★ 1.4k
August 2026
GPL-3.0
Everyday life
What we checked ourselves
Not copied from the project's own blurb. These are things we opened and verified, with the date.
- 23 Aug 2026We checked that the link to the project still resolves.
- 14 Aug 2026We read the licence text itself (LICENSE). No unusual restrictions were stated.
- 31 Aug 2026We read the project's own documentation and found no sign that development has stopped.
Where this sits among the 43 tools we list in Everyday life
- No API key required39 of 43
- Commercial use confirmed as allowed28 of 43
- Requires terminal commands25 that do not →
- Sends your input to the provider20 that do not →
Only 25 of the 43 meet all of the conditions above.
Counted from our own checks: every tool we list is examined against the same criteria.
What it does
Scans a folder — or Plex, Jellyfin, Navidrome — separates vocals from the instrumental, transcribes the lyrics with word-level timing, and plays it back with synced highlighting, pitch scoring and key/tempo control. Ships as a single binary that bootstraps its own dependencies. Keep it to music you legally own and to private use: processed tracks aren't yours to broadcast or play in a venue. Transcription mishears, and some mixes don't separate cleanly. GPL-3.0.
Summary based on the project's own description. The Japanese page has a fuller beginner guide: setup difficulty, what to prepare, and a step-by-step start.
Screenshots & visuals
Before you start
- Setup difficultySome setup needed
- Command lineRequired
- API keyNot required
- Sends data onlineYes
Judged automatically from the project's own metadata. Always confirm on the official page.
nightingale FAQ
- Is nightingale free?
- Yes. It runs on your own machine, so there is no usage-based cost either.
- Do I need to install anything or write code to use nightingale?
- It needs the command line. If you are not comfortable typing commands, expect to get stuck during setup.
- Does nightingale work on a phone?
- No. It needs a computer.
- Can I use nightingale commercially?
- The licence is GPL-3.0. Using it commercially is fine, but if you distribute something built on it you may be required to release that under the same licence. Keep it internal, or check before distributing.
How it compares
The conditions that decide whether you can actually use it, side by side.
| Tool | Command line | API key | Sends data out | Phone | Commercial use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| nightingale (this page) | Required | Not needed | Yes | No | Yes |
| Immich | Required | Not needed | No | No | Yes |
| Stirling-PDF | Required | Not needed | No | No | Yes |
| Home Assistant | Required | Not needed | No | No | Yes |
"Sends data out" means your input is uploaded to someone's server. Pick "No" when the material cannot leave your organisation.