<p align="center">
  <!-- TODO: add logo at docs/logo.svg -->
  <a href="https://ghostminutes.com" title="GhostMinutes landing page"><strong>GhostMinutes</strong></a>
</p>

# GhostMinutes MCP — Audio Transcription for Cursor, Claude, ChatGPT & every MCP client

Accurate meeting transcription through the Model Context Protocol (MCP): speaker labels, multilingual coverage, and hosted Whisper-class models without running GPUs locally.

[![npm version](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/ghostminutes-mcp)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/ghostminutes-mcp)
[![License: MIT](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-yellow.svg)](LICENSE)
[![MCP compatible](https://img.shields.io/badge/MCP-compatible-111827)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io)
[![GitHub stars](https://img.shields.io/github/stars/Rocketech-Software-Development/ghostminutes-mcp?style=social)](https://github.com/Rocketech-Software-Development/ghostminutes-mcp)
![Official MCP Registry listed](https://img.shields.io/badge/Official%20MCP%20Registry-listed-blue)

GhostMinutes MCP is an audio transcription MCP that pairs beautifully with assistants: paste a URL, poll status, summarize transcripts, and inspect credits without leaving your IDE.

## Cursor

Use this Cursor MCP server snippet inside Cursor → Settings → MCP → JSON editor:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ghostminutes": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "ghostminutes-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "GHOSTMINUTES_API_KEY": "gm_replace_with_your_key"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

Removing `GHOSTMINUTES_API_KEY` keeps you on the anonymous tier while you evaluate meeting transcription workflows.

## Claude Desktop

Drop the following Claude MCP server stanza into `claude_desktop_config.json`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ghostminutes": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "ghostminutes-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "GHOSTMINUTES_API_KEY": "gm_replace_with_your_key"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

Restart Claude Desktop after edits so stdio transports reconnect cleanly.

## Continue

Continue reads the same stdio definition:

```json
{
  "experimental": {
    "modelContextProtocolServers": [
      {
        "transport": {
          "type": "stdio",
          "command": "npx",
          "args": ["-y", "ghostminutes-mcp"],
          "env": {
            "GHOSTMINUTES_API_KEY": "gm_replace_with_your_key"
          }
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}
```

Swap in absolute paths only if `npx` is unavailable inside your sandbox.

## ChatGPT custom connector

ChatGPT custom connectors vary by rollout region. Where MCP-over-stdio is unavailable, proxy through your MCP host or paste transcripts retrieved via `get_transcript`. When stdio bridging is supported, mirror the Claude snippet:

```json
{
  "command": "npx",
  "args": ["-y", "ghostminutes-mcp"],
  "env": {
    "GHOSTMINUTES_API_KEY": "gm_replace_with_your_key"
  }
}
```

Document any gateway ports carefully—secrets stay local while transcripts upload through GhostMinutes APIs.

## Generic HTTP

This npm package exposes **stdio** MCP using `@modelcontextprotocol/sdk`. Generic HTTP integrations should terminate TLS upstream (Streamable HTTP lives on GhostMinutes infrastructure separately). Point automation at:

```
GHOSTMINUTES_API_URL=https://ghostminutes-backend-production.up.railway.app/api
```

Then attach whatever MCP gateway your ChatOps stack expects.

---

![GhostMinutes MCP demo animation placeholder](docs/demo.gif)

## Why GhostMinutes MCP

- **Speaker diarization** differentiates voices for meeting transcription summaries.
- **99+ languages** cover global teams without swapping Whisper MCP forks.
- **Hosted infrastructure** avoids shipping massive models with every developer laptop.
- **Free starter credits** keep hobbyists unblocked while Pro unlocks heavier audio loads.
- **Model Context Protocol native** tooling means one install for Cursor, Claude, Continue, or any spec-compliant host.

Compared with a barebones Whisper MCP, GhostMinutes MCP layers account management, credits, summarization helpers, and consistent job tracking.

### Advanced workflow notes

Pair `transcribe_audio_url` with `get_transcription_status` whenever assistants cannot await five-minute synchronous polls—most Cursor MCP server automations prefer this split because it mirrors asynchronous CI patterns.

Need deterministic summaries? Fetch transcripts first (`get_transcript`), stash them in version control redacted snippets, then feed curated excerpts into `summarize` so Model Context Protocol audit trails stay reproducible.

Meeting transcription pipelines benefit from tagging URLs with HTTPS endpoints only; GhostMinutes rejects flaky redirects early to save Whisper MCP troubleshooting loops.

Because MCP-compatible hosts sandbox stdio pipes differently, keep logs on stderr inside downstream forks—GhostMinutes MCP itself never prints informational noise on stdout.

When benchmarking GhostMinutes MCP versus generic Whisper MCP integrations, capture wall-clock latency for both anonymous and authenticated tiers separately—credit-aware queues behave differently under burst uploads.

Power users orchestrating ChatGPT custom connector gateways should terminate TLS at their proxy while forwarding `Authorization: Bearer gm_*` headers verbatim to preserve quota attribution.

Finally, bookmark `examples/` for ready-to-paste snippets tailored to Cursor, Claude Desktop, and Continue—each file mirrors best practices validated against `@modelcontextprotocol/sdk` v1.x transports.

