A JavaScript/TypeScript library that provides a unified API for working with multiple cloud-based Text-to-Speech (TTS) services. Inspired by py3-TTS-Wrapper, it simplifies the use of services like Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Watson, and ElevenLabs.
- Features
- Supported TTS Engines
- Installation
- Quick Start
- Core Functionality
- SSML Support
- Speech Markdown Support
- Engine-Specific Examples
- Browser Support
- API Reference
- Contributing
- License
- Unified API: Consistent interface across multiple TTS providers.
- SSML Support: Use Speech Synthesis Markup Language to enhance speech synthesis
- Speech Markdown: Optional support for easier speech markup
- Voice Selection: Easily browse and select from available voices
- Streaming Synthesis: Stream audio as it's being synthesized
- Playback Control: Pause, resume, and stop audio playback
- Word Boundaries: Get callbacks for word timing (where supported)
- File Output: Save synthesized speech to audio files
- Browser Support: Works in both Node.js (server) and browser environments (see engine support table below)
Factory Name | Class Name | Environment | Provider | Dependencies |
---|---|---|---|---|
azure |
AzureTTSClient |
Both | Microsoft Azure Cognitive Services |
@azure/cognitiveservices-speechservices , microsoft-cognitiveservices-speech-sdk
|
google |
GoogleTTSClient |
Both | Google Cloud Text-to-Speech | @google-cloud/text-to-speech |
elevenlabs |
ElevenLabsTTSClient |
Both | ElevenLabs |
node-fetch@2 (Node.js only) |
watson |
WatsonTTSClient |
Both | IBM Watson | None (uses fetch API) |
openai |
OpenAITTSClient |
Both | OpenAI | openai |
playht |
PlayHTTTSClient |
Both | PlayHT |
node-fetch@2 (Node.js only) |
polly |
PollyTTSClient |
Both | Amazon Web Services | @aws-sdk/client-polly |
sherpaonnx |
SherpaOnnxTTSClient |
Node.js | k2-fsa/sherpa-onnx |
sherpa-onnx-node , decompress , decompress-bzip2 , decompress-tarbz2 , decompress-targz , tar-stream
|
sherpaonnx-wasm |
SherpaOnnxWasmTTSClient |
Browser | k2-fsa/sherpa-onnx | None (WASM included) |
espeak |
EspeakNodeTTSClient |
Node.js | eSpeak NG | text2wav |
espeak-wasm |
EspeakBrowserTTSClient |
Both | eSpeak NG |
mespeak (Node.js) or meSpeak.js (browser) |
sapi |
SAPITTSClient |
Node.js | Windows Speech API (SAPI) | None (uses PowerShell) |
witai |
WitAITTSClient |
Both | Wit.ai | None (uses fetch API) |
Factory Name: Use with createTTSClient('factory-name', credentials)
Class Name: Use with direct import import { ClassName } from 'js-tts-wrapper'
Environment: Node.js = server-side only, Browser = browser-compatible, Both = works in both environments
The library uses a modular approach where TTS engine-specific dependencies are optional. You can install the package and its dependencies as follows:
# Install the base package
npm install js-tts-wrapper
# Install dependencies for specific engines
npm install @azure/cognitiveservices-speechservices microsoft-cognitiveservices-speech-sdk # For Azure
npm install @google-cloud/text-to-speech # For Google Cloud
npm install @aws-sdk/client-polly # For AWS Polly
npm install node-fetch@2 # For ElevenLabs and PlayHT
npm install openai # For OpenAI
npm install sherpa-onnx-node decompress decompress-bzip2 decompress-tarbz2 decompress-targz tar-stream # For SherpaOnnx
npm install text2wav # For eSpeak NG (Node.js)
npm install mespeak # For eSpeak NG-WASM (Node.js)
npm install say # For System TTS (Node.js)
npm install sound-play pcm-convert # For Node.js audio playback
After installing the base package, you can use the npm scripts provided by the package to install specific engine dependencies:
# Navigate to your project directory where js-tts-wrapper is installed
cd your-project
# Install Azure dependencies
npx js-tts-wrapper@latest run install:azure
# Install SherpaOnnx dependencies
npx js-tts-wrapper@latest run install:sherpaonnx
# Install eSpeak NG dependencies (Node.js)
npx js-tts-wrapper@latest run install:espeak
# Install eSpeak NG-WASM dependencies (Node.js)
npx js-tts-wrapper@latest run install:espeak-wasm
