TTS

TTS (Text-to-Speech) is a Python script designed to convert markdown files into spoken audio files. It utilizes the gTTS (Google Text-to-Speech) library for text-to-speech conversion.

Overview

• Converts markdown files (.md) into spoken audio files (.mp3).
• Provides options to select language and exclude certain characters/symbols from the audio output.
• Utilizes a progress bar to indicate the conversion progress.
• Handles markdown formatting such as tables and code blocks gracefully.

Requirements

• Python 3.x
• ffmpeg (for audio file concatenation)

Installation

Python:

Windows:

1. Download the latest version of Python from the official Python website.
2. Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions. Make sure to check the box that says "Add Python X.X to PATH" during installation.

Linux:

1. Most Linux distributions come with Python pre-installed. You can check if Python is installed by running the following command in the terminal:

   python3 --version
   

2. If Python is not installed, you can install it using your package manager. For example, on Debian-based systems (like Ubuntu), you can use:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install python3
   

ffmpeg:

Windows:

1. Download the ffmpeg binaries for Windows from the official ffmpeg website.
2. Extract the downloaded zip file to a location on your computer.
3. Add the path to the bin directory of ffmpeg to the system PATH environment variable. Follow these steps:
   • Right-click on "This PC" or "My Computer" and select "Properties."
   • Click on "Advanced system settings."
   • In the System Properties window, click on the "Environment Variables" button.
   • Under "System variables," find the "Path" variable and click "Edit."
   • Add the path to the bin directory of ffmpeg (e.g., C:\ffmpeg\bin) to the list of paths.
   • Click "OK" to save the changes.
4. To check if ffmpeg is added to the PATH, open a command prompt and type:

ffmpeg -version

Linux:

1. Install ffmpeg using your package manager. For example, on Debian-based systems (like Ubuntu), you can use:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install ffmpeg
   

Usage

1. Clone or download the repository to your local machine.
2. Open a terminal or command prompt and navigate to the project directory.
3. Run the script run_tts.sh (for Linux) or run_tts.bat (for Windows). Under Windows it is also possible to double click the run_tts.bat.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to select an option:
   • Option 1: Run tts.py to convert markdown files to spoken audio.
   • Option 2: Exit the script.

How to Use

1. Launch the script.
2. Select a markdown file (.md) using the on-screen prompts.
3. Choose the desired language and select checkboxes to exclude specific characters/symbols.
4. Follow the prompts to complete the conversion process.
5. Once the conversion is finished, the audio file will be saved in the same directory as the input markdown file.

Contributors

• @bjarnepw