Content
# Voice Mode
> **Install via:** `uvx voice-mode` | `pip install voice-mode` | [getvoicemode.com](https://getvoicemode.com)
[](https://pepy.tech/project/voice-mode)
[](https://pepy.tech/project/voice-mode)
[](https://pepy.tech/project/voice-mode)
[](https://voice-mode.readthedocs.io/en/latest/?badge=latest)
Natural voice conversations for AI assistants. Voice Mode brings human-like voice interactions to Claude Code, AI code editors through the Model Context Protocol (MCP).
## 🖥️ Compatibility
**Runs on:** Linux • macOS • Windows (WSL) • NixOS | **Python:** 3.10+
## ✨ Features
- **🎙️ Voice conversations** with Claude - ask questions and hear responses
- **🔄 Multiple transports** - local microphone or LiveKit room-based communication
- **🗣️ OpenAI-compatible** - works with any STT/TTS service (local or cloud)
- **⚡ Real-time** - low-latency voice interactions with automatic transport selection
- **🔧 MCP Integration** - seamless with Claude Desktop and other MCP clients
- **🎯 Silence detection** - automatically stops recording when you stop speaking (no more waiting!)
## 🎯 Simple Requirements
**All you need to get started:**
1. **🎤 Computer with microphone and speakers** OR **☁️ LiveKit server** ([LiveKit Cloud](https://docs.livekit.io/home/cloud/) or [self-hosted](https://github.com/livekit/livekit))
2. **🔑 OpenAI API Key** (optional) - Voice Mode can install free, open-source transcription and text-to-speech services locally
## Quick Start
> 📖 **Using a different tool?** See our [Integration Guides](docs/integrations/README.md) for Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI, and more!
### Automatic Installation (Recommended)
Install Claude Code with Voice Mode configured and ready to run on Linux, macOS, and Windows WSL:
```bash
curl -O https://getvoicemode.com/install.sh && bash install.sh
```
This installer will:
- Install all system dependencies (Node.js, audio libraries, etc.)
- Install Claude Code if not already installed
- Configure Voice Mode as an MCP server
- Set up your system for voice conversations
After installation, just run:
```bash
# With OpenAI API (cloud-based, requires API key)
export OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-key
claude converse
# Or use free local services (Voice Mode will offer to install them)
claude converse
```
### Manual Installation
For manual setup steps, see the [Claude Code Integration Guide](docs/integrations/claude-code/README.md).
## 🎬 Demo
Watch Voice Mode in action with Claude Code:
[](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYdwOD_-dQc)
### Voice Mode with Gemini CLI
See Voice Mode working with Google's Gemini CLI (their implementation of Claude Code):
[](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC6BGxjCVnM)
## Example Usage
Once configured, try these prompts with Claude:
### 👨💻 Programming & Development
- `"Let's debug this error together"` - Explain the issue verbally, paste code, and discuss solutions
- `"Walk me through this code"` - Have Claude explain complex code while you ask questions
- `"Let's brainstorm the architecture"` - Design systems through natural conversation
- `"Help me write tests for this function"` - Describe requirements and iterate verbally
### 💡 General Productivity
- `"Let's do a daily standup"` - Practice presentations or organize your thoughts
- `"Interview me about [topic]"` - Prepare for interviews with back-and-forth Q&A
- `"Be my rubber duck"` - Explain problems out loud to find solutions
### 🎯 Voice Control Features
- `"Read this error message"` (Claude speaks, then waits for your response)
- `"Just give me a quick summary"` (Claude speaks without waiting)
- Use `converse("message", wait_for_response=False)` for one-way announcements
The `converse` function makes voice interactions natural - it automatically waits for your response by default, creating a real conversation flow.