# Install System TTS dependencies (Node.js)
npx js-tts-wrapper@latest run install:system
# Install Node.js audio playback dependencies
npx js-tts-wrapper@latest run install:node-audio
# Install all development dependencies
npx js-tts-wrapper@latest run install:all-dev
import { AzureTTSClient } from 'js-tts-wrapper';
// Initialize the client with your credentials
const tts = new AzureTTSClient({
subscriptionKey: 'your-subscription-key',
region: 'westeurope'
});
// List available voices
const voices = await tts.getVoices();
console.log(voices);
// Set a voice
tts.setVoice('en-US-AriaNeural');
// Speak some text
await tts.speak('Hello, world!');
// Use SSML for more control
const ssml = '<speak>Hello <break time="500ms"/> world!</speak>';
await tts.speak(ssml);
const { AzureTTSClient } = require('js-tts-wrapper');
// Initialize the client with your credentials
const tts = new AzureTTSClient({
subscriptionKey: 'your-subscription-key',
region: 'westeurope'
});
// Use async/await within an async function
async function runExample() {
// List available voices
const voices = await tts.getVoices();
console.log(voices);
// Set a voice
tts.setVoice('en-US-AriaNeural');
// Speak some text
await tts.speak('Hello, world!');
// Use SSML for more control
const ssml = '<speak>Hello <break time="500ms"/> world!</speak>';
await tts.speak(ssml);
}
runExample().catch(console.error);
The library provides a factory function to create TTS clients dynamically based on the engine name:
import { createTTSClient } from 'js-tts-wrapper';
// Create a TTS client using the factory function
const tts = createTTSClient('azure', {
subscriptionKey: 'your-subscription-key',
region: 'westeurope'
});
// Use the client as normal
await tts.speak('Hello from the factory pattern!');
const { createTTSClient } = require('js-tts-wrapper');
// Create a TTS client using the factory function
const tts = createTTSClient('azure', {
subscriptionKey: 'your-subscription-key',
region: 'westeurope'
});
async function runExample() {
// Use the client as normal
await tts.speak('Hello from the factory pattern!');
}
runExample().catch(console.error);
The factory supports all engines: 'azure'
, 'google'
, 'polly'
, 'elevenlabs'
, 'openai'
, 'playht'
, 'watson'
, 'witai'
, 'sherpaonnx'
, 'sherpaonnx-wasm'
, 'espeak'
, 'espeak-wasm'
, 'sapi'
, etc.
All TTS engines in js-tts-wrapper implement a common set of methods and features through the AbstractTTSClient class. This ensures consistent behavior across different providers.
// Get all available voices
const voices = await tts.getVoices();
// Get voices for a specific language
const englishVoices = await tts.getVoicesByLanguage('en-US');
// Set the voice to use
tts.setVoice('en-US-AriaNeural');
The library includes a robust Language Normalization system that standardizes language codes across different TTS engines. This allows you to:
- Use BCP-47 codes (e.g., 'en-US') or ISO 639-3 codes (e.g., 'eng') interchangeably
- Get consistent language information regardless of the TTS engine
- Filter voices by language using any standard format
// Convert text to audio bytes (Uint8Array)
const audioBytes = await tts.synthToBytes('Hello, world!');
// Stream synthesis with word boundary information
const { audioStream, wordBoundaries } = await tts.synthToBytestream('Hello, world!');
// Synthesize and play audio
await tts.speak('Hello, world!');
// Playback control
tts.pause(); // Pause playback
tts.resume(); // Resume playback
tts.stop(); // Stop playback
// Stream synthesis and play with word boundary callbacks
await tts.startPlaybackWithCallbacks('Hello world', (word, start, end) => {
console.log(`Word: ${word}, Start: ${start}s, End: ${end}s`);
});
Note: Audio playback with
speak()
andspeakStreamed()
methods is supported in both browser environments and Node.js environments with the optionalsound-play
package installed. To enable Node.js audio playback, install the required packages withnpm install sound-play pcm-convert
or use the npm scriptnpx js-tts-wrapper@latest run install:node-audio
.
