Free planAndroidiOSWebAPI9.1From $19 a month - 2
mimoLive
Free planiOSWebAPImacOS8.7From $70 a month - 3
Amazon Interactive Video Service
Free planAndroidiOSWebAPI8.7Free plan - 4
BoxCast
AndroidiOSWebAPI8.6From $8.25 a month - 5
OneStream Live
Free planAndroidiOSWebExtension8.5From $15 a month - 6
StreamYard On-Air
Free planiOSWebExtension8.5From $35.99 a month