tts

name	tts
description	Convert text to speech using the tts CLI. Use when the user asks to read text aloud, generate audio, speak something, or convert text to speech.

TTS - Text to Speech Skill

You have access to the tts CLI for text-to-speech with voice cloning, powered by Qwen3-TTS running locally.

How to use

When the user asks you to speak, read aloud, or generate audio from text, use the tts CLI via the Bash tool.

Core commands

Speak text aloud (with streaming playback):

tts say "Text to speak"

Save to a WAV file:

tts say "Text to speak" --save output.wav --no-play

Speak and save simultaneously:

tts say "Text to speak" --save output.wav

Generate audio file (no playback):

tts generate "Text to speak" -o output.wav

Options

Flag	Description
-v, --voice NAME	Use a specific cloned voice
-l, --language CODE	Language code (default: en, also: zh, ja, ko, etc.)
-m, --model SIZE	Model: 1.7B (quality) or 0.6B (speed)
-i, --instruct TEXT	Speaking style instruction (e.g., "Speak slowly and calmly")
-s, --save PATH	Save audio to WAV file
--no-play	Don't play audio, only save
--no-stream	Disable streaming (generate all then play)
--seed INT	Random seed for reproducibility
-f, --file PATH	Read text from file instead of argument

Voice management

tts voice list                    # List available voices
tts voice add recording.wav --text "transcript" --voice myvoice  # Add a voice
tts voice default myvoice         # Set default voice
tts voice info myvoice            # Show voice details

Piping text

echo "Hello world" | tts say

Guidelines

1. Interpret $ARGUMENTS as the text to speak or as instructions about what to generate. If the user provides plain text, speak it directly. If they provide instructions (e.g., "read the README aloud"), follow them.
2. Default to tts say for quick playback. Use tts generate only when the user explicitly wants a file without playback.
3. Always include --instruct "Speak at a moderate, natural pace" by default for a comfortable listening speed. Adjust the instruct text based on context:
   • Short notifications/alerts: "Speak clearly and at a normal pace"
   • Long paragraphs/explanations: "Speak at a slightly slower, clear pace for easy listening"
   • If the user asks for faster/slower speed, adjust accordingly (e.g., "Speak quickly", "Speak very slowly")
   • Combine speed with tone when appropriate (e.g., "Speak slowly and calmly", "Speak quickly with excitement")
4. Ask about voice preference only if the user hasn't specified one and has multiple voices available. Otherwise use the default voice.
5. For long text from files, use tts say --file <path> or pipe the content.
6. Use --instruct when the user describes a tone or speaking style (e.g., "read this excitedly", "speak in a calm voice").
7. Language detection: If the text is clearly in a non-English language, set --language appropriately (zh for Chinese, ja for Japanese, ko for Korean, etc.).
8. For saving files, default to .wav format and suggest a descriptive filename based on the content.
9. Run tts commands with a timeout of 300000ms (5 minutes) since audio generation can take time for long text.