// Save synthesized speech to a file
await tts.synthToFile('Hello, world!', 'output', 'mp3');
// Register event handlers
tts.on('start', () => console.log('Speech started'));
tts.on('end', () => console.log('Speech ended'));
tts.on('boundary', (word, start, end) => {
console.log(`Word: ${word}, Start: ${start}s, End: ${end}s`);
});
// Alternative event connection
tts.connect('onStart', () => console.log('Speech started'));
tts.connect('onEnd', () => console.log('Speech ended'));
All engines support SSML (Speech Synthesis Markup Language) for advanced control over speech synthesis:
// Use SSML directly
const ssml = `
<speak>
<prosody rate="slow" pitch="low">
This text will be spoken slowly with a low pitch.
</prosody>
<break time="500ms"/>
<emphasis level="strong">This text is emphasized.</emphasis>
</speak>
`;
await tts.speak(ssml);
// Or use the SSML builder
const ssmlText = tts.ssml
.prosody({ rate: 'slow', pitch: 'low' }, 'This text will be spoken slowly with a low pitch.')
.break(500)
.emphasis('strong', 'This text is emphasized.')
.toString();
await tts.speak(ssmlText);
The library supports Speech Markdown for easier speech formatting:
// Use Speech Markdown
const markdown = "Hello (pause:500ms) world! This is (emphasis:strong) important.";
await tts.speak(markdown, { useSpeechMarkdown: true });
Each TTS engine has its own specific setup. Here are examples for each supported engine in both ESM and CommonJS formats:
import { AzureTTSClient } from 'js-tts-wrapper';
const tts = new AzureTTSClient({
subscriptionKey: 'your-subscription-key',
region: 'westeurope'
});
await tts.speak('Hello from Azure!');
const { AzureTTSClient } = require('js-tts-wrapper');
const tts = new AzureTTSClient({
subscriptionKey: 'your-subscription-key',
region: 'westeurope'
});
// Inside an async function
await tts.speak('Hello from Azure!');
import { GoogleTTSClient } from 'js-tts-wrapper';
const tts = new GoogleTTSClient({
keyFilename: '/path/to/service-account-key.json'
});
await tts.speak('Hello from Google Cloud!');
const { GoogleTTSClient } = require('js-tts-wrapper');
const tts = new GoogleTTSClient({
keyFilename: '/path/to/service-account-key.json'
});
// Inside an async function
await tts.speak('Hello from Google Cloud!');
import { PollyTTSClient } from 'js-tts-wrapper';
const tts = new PollyTTSClient({
region: 'us-east-1',
accessKeyId: 'your-access-key-id',
secretAccessKey: 'your-secret-access-key'
});
await tts.speak('Hello from AWS Polly!');
const { PollyTTSClient } = require('js-tts-wrapper');
const tts = new PollyTTSClient({
region: 'us-east-1',
accessKeyId: 'your-access-key-id',
secretAccessKey: 'your-secret-access-key'
});
// Inside an async function
await tts.speak('Hello from AWS Polly!');
import { ElevenLabsTTSClient } from 'js-tts-wrapper';
const tts = new ElevenLabsTTSClient({
apiKey: 'your-api-key'
});
await tts.speak('Hello from ElevenLabs!');
const { ElevenLabsTTSClient } = require('js-tts-wrapper');
const tts = new ElevenLabsTTSClient({
apiKey: 'your-api-key'
});
// Inside an async function
await tts.speak('Hello from ElevenLabs!');
import { OpenAITTSClient } from 'js-tts-wrapper';
const tts = new OpenAITTSClient({
apiKey: 'your-api-key'
});
await tts.speak('Hello from OpenAI!');
