| name | edge-tts-unlimited |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| description | Free, unlimited text-to-speech using Microsoft Edge's neural voices via Python edge-tts.
No API key, no credits, no character limits. Handles long-form content (tested 55+ minutes).
Use when: (1) Converting text to speech for audio briefs, podcasts, or voice notes.
(2) Generating long-form audio (news briefs, articles, stories) without hitting API limits.
(3) Need TTS on a headless server (Fly.io, VPS, Docker) with zero setup cost.
NOT for: Real-time streaming TTS, voice cloning, or premium voice acting (use ElevenLabs for that).
|
Edge TTS Unlimited
Free, unlimited neural TTS. No API key. No credits. No character limits.
Why This Over Other TTS Skills?
| Problem | Other skills | This skill |
|---|
| Long text (>5K chars) | Fail or need chunking | Works natively via --file |
| Cost | ElevenLabs burns $5/mo in 4 briefs | Free forever |
| API keys | Required | None needed |
| Server deployment | Some need native deps | Pure Python, works on Fly.io/Docker |
| 55-minute audio | Not tested/supported | Tested and confirmed |
Quick Start
Generate speech from text:
scripts/speak.sh "Hello world" -o output.mp3
Generate from file (recommended for long text):
scripts/speak.sh --file /tmp/my-script.txt -o output.mp3
With voice and speed:
scripts/speak.sh --file script.txt -v en-US-GuyNeural -r "+5%" -o brief.mp3
Requirements
- Python 3.8+ (pre-installed on most systems)
uv package manager OR pip — script auto-detects
The script auto-installs edge-tts on first run via uv run --with edge-tts (no venv needed).
Voice Presets
Use --preset for quick voice selection:
| Preset | Voice | Style |
|---|
news-us | en-US-GuyNeural +5% | Lively US news anchor |
news-bbc | en-GB-RyanNeural | Authoritative British |
calm | en-US-AndrewNeural -10% | Warm, relaxed |
fast | en-US-ChristopherNeural +20% | Speed-read |
scripts/speak.sh --file brief.txt --preset news-us -o brief.mp3
All Options
scripts/speak.sh [TEXT] [OPTIONS]
TEXT Text to speak (or use --file)
--file, -f FILE Read text from file (recommended for long content)
--voice, -v NAME Voice name (default: en-US-GuyNeural)
--rate, -r RATE Speed adjustment: "+5%", "-10%", etc.
--preset, -p NAME Use a voice preset (see above)
--output, -o FILE Output path (default: /tmp/tts-{timestamp}.mp3)
--list List available voices
--list-filter STR Filter voice list (e.g. "british", "female")
Popular Voices
Run scripts/speak.sh --list for all voices, or filter:
scripts/speak.sh --list-filter british
scripts/speak.sh --list-filter female
English highlights:
en-US-GuyNeural — Male, news/passion (best for briefs)en-US-ChristopherNeural — Male, authoritativeen-US-AriaNeural — Female, confidenten-GB-RyanNeural — Male, British steadyen-GB-SoniaNeural — Female, British
Tested Limits
| Chars | Duration | File Size | Result |
|---|
| 7,400 | ~6 min | 2.6 MB | ✅ |
| 18,000 | ~21 min | 7.3 MB | ✅ |
| 46,200 | ~55 min | 18.8 MB | ✅ |
No hard limit found. Microsoft Edge TTS service handles arbitrarily long text.
Tips
- Always use
--file for text longer than a sentence — avoids shell quoting issues
- Rate "+5%" sounds natural for news; "+20%" for speed-listening
- Edge TTS interprets
[short pause] as literal text — use commas and periods for natural pauses
- Audio is 48kbps mono MP3 by default — good enough for voice, small file size