## Available tools

| Tool | Description | Parameters | Auth required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `transcribe_audio_url` | Submit a public audio/video URL for asynchronous transcription | `url`, optional `language` | No (optional key) |
| `transcribe_audio_url_sync` | Submit a URL and poll up to five minutes | `url`, optional `language` | No (optional key) |
| `get_transcription_status` | Poll transcription job metadata | `job_id` | No (optional key) |
| `list_transcripts` | List saved jobs for the signed-in workspace | _(none)_ | Yes |
| `get_transcript` | Download a transcript payload by id | `id` | Yes |
| `delete_transcript` | Remove a transcript | `id` | Yes |
| `summarize` | Hosted AI summarization via `/api/ai/chat` | `text`, optional `focus` | Yes |
| `get_credits` | Inspect remaining GhostMinutes quota | _(none)_ | Yes |

Anonymous traffic is perfect for prototypes; authenticated tiers unlock persistence and collaboration.

## Pricing & credits

| Tier | Monthly credits | Typical best for | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Anonymous | 10 credits / month / IP | Quick experiments without signup | Ideal for Whisper MCP comparisons |
| Free (signed in) | 10 credits / month | Individuals testing meeting transcription | Includes dashboard access |
| Pro | 300 credits / month ($9.99) | Agencies & power users | Predictable throughput |

**Rule of thumb:** 1 GhostMinutes credit ≈ 6 minutes of audio. Actual usage varies with diarization complexity and retries.

Need more? Visit [ghostminutes.com](https://ghostminutes.com) for the latest bundles and promotions.

## Use cases / example prompts

1. **Exec recap** — “Call `transcribe_audio_url_sync` on this all-hands MP4, then `summarize` with focus `CEO decisions only`.”
2. **Support QA** — “List transcripts via `list_transcripts`, fetch #472 with `get_transcript`, highlight escalations.”
3. **Localization smoke test** — “Send `transcribe_audio_url` with `language` `es`, poll using `get_transcription_status`, verify diarized segments.”
4. **Budget guardrail** — “Run `get_credits`, refuse further audio transcription MCP jobs if fewer than two credits remain.”

These prompts showcase how GhostMinutes MCP complements Cursor MCP server workflows without bouncing between terminals.

## FAQ

<details>
<summary>Do I need to sign up?</summary>

Anonymous usage works for lightweight Whisper MCP comparisons. Sign up when you want authenticated tools (`list_transcripts`, `summarize`, higher reliability dashboards).
</details>

<details>
<summary>Is my audio kept?</summary>

GhostMinutes stores transcripts according to the production privacy policy linked from ghostminutes.com. Prefer ephemeral URLs or rotate keys after audits.
</details>

<details>
<summary>What languages are supported?</summary>

The backend mirrors Whisper-class multilingual coverage—omit `language` for autodetection or pass ISO 639-1 codes for forced alignment.
</details>

<details>
<summary>How do I get more credits?</summary>

Upgrade inside the GhostMinutes billing portal or rotate teams onto Pro seats when meeting transcription volumes spike.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Can I self-host?</summary>

This repo focuses on the hosted GhostMinutes stack. Enterprise self-hosting questions should route through Rocketech support channels.
</details>

## Comparison: GhostMinutes MCP vs generic Whisper MCPs

| Dimension | GhostMinutes MCP | Typical Whisper MCP |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Speaker diarization | First-class job metadata | Rarely bundled |
| Credits & auth | Built-in GhostMinutes API | Bring-your-own infra |
| Summaries | Native `summarize` tool | Usually manual prompts |
| Meeting transcription UX | Designed around job lifecycle | Often single-shot |
| Claude / Cursor parity | Same config across hosts | varies per template |

## Configuration / env vars

| Variable | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `GHOSTMINUTES_API_KEY` | No | API key (`gm_<32-char-hex>`). Without it you get anonymous limits. |
| `GHOSTMINUTES_API_URL` | No | Override API base if you proxy through a private edge. Defaults to Railway production |

Reference `server.json` for the canonical MCP Registry manifest submitted to registry.modelcontextprotocol.io.

## Roadmap

- Batch URL ingestion for playlist-style meeting transcription imports.
- Richer structured outputs for diarization segments and per-speaker timelines.
- Tooling for redacted exports (PII masking) prior to summarization.
- Expanded automated tests covering edge cases from the hosted API.
- Additional documentation for IDE-specific authentication patterns.
- Companion observability dashboards describing MCP traffic separately from HTTP dashboards.

## Contributing

Issues and PRs are welcome in [Rocketech-Software-Development/ghostminutes-mcp](https://github.com/Rocketech-Software-Development/ghostminutes-mcp). Please include repro steps, sample URLs (sanitized), and expected MCP tool outputs. CI runs `npm run build` and `npm test` on every push to `main`.

## License

MIT — see [`LICENSE`](LICENSE).

GhostMinutes MCP remains independent from upstream Whisper releases; Rocketech ships compatibility-tested bundles so Cursor MCP server upgrades stay boringly predictable.

Commercial support, custom SLAs, and private Model Context Protocol gateways are available—email the GhostMinutes team via the website contact form.

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