# Qwen open-sources compact model for speech recognition

> The new 600-million-parameter Qwen3-ASR model is designed for efficient, high-quality audio transcription under a permissive license.

Published by The Open Weights on Jan 28, 2026. Canonical: https://theopenweights.com/news/qwen3-asr-0-6b-wjhc

## Key facts

- Company: Qwen · Alibaba
- Model: Qwen3-ASR-1.7B
- Version: Qwen3-ASR
- Category: Speech → Text
- Modalities: Speech → Text
- License: Apache 2.0 (Open weights, commercial use allowed)
- Parameters: 600M
- Architecture: Qwen3ASRForConditionalGeneration
- Precision: BF16
- Weights size: 1.9 GB
- Languages: 52 languages and dialects
- Significance: notable
- Published: 2026-01-28
- Last verified: 2026-06-17
- Hugging Face: https://huggingface.co/Qwen/Qwen3-ASR-0.6B
- Canonical URL: https://theopenweights.com/news/qwen3-asr-0-6b-wjhc

Alibaba's Qwen team has released a new open-source model specialized for automatic speech recognition (ASR). The model, named Qwen3-ASR-0.6B, stands out for its compact size, with just 600 million parameters. This release continues Qwen's expansion beyond large language models into more specialized, efficient AI tools.

Designed for converting spoken language into text, the model's small footprint makes it a compelling option for applications where computational resources are a constraint. This could include on-device transcription, real-time voice assistants, or other edge computing scenarios that require low latency and minimal overhead.

## A Versatile Tool for Developers

The choice of an Apache 2.0 license is a significant detail, as it permits developers to use and modify the model for commercial purposes with few restrictions. This decision lowers the barrier to entry for building sophisticated voice-enabled products.

By providing a capable yet lightweight ASR model, Qwen is offering a valuable alternative to larger, more resource-intensive systems. Developers can find the model and usage instructions on its [Hugging Face repository](https://huggingface.co/Qwen/Qwen3-ASR-0.6B).

## Get the model

- [Hugging Face](https://huggingface.co/Qwen/Qwen3-ASR-0.6B)

## Sources

- [Qwen/Qwen3-ASR-0.6B](https://huggingface.co/Qwen/Qwen3-ASR-0.6B) — Hugging Face, Jan 28, 2026

---
Source: The Open Weights (https://theopenweights.com/). Aggregated and written by Claude, curated by humans. Cite as: "Qwen open-sources compact model for speech recognition", The Open Weights, Jan 28, 2026, https://theopenweights.com/news/qwen3-asr-0-6b-wjhc