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# tts-audiobook-generator
Generate audiobooks from books (epub, txt, pdf) using text-to-speech backends such as `audio.cpp` and `qwen-tts`. Installs and manages
## Overview
The converter sends text extracted from your books to a locally running TTS server and assembles the returned audio into a single audiobook file.
- Input: `.txt`, `.pdf`, or `.epub`
- Output: `.m4b`, `.mp3`, `.ogg`, or `.flac`
- Supports [audio.cpp](https://github.com/0xShug0/audio.cpp), [qwen-tts](https://pypi.org/project/qwen-tts/), and [faster-qwen3-tts](https://github.com/andimarafioti/faster-qwen3-tts) backend servers
- Output a single file or one per chapter
- Automatic metadata (title/artist/album tags, chapter track numbers) and a generated cover
- Supports text-to-speech, voice cloning, voice design, and per-model controls like emotion/speed
| Backend | Description |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| [audio.cpp](https://github.com/0xShug0/audio.cpp) | Newer C++ TTS backend that supports many recent models |
| [Qwen-TTS](https://pypi.org/project/qwen-tts/) | Qwen demo server (qwen-tts-demo) |
| [Faster-Qwen-TTS](https://github.com/andimarafioti/faster-qwen3-tts) | Qwen server with 2-8x faster inference for NVidia GPUs |
## Prerequisites
- Python 3.12+
- ffmpeg
## Quick Start
1. Download the project
```bash
git clone https://git.historia.vg/git/tts-audiobook-generator
cd tts-audiobook-generator
```
2. Put your files in the directories
- `./input` - Text files to be processed (`epub`, etc.)
- `./output` - Audio files will output here
- `./voices` - `.wav` files of voices to clone (10-20 seconds)
3. Run `audiobook.py`. It will create a venv `./app/envs/tts` and automatically install all requirements.
```
python audiobook.py
```
4. When the TUI comes up, go to `Configure Backends > Install Backend`. Install `audio.cpp`, which supports numerous TTS models. It will automatically be cloned and built in the venv (this will take a while) — the clone, build, and model downloads all run inside the TUI with a status and progress bar, so you're never dropped to the console.
5. Choose TTS models to install. `Qwen3-TTS` is a popular. Pick the `Base` model if you're cloning voices or `CustomVoice` for built-in TTS.
## CLI Options
Everything the TUI does can also be scripted with flags: `python audiobook.py --backend audiocpp --model higgs --voice narrator`.
## Options
| Flag | Description |
| ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `--backend {audiocpp,qwen,faster}` | TTS server to use (default `audiocpp`). |
| `--format {mp3,m4b,ogg,flac}` | Output format (default `m4b`). |
| `--input <dir>` | Directory containing the books to convert (default `./input`). |
| `--output <dir>` | Directory to write finished audiobooks to (default `./output`). |
| `--speed <n>` | Playback speed, pitch-preserving (`1.0` = normal). A normal-speed copy is also output. |
| `--single-file` | Merge all chapters into a single file. `m4b` is always one file. |
| `--language <lang>` | Output language for the synthesized speech. Can add an accent even if the text is English. |
| `--debug` | Dump each chunk's raw audio and sent text to `debug/` and log every request. |
| `--model <id>` | `audiocpp`: Choose the model from `server.json` |
| `--instructions "..."` | `audiocpp`: voice design or style instruction. Required for voice design models (`vdes`) |
| `--option KEY=VALUE` | `audiocpp`: Some models support custom options (e.g. `emotion=netural`) that can be passed with this flag |
| `--voice <name>` | `audiocpp`, `faster`: Server-side voice to request |
| `--clone <path>` | `qwen`: Reference audio (`wav`) for voice cloning. |
| `--transcription "..."` | `qwen`: Override whisper auto-transcription with manual audio transcript. |
| `--no-transcription` | `qwen`: Skip auto-transcription of the reference audio. |
| `--api-url <url>` | URL of the TTS server to talk to, overriding the configured endpoint for the selected backend. Accepts `host:port` or a full `http(s)://` URL. |
Other options — including backend server URLs, ports, and the remote-server URLs the hub probes for `[remote]` entries — are configured in `app/converter/config.py` (or the TUI's **Settings** menu).
## Manual TTS Backend Setup
If the TUI auto-install doesn't work, you may need to set up the backends manually.
- [audio.cpp instructions](app/docs/backend-audiocpp.md)
- [qwen-tts instructions](app/docs/backend-qwen.md)
- [faster-qwen-tts instructions](app/docs/backend-faster.md)
`./audiobook.py` can also connect to external servers running these backends. Point the relevant `*_REMOTE_URL` in `app/converter/config.py` (or the **Settings** → remote URL fields) at the server's `host:port` — the hub probes it and offers a `[remote]` entry in **Convert books…** next to the managed one. The defaults are the local ports (`127.0.0.1:<port>`), so a server started outside this tool on the local port is picked up automatically. For scripting, `--api-url` targets any server directly.
## Tips
Transcription affects the output a lot. Whisper does not always give perfect transcription. Manual transcription is better.
Even tiny amounts of pause between phrases in the sample audio can have a big impact. Try increasing or decreasing them or find a sample with different cadence.
## License
MIT
## Credits
- [Qwen3-Audiobook-Converter](https://github.com/WhiskeyCoder/Qwen3-Audiobook-Converter) by WhiskeyCoder. This project was originally built upon this.
- [Qwen3-TTS](https://github.com/QwenLM/Qwen3-TTS) voice model.
- [audio.cpp](https://github.com/0xShug0/audio.cpp) inference engine for the `audiocpp` backend.
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