## Supported Tools
Voice Mode works with your favorite AI coding assistants:
- 🤖 **[Claude Code](docs/integrations/claude-code/README.md)** - Anthropic's official CLI
- 🖥️ **[Claude Desktop](docs/integrations/claude-desktop/README.md)** - Desktop application
- 🌟 **[Gemini CLI](docs/integrations/gemini-cli/README.md)** - Google's CLI tool
- ⚡ **[Cursor](docs/integrations/cursor/README.md)** - AI-first code editor
- 💻 **[VS Code](docs/integrations/vscode/README.md)** - With MCP preview support
- 🦘 **[Roo Code](docs/integrations/roo-code/README.md)** - AI dev team in VS Code
- 🔧 **[Cline](docs/integrations/cline/README.md)** - Autonomous coding agent
- ⚡ **[Zed](docs/integrations/zed/README.md)** - High-performance editor
- 🏄 **[Windsurf](docs/integrations/windsurf/README.md)** - Agentic IDE by Codeium
- 🔄 **[Continue](docs/integrations/continue/README.md)** - Open-source AI assistant
## Installation
### Prerequisites
- Python >= 3.10
- [Astral UV](https://github.com/astral-sh/uv) - Package manager (install with `curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh`)
- OpenAI API Key (or compatible service)
#### System Dependencies
<details>
<summary><strong>Ubuntu/Debian</strong></summary>
```bash
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y python3-dev libasound2-dev libasound2-plugins libportaudio2 portaudio19-dev ffmpeg pulseaudio pulseaudio-utils
```
**Note for WSL2 users**: WSL2 requires additional audio packages (pulseaudio, libasound2-plugins) for microphone access. See our [WSL2 Microphone Access Guide](docs/troubleshooting/wsl2-microphone-access.md) if you encounter issues.
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>Fedora/RHEL</strong></summary>
```bash
sudo dnf install python3-devel alsa-lib-devel portaudio-devel ffmpeg
```
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>macOS</strong></summary>
```bash
# Install Homebrew if not already installed
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
# Install dependencies
brew install portaudio ffmpeg cmake
```
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>Windows (WSL)</strong></summary>
Follow the Ubuntu/Debian instructions above within WSL.
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>NixOS</strong></summary>
Voice Mode includes a flake.nix with all required dependencies. You can either:
1. **Use the development shell** (temporary):
```bash
nix develop github:mbailey/voicemode
```
2. **Install system-wide** (see Installation section below)
</details>
### Quick Install
```bash
# Using Claude Code (recommended)
claude mcp add --scope user voice-mode uvx voice-mode
# Using Claude Code with Nix (NixOS)
claude mcp add voice-mode nix run github:mbailey/voicemode
# Using UV
uvx voice-mode
# Using pip
pip install voice-mode
# Using Nix (NixOS)
nix run github:mbailey/voicemode
```
### Configuration for AI Coding Assistants
> 📖 **Looking for detailed setup instructions?** Check our comprehensive [Integration Guides](docs/integrations/README.md) for step-by-step instructions for each tool!
Below are quick configuration snippets. For full installation and setup instructions, see the integration guides above.
<details>
<summary><strong>Claude Code (CLI)</strong></summary>
```bash
claude mcp add voice-mode -- uvx voice-mode
```
Or with environment variables:
```bash
claude mcp add voice-mode --env OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-key -- uvx voice-mode
```
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>Claude Desktop</strong></summary>
**macOS**: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
**Windows**: `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"voice-mode": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["voice-mode"],
"env": {
"OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
}
}
}
}
```
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>Cline</strong></summary>
Add to your Cline MCP settings:
**Windows**:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"voice-mode": {
"command": "cmd",
"args": ["/c", "uvx", "voice-mode"],
"env": {
"OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
}
}
}
}
```
**macOS/Linux**:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"voice-mode": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["voice-mode"],
"env": {
"OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
}
}
}
}
```
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>Continue</strong></summary>
Add to your `.continue/config.json`:
```json
{
"experimental": {
"modelContextProtocolServers": [
{
"transport": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["voice-mode"],
"env": {
"OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
}
}
}
]
}
}
```
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>Cursor</strong></summary>
Add to `~/.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"voice-mode": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["voice-mode"],
"env": {
"OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
}
}
}
}
```
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>VS Code</strong></summary>
Add to your VS Code MCP config:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"voice-mode": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["voice-mode"],
"env": {
"OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
}
}
}
}
```
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>Windsurf</strong></summary>
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"voice-mode": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["voice-mode"],
"env": {
"OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
}
}
}
}
```
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>Zed</strong></summary>
Add to your Zed settings.json:
```json
{
"context_servers": {
"voice-mode": {
"command": {
"path": "uvx",
"args": ["voice-mode"],
"env": {
"OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
}
}
}
}
}
```
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>Roo Code</strong></summary>
1. Open VS Code Settings (`Ctrl/Cmd + ,`)
2. Search for "roo" in the settings search bar
3. Find "Roo-veterinaryinc.roo-cline → settings → Mcp_settings.json"
4. Click "Edit in settings.json"
5. Add Voice Mode configuration:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"voice-mode": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["voice-mode"],
"env": {
"OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
}
}
}
}
```
</details>
### Alternative Installation Options
<details>
<summary><strong>Using Docker</strong></summary>
```bash
docker run -it --rm \
-e OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-key \
--device /dev/snd \
-v /tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix \
-e DISPLAY=$DISPLAY \
ghcr.io/mbailey/voicemode:latest
```
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>Using pipx</strong></summary>
```bash
pipx install voice-mode
```
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>From source</strong></summary>
```bash
git clone https://github.com/mbailey/voicemode.git
cd voicemode
pip install -e .