const { OpenAITTSClient } = require('js-tts-wrapper');
const tts = new OpenAITTSClient({
apiKey: 'your-api-key'
});
// Inside an async function
await tts.speak('Hello from OpenAI!');
import { PlayHTTTSClient } from 'js-tts-wrapper';
const tts = new PlayHTTTSClient({
apiKey: 'your-api-key',
userId: 'your-user-id'
});
await tts.speak('Hello from PlayHT!');
const { PlayHTTTSClient } = require('js-tts-wrapper');
const tts = new PlayHTTTSClient({
apiKey: 'your-api-key',
userId: 'your-user-id'
});
// Inside an async function
await tts.speak('Hello from PlayHT!');
import { WatsonTTSClient } from 'js-tts-wrapper';
const tts = new WatsonTTSClient({
apiKey: 'your-api-key',
region: 'us-south',
instanceId: 'your-instance-id'
});
await tts.speak('Hello from IBM Watson!');
const { WatsonTTSClient } = require('js-tts-wrapper');
const tts = new WatsonTTSClient({
apiKey: 'your-api-key',
region: 'us-south',
instanceId: 'your-instance-id'
});
// Inside an async function
await tts.speak('Hello from IBM Watson!');
import { WitAITTSClient } from 'js-tts-wrapper';
const tts = new WitAITTSClient({
token: 'your-wit-ai-token'
});
await tts.speak('Hello from Wit.ai!');
const { WitAITTSClient } = require('js-tts-wrapper');
const tts = new WitAITTSClient({
token: 'your-wit-ai-token'
});
// Inside an async function
await tts.speak('Hello from Wit.ai!');
import { SherpaOnnxTTSClient } from 'js-tts-wrapper';
const tts = new SherpaOnnxTTSClient();
// The client will automatically download models when needed
await tts.speak('Hello from SherpaOnnx!');
const { SherpaOnnxTTSClient } = require('js-tts-wrapper');
const tts = new SherpaOnnxTTSClient();
// The client will automatically download models when needed
// Inside an async function
await tts.speak('Hello from SherpaOnnx!');
Note: SherpaOnnx is a server-side only engine and requires specific environment setup. See the SherpaOnnx documentation for details on setup and configuration. For browser environments, use SherpaOnnx-WASM instead.
import { EspeakNodeTTSClient } from 'js-tts-wrapper';
const tts = new EspeakNodeTTSClient();
await tts.speak('Hello from eSpeak NG!');
const { EspeakNodeTTSClient } = require('js-tts-wrapper');
const tts = new EspeakNodeTTSClient();
// Inside an async function
await tts.speak('Hello from eSpeak NG!');
Note: This engine uses the
text2wav
package and is designed for Node.js environments only. For browser environments, use the eSpeak NG Browser engine instead.
import { EspeakBrowserTTSClient } from 'js-tts-wrapper';
const tts = new EspeakBrowserTTSClient();
await tts.speak('Hello from eSpeak NG Browser!');
const { EspeakBrowserTTSClient } = require('js-tts-wrapper');
const tts = new EspeakBrowserTTSClient();
// Inside an async function
await tts.speak('Hello from eSpeak NG Browser!');
Note: This engine works in both Node.js (using the
mespeak
package) and browser environments (using meSpeak.js). For browser use, include meSpeak.js in your HTML before using this engine.
For backward compatibility, the old class names are still available:
-
EspeakTTSClient
(alias forEspeakNodeTTSClient
) -
EspeakWasmTTSClient
(alias forEspeakBrowserTTSClient
)
However, we recommend using the new, clearer names in new code.
