diff --git a/faster_whisper/audio.py b/faster_whisper/audio.py
index b6f5709..fbecc48 100644
--- a/faster_whisper/audio.py
+++ b/faster_whisper/audio.py
@@ -15,19 +15,27 @@ import av
 import numpy as np
 
 
-def decode_audio(input_file: Union[str, BinaryIO], sampling_rate: int = 16000):
+def decode_audio(
+    input_file: Union[str, BinaryIO],
+    sampling_rate: int = 16000,
+    split_stereo: bool = False,
+):
     """Decodes the audio.
 
     Args:
       input_file: Path to the input file or a file-like object.
       sampling_rate: Resample the audio to this sample rate.
+      split_stereo: Return separate left and right channels.
 
     Returns:
       A float32 Numpy array.
+
+      If `split_stereo` is enabled, the function returns a 2-tuple with the
+      separated left and right channels.
     """
     resampler = av.audio.resampler.AudioResampler(
         format="s16",
-        layout="mono",
+        layout="mono" if not split_stereo else "stereo",
         rate=sampling_rate,
     )
 
@@ -48,7 +56,14 @@ def decode_audio(input_file: Union[str, BinaryIO], sampling_rate: int = 16000):
     audio = np.frombuffer(raw_buffer.getbuffer(), dtype=dtype)
 
     # Convert s16 back to f32.
-    return audio.astype(np.float32) / 32768.0
+    audio = audio.astype(np.float32) / 32768.0
+
+    if split_stereo:
+        left_channel = audio[0::2]
+        right_channel = audio[1::2]
+        return left_channel, right_channel
+
+    return audio
 
 
 def _ignore_invalid_frames(frames):
diff --git a/tests/data/stereo_diarization.wav b/tests/data/stereo_diarization.wav
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f5ae75
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/data/stereo_diarization.wav differ
diff --git a/tests/test_transcribe.py b/tests/test_transcribe.py
index 575bbd4..10e39db 100644
--- a/tests/test_transcribe.py
+++ b/tests/test_transcribe.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-from faster_whisper import WhisperModel
+import os
+
+from faster_whisper import WhisperModel, decode_audio
 
 
 def test_transcribe(jfk_path):
@@ -23,3 +25,21 @@ def test_transcribe(jfk_path):
     assert segment.text == "".join(word.word for word in segment.words)
     assert segment.start == segment.words[0].start
     assert segment.end == segment.words[-1].end
+
+
+def test_stereo_diarization(data_dir):
+    model = WhisperModel("tiny")
+
+    audio_path = os.path.join(data_dir, "stereo_diarization.wav")
+    left, right = decode_audio(audio_path, split_stereo=True)
+
+    segments, _ = model.transcribe(left)
+    transcription = "".join(segment.text for segment in segments).strip()
+    assert transcription == (
+        "He began a confused complaint against the wizard, "
+        "who had vanished behind the curtain on the left."
+    )
+
+    segments, _ = model.transcribe(right)
+    transcription = "".join(segment.text for segment in segments).strip()
+    assert transcription == "The horizon seems extremely distant."