```
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>NixOS Installation Options</strong></summary>
**1. Install with nix profile (user-wide):**
```bash
nix profile install github:mbailey/voicemode
```
**2. Add to NixOS configuration (system-wide):**
```nix
# In /etc/nixos/configuration.nix
environment.systemPackages = [
(builtins.getFlake "github:mbailey/voicemode").packages.${pkgs.system}.default
];
```
**3. Add to home-manager:**
```nix
# In home-manager configuration
home.packages = [
(builtins.getFlake "github:mbailey/voicemode").packages.${pkgs.system}.default
];
```
**4. Run without installing:**
```bash
nix run github:mbailey/voicemode
```
</details>
## Tools
| Tool | Description | Key Parameters |
|------|-------------|----------------|
| `converse` | Have a voice conversation - speak and optionally listen | `message`, `wait_for_response` (default: true), `listen_duration` (default: 30s), `transport` (auto/local/livekit) |
| `listen_for_speech` | Listen for speech and convert to text | `duration` (default: 5s) |
| `check_room_status` | Check LiveKit room status and participants | None |
| `check_audio_devices` | List available audio input/output devices | None |
| `start_kokoro` | Start the Kokoro TTS service | `models_dir` (optional, defaults to ~/Models/kokoro) |
| `stop_kokoro` | Stop the Kokoro TTS service | None |
| `kokoro_status` | Check the status of Kokoro TTS service | None |
| `install_whisper_cpp` | Install whisper.cpp for local STT | `install_dir`, `model` (default: base.en), `use_gpu` (auto-detect) |
| `install_kokoro_fastapi` | Install kokoro-fastapi for local TTS | `install_dir`, `port` (default: 8880), `auto_start` (default: true) |
**Note:** The `converse` tool is the primary interface for voice interactions, combining speaking and listening in a natural flow.
**New:** The `install_whisper_cpp` and `install_kokoro_fastapi` tools help you set up free, private, open-source voice services locally. See [Installation Tools Documentation](docs/installation-tools.md) for detailed usage.
## Configuration
- 📖 **[Integration Guides](docs/integrations/README.md)** - Step-by-step setup for each tool
- 🔧 **[Configuration Reference](docs/configuration.md)** - All environment variables
- 📁 **[Config Examples](config-examples/)** - Ready-to-use configuration files
### Quick Setup
The only required configuration is your OpenAI API key:
```bash
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-key"
```
### Optional Settings
```bash
# Custom STT/TTS services (OpenAI-compatible)
export STT_BASE_URL="http://127.0.0.1:2022/v1" # Local Whisper
export TTS_BASE_URL="http://127.0.0.1:8880/v1" # Local TTS
export TTS_VOICE="alloy" # Voice selection
# Or use voice preference files (see Configuration docs)
# Project: /your-project/voices.txt or /your-project/.voicemode/voices.txt
# User: ~/voices.txt or ~/.voicemode/voices.txt
# LiveKit (for room-based communication)
# See docs/livekit/ for setup guide
export LIVEKIT_URL="wss://your-app.livekit.cloud"
export LIVEKIT_API_KEY="your-api-key"
export LIVEKIT_API_SECRET="your-api-secret"
# Debug mode
export VOICEMODE_DEBUG="true"
# Save all audio (TTS output and STT input)
export VOICEMODE_SAVE_AUDIO="true"
# Audio format configuration (default: pcm)
export VOICEMODE_AUDIO_FORMAT="pcm" # Options: pcm, mp3, wav, flac, aac, opus
export VOICEMODE_TTS_AUDIO_FORMAT="pcm" # Override for TTS only (default: pcm)
export VOICEMODE_STT_AUDIO_FORMAT="mp3" # Override for STT upload
# Format-specific quality settings
export VOICEMODE_OPUS_BITRATE="32000" # Opus bitrate (default: 32kbps)
export VOICEMODE_MP3_BITRATE="64k" # MP3 bitrate (default: 64k)
```
### Audio Format Configuration
Voice Mode uses **PCM** audio format by default for TTS streaming for optimal real-time performance:
- **PCM** (default for TTS): Zero latency, best streaming performance, uncompressed
- **MP3**: Wide compatibility, good compression for uploads
- **WAV**: Uncompressed, good for local processing
- **FLAC**: Lossless compression, good for archival
- **AAC**: Good compression, Apple ecosystem
- **Opus**: Small files but NOT recommended for streaming (quality issues)
The audio format is automatically validated against provider capabilities and will fallback to a supported format if needed.