import { SAPITTSClient } from 'js-tts-wrapper';
const tts = new SAPITTSClient();
await tts.speak('Hello from Windows SAPI!');
const { SAPITTSClient } = require('js-tts-wrapper');
const tts = new SAPITTSClient();
// Inside an async function
await tts.speak('Hello from Windows SAPI!');
Note: This engine is Windows-only
Function | Description | Return Type |
---|---|---|
createTTSClient(engine, credentials) |
Create a TTS client for the specified engine | AbstractTTSClient |
Method | Description | Return Type |
---|---|---|
getVoices() |
Get all available voices | Promise<UnifiedVoice[]> |
getVoicesByLanguage(language) |
Get voices for a specific language | Promise<UnifiedVoice[]> |
setVoice(voiceId, lang?) |
Set the voice to use | void |
synthToBytes(text, options?) |
Convert text to audio bytes | Promise<Uint8Array> |
synthToBytestream(text, options?) |
Stream synthesis with word boundaries | Promise<{audioStream, wordBoundaries}> |
speak(text, options?) |
Synthesize and play audio | Promise<void> |
speakStreamed(text, options?) |
Stream synthesis and play | Promise<void> |
synthToFile(text, filename, format?, options?) |
Save synthesized speech to a file | Promise<void> |
startPlaybackWithCallbacks(text, callback, options?) |
Play with word boundary callbacks | Promise<void> |
pause() |
Pause audio playback | void |
resume() |
Resume audio playback | void |
stop() |
Stop audio playback | void |
on(event, callback) |
Register event handler | void |
connect(event, callback) |
Connect to event | void |
checkCredentials() |
Check if credentials are valid | Promise<boolean> |
checkCredentialsDetailed() |
Check if credentials are valid with detailed response | Promise<CredentialsCheckResult> |
getProperty(propertyName) |
Get a property value | PropertyType |
setProperty(propertyName, value) |
Set a property value | void |
The checkCredentialsDetailed()
method returns a CredentialsCheckResult
object with the following properties:
{
success: boolean; // Whether the credentials are valid
error?: string; // Error message if credentials are invalid
voiceCount?: number; // Number of voices available if credentials are valid
}
The ssml
property provides a builder for creating SSML:
Method | Description |
---|---|
prosody(attrs, text) |
Add prosody element |
break(time) |
Add break element |
emphasis(level, text) |
Add emphasis element |
sayAs(interpretAs, text) |
Add say-as element |
phoneme(alphabet, ph, text) |
Add phoneme element |
sub(alias, text) |
Add substitution element |
toString() |
Convert to SSML string |
The library works in both Node.js and browser environments. In browsers, use the ESM or UMD bundle:
<!-- Using ES modules (recommended) -->
<script type="module">
import { SherpaOnnxWasmTTSClient } from 'js-tts-wrapper/browser';
// Create a new SherpaOnnx WebAssembly TTS client
const ttsClient = new SherpaOnnxWasmTTSClient();
// Initialize the WebAssembly module
await ttsClient.initializeWasm('./sherpaonnx-wasm/sherpaonnx.js');
// Get available voices
const voices = await ttsClient.getVoices();
console.log(`Found ${voices.length} voices`);
// Set the voice
await ttsClient.setVoice(voices[0].id);
// Speak some text
await ttsClient.speak('Hello, world!');
</script>
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.
The library uses a peer dependencies approach to minimize the installation footprint. You can install only the dependencies you need for the engines you plan to use.
# Install the base package
npm install js-tts-wrapper
# Install dependencies for specific engines
npm install @azure/cognitiveservices-speechservices microsoft-cognitiveservices-speech-sdk # For Azure TTS
npm install @google-cloud/text-to-speech # For Google TTS
npm install @aws-sdk/client-polly # For AWS Polly
npm install openai # For OpenAI TTS
npm install sherpa-onnx-node decompress decompress-bzip2 decompress-tarbz2 decompress-targz tar-stream # For SherpaOnnx TTS
npm install text2wav # For eSpeak NG (Node.js)
npm install mespeak # For eSpeak NG-WASM (Node.js)
# Install dependencies for Node.js audio playback
npm install sound-play speaker pcm-convert # For audio playback in Node.js
You can also use the npm scripts provided by the package to install specific engine dependencies:
# Navigate to your project directory where js-tts-wrapper is installed
cd your-project
# Install specific engine dependencies
npx js-tts-wrapper@latest run install:azure
npx js-tts-wrapper@latest run install:google
npx js-tts-wrapper@latest run install:polly
npx js-tts-wrapper@latest run install:openai
npx js-tts-wrapper@latest run install:sherpaonnx
npx js-tts-wrapper@latest run install:espeak
npx js-tts-wrapper@latest run install:espeak-wasm
npx js-tts-wrapper@latest run install:system
# Install Node.js audio playback dependencies
npx js-tts-wrapper@latest run install:node-audio
# Install all development dependencies
npx js-tts-wrapper@latest run install:all-dev
The library supports audio playback in Node.js environments with the optional sound-play
package. This allows you to use the speak()
and speakStreamed()
methods in Node.js applications, just like in browser environments.
