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Chime TTS

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What is Chime TTS?​

Chime TTS is a custom Home Assistant integration that locally combines TTS audio and sound effects into seamless audio for playback in a single action call, eliminating the lag. Chime TTS includes a suite of options to further customize the audio.

The Problem:​

Adding a notification chime before Text-To-Speech (TTS) audio messages requires two separate action calls, which introduces lag due to networking latency of cloud TTS platforms, audio processing, and delays before media_player playback begins.

The Solution:​

Chime TTS addresses this issue by combining the audio files into a single file locally on your Home Assistant device. This combined file is then played through your speakers in one seamless event, eliminating any lag.

Features​

Chime TTS offers various features that enhance TTS audio playback experience:

  • No lag or timing issues: Precise timing between audio files without cloud TTS delays.
  • Customizable audio cues: Play preset or custom audio before, after or in between TTS messages.
  • Flexible TTS platform selection: Supports various TTS platform integrations.
  • Easy action invocation: Use the [chime_tts.say]((/chime_tts/docs/documentation/actions/say-action) and [chime_tts.say_url]((/chime_tts/docs/documentation/actions/say_url-action) actions in automations and scripts.
  • Set media player volume: Notifications can be played at a defined volume and restored after playback.
  • Restore previous audio: Chime TTS supports pausing and resuming currently playing audio beyond the media player platforms supported by Home Assistant (eg: HomePods).
  • Mix and match TTS platforms: Combine TTS audio using multiple TTS platforms within the same audio announcement.
  • Configurable TTS speed: Set the TTS audio speed anywhere from 1-500%.
  • Configurable TTS pitch: Set the pitch for TTS audio, allowing for more customization.
  • Support for FFmpeg arguments: Apply FFmpeg jobs to the generated audio, or specific jobs to specific chimes and TTS audio segments.
  • Configurable delay: Set custom delays between chimes & TTS audio.
  • Configurable overlay: Set custom overlay durations between chimes & TTS audio.
  • Caching: Cache audio for faster playback.
  • Speaker Groups: Group speakers for simultaneous playback (on supported platforms).

Quick Start​

Follow these easy steps to get started with Chime TTS:

  1. Installation - Quickly install Chime TTS via HACS or manually.
  2. Add the Integration - Add Chime TTS to your Home Assistant instance.

How Do I Use It?​

Actions​

Chime TTS adds 4 actions to your Home Assistant instance: chime_tts.say, chime_tts.say_url, chime_tts.replay and chime_tts.clear_cache:

  • [chime_tts.say]((/chime_tts/docs/documentation/actions/say-action): Play audio and TTS messages with various settings.
  • [chime_tts.say_url]((/chime_tts/docs/documentation/actions/say_url-action): Generates a publicly accessible URL to the MP3 file generated by chime_tts.say.
  • [chime_tts.replay]((/chime_tts/docs/documentation/actions/replay-action): Replays the last action call to chime_tts.say.
  • [chime_tts.clear_cache]((/chime_tts/docs/documentation/actions/clear_cache-action): Clear generated audio cache.

Notify Entities​

Chime TTS adds a notify platform: "[chime_tts]((/chime_tts/docs/documentation/notify)", which allows you to create fully customised notify entries for use in your automations and scripts.

Support and Discussion​

For questions, suggestions, and community discussion about Chime TTS, visit our Community Forum.