DANIEL CORSANO

If you enjoy reading or do work that requires it, you can probably think of a lot more texts that you want to read than you will ever have time to read. I started experimenting with audiobook generation using AI voice models to try and extend that time.

I looked into text to speech and AI voice models, expecting to find a free tool like Audiobook Reader, which will allowed me to efficiently convert text files to mp3 significantly faster than real-time. To my surprise, I did not find what I was looking for, so I decided to make this audiobook reader. Using a combination of hardware acceleration, parallel processing, and runtime optimisation it converts texts to audio at around 10x real-time speed on a recent Mac or equivalent computer and handles interrupts. In addition to the original CLI, there are standalone distributions for Mac/Win/Linux.

Features

• Around 10x real-time conversion speed: The backend automatically detects NPU/GPU/CPU configs and uses appropriate hardware optimization for speed and parallel processing
• 54 voices in 9 languages: Female, male and androgynous sounding voices in all languages
• Voice blending: Mix voices to create new ones
• Format support: EPUB, PDF, TXT, Markdown, RST → MP3, WAV, M4A, M4B
• Progress visualization: Visual progress bars with time estimates and conversion speed
• Character voices (in development): Different voices per characters or have it done automatically
• Pause/resume: Interrupt and continue conversions
• Batch queue: Add multiple books, process sequentially or in parallel

Please note that I don’t have the resources to support and test all the distributions at the same level. CLI is always the best if you are not afraid of typing, and where I roll out new features first. Mac is tested regularly but inherently more complex. Win and Linux are in beta, QA help is welcome.

Consider Supporting

I created this alone, and it will be free and open source forever. For issues and feature requests please use GitHub. If you find it useful, please consider supporting me so I can improve this tool and create more.

Copyright Notice

IMPORTANT: This software is a tool for converting text to audio. Users are solely responsible for:

• Ensuring they have the legal right to convert any text to audio
• Obtaining necessary permissions for copyrighted materials
• Complying with all applicable copyright laws and licensing terms
• Understanding that creating audiobooks from copyrighted text without authorization may constitute copyright infringement

Recommended Use Cases:

• ✅ Your own original content
• ✅ Public domain works
• ✅ Content you have explicit permission to convert
• ✅ Educational materials you legally own
• ✅ Open-source or Creative Commons licensed texts (per their terms)

I do not condone or support copyright infringement. By using this software, you agree to use it only for content you have the legal right to convert.