To enable Node.js audio playback:
-
Install the required dependencies:
npm install sound-play pcm-convert
Or use the npm script:
npx js-tts-wrapper@latest run install:node-audio
-
Use the TTS client as usual:
import { TTSFactory } from 'js-tts-wrapper'; const tts = TTSFactory.createTTSClient('mock'); // Play audio in Node.js await tts.speak('Hello, world!');
If the sound-play
package is not installed, the library will fall back to providing informative messages and suggest installing the package.
The library includes a comprehensive unified test runner that supports multiple testing modes and engines:
# Basic usage - test all engines
node examples/unified-test-runner.js
# Test a specific engine
node examples/unified-test-runner.js [engine-name]
# Test with different modes
node examples/unified-test-runner.js [engine-name] --mode=[MODE]
Mode | Description | Usage |
---|---|---|
basic |
Basic synthesis tests (default) | node examples/unified-test-runner.js azure |
audio |
Audio-only tests with playback | PLAY_AUDIO=true node examples/unified-test-runner.js azure --mode=audio |
playback |
Playback control tests (pause/resume/stop) | node examples/unified-test-runner.js azure --mode=playback |
features |
Comprehensive feature tests | node examples/unified-test-runner.js azure --mode=features |
example |
Full examples with SSML, streaming, word boundaries | node examples/unified-test-runner.js azure --mode=example |
debug |
Debug mode for troubleshooting | node examples/unified-test-runner.js sherpaonnx --mode=debug |
stream |
Streaming tests with real-time playback | PLAY_AUDIO=true node examples/unified-test-runner.js playht --mode=stream |
To test audio playback with any TTS engine, use the PLAY_AUDIO
environment variable:
# Test a specific engine with audio playback
PLAY_AUDIO=true node examples/unified-test-runner.js [engine-name] --mode=audio
# Examples:
PLAY_AUDIO=true node examples/unified-test-runner.js witai --mode=audio
PLAY_AUDIO=true node examples/unified-test-runner.js azure --mode=audio
PLAY_AUDIO=true node examples/unified-test-runner.js polly --mode=audio
PLAY_AUDIO=true node examples/unified-test-runner.js system --mode=audio
SherpaOnnx requires special environment setup. Use the helper script:
# Test SherpaOnnx with audio playback
PLAY_AUDIO=true node scripts/run-with-sherpaonnx.cjs examples/unified-test-runner.js sherpaonnx --mode=audio
# Debug SherpaOnnx issues
node scripts/run-with-sherpaonnx.cjs examples/unified-test-runner.js sherpaonnx --mode=debug
# Use npm scripts (recommended)
npm run example:sherpaonnx:mac
PLAY_AUDIO=true npm run example:sherpaonnx:mac
The package provides convenient npm scripts for testing specific engines:
# Test specific engines using npm scripts
npm run example:azure
npm run example:google
npm run example:polly
npm run example:openai
npm run example:elevenlabs
npm run example:playht
npm run example:system
npm run example:sherpaonnx:mac # For SherpaOnnx with environment setup
# With audio playback
PLAY_AUDIO=true npm run example:azure
PLAY_AUDIO=true npm run example:system
PLAY_AUDIO=true npm run example:sherpaonnx:mac
For detailed help and available options:
# Show help and available engines
node examples/unified-test-runner.js --help
# Show available test modes
node examples/unified-test-runner.js --mode=help
-
No Audio in Node.js: Install audio dependencies with
npm install sound-play speaker pcm-convert
- SherpaOnnx Not Working: Use the helper script and ensure environment variables are set correctly
- WitAI Audio Issues: The library automatically handles WitAI's raw PCM format conversion
- Sample Rate Issues: Different engines use different sample rates (WitAI: 24kHz, Polly: 16kHz) - this is handled automatically
For detailed troubleshooting, see the docs/ directory, especially:
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.