## Local STT/TTS Services
For privacy-focused or offline usage, Voice Mode supports local speech services:
- **[Whisper.cpp](docs/whisper.cpp.md)** - Local speech-to-text with OpenAI-compatible API
- **[Kokoro](docs/kokoro.md)** - Local text-to-speech with multiple voice options
These services provide the same API interface as OpenAI, allowing seamless switching between cloud and local processing.
### OpenAI API Compatibility Benefits
By strictly adhering to OpenAI's API standard, Voice Mode enables powerful deployment flexibility:
- **🔀 Transparent Routing**: Users can implement their own API proxies or gateways outside of Voice Mode to route requests to different providers based on custom logic (cost, latency, availability, etc.)
- **🎯 Model Selection**: Deploy routing layers that select optimal models per request without modifying Voice Mode configuration
- **💰 Cost Optimization**: Build intelligent routers that balance between expensive cloud APIs and free local models
- **🔧 No Lock-in**: Switch providers by simply changing the `BASE_URL` - no code changes required
Example: Simply set `OPENAI_BASE_URL` to point to your custom router:
```bash
export OPENAI_BASE_URL="https://router.example.com/v1"
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-key"
# Voice Mode now uses your router for all OpenAI API calls
```
The OpenAI SDK handles this automatically - no Voice Mode configuration needed!
## Architecture
```
┌─────────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────┐
│ Claude/LLM │ │ LiveKit Server │ │ Voice Frontend │
│ (MCP Client) │◄────►│ (Optional) │◄───►│ (Optional) │
└─────────────────────┘ └──────────────────┘ └─────────────────────┘
│ │
│ │
▼ ▼
┌─────────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐
│ Voice MCP Server │ │ Audio Services │
│ • converse │ │ • OpenAI APIs │
│ • listen_for_speech│◄───►│ • Local Whisper │
│ • check_room_status│ │ • Local TTS │
│ • check_audio_devices └──────────────────┘
└─────────────────────┘
```
## Troubleshooting
### Common Issues
- **No microphone access**: Check system permissions for terminal/application
- **WSL2 Users**: See [WSL2 Microphone Access Guide](docs/troubleshooting/wsl2-microphone-access.md)
- **UV not found**: Install with `curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh`
- **OpenAI API error**: Verify your `OPENAI_API_KEY` is set correctly
- **No audio output**: Check system audio settings and available devices
### Debug Mode
Enable detailed logging and audio file saving:
```bash
export VOICEMODE_DEBUG=true
```
Debug audio files are saved to: `~/voicemode_recordings/`
### Audio Diagnostics
Run the diagnostic script to check your audio setup:
```bash
python scripts/diagnose-wsl-audio.py
```
This will check for required packages, audio services, and provide specific recommendations.
### Audio Saving
To save all audio files (both TTS output and STT input):
```bash
export VOICEMODE_SAVE_AUDIO=true
```
Audio files are saved to: `~/voicemode_audio/` with timestamps in the filename.
## Documentation
📚 **[Read the full documentation at voice-mode.readthedocs.io](https://voice-mode.readthedocs.io)**
### Getting Started
- **[Integration Guides](docs/integrations/README.md)** - Step-by-step setup for all supported tools
- **[Configuration Guide](docs/configuration.md)** - Complete environment variable reference
### Development
- **[Using uv/uvx](docs/uv.md)** - Package management with uv and uvx
- **[Local Development](docs/local-development-uvx.md)** - Development setup guide
- **[Audio Formats](docs/audio-format-migration.md)** - Audio format configuration and migration
- **[Statistics Dashboard](docs/statistics-dashboard.md)** - Performance monitoring and metrics
### Service Guides
- **[Whisper.cpp Setup](docs/whisper.cpp.md)** - Local speech-to-text configuration
- **[Kokoro Setup](docs/kokoro.md)** - Local text-to-speech configuration
- **[Service Health Checks](docs/service-health-checks.md)** - Service readiness and health monitoring
- **[LiveKit Integration](docs/livekit/README.md)** - Real-time voice communication
### Troubleshooting
- **[WSL2 Microphone Access](docs/troubleshooting/wsl2-microphone-access.md)** - WSL2 audio setup
- **[Migration Guide](docs/migration-guide.md)** - Upgrading from older versions
## Links
- **Website**: [getvoicemode.com](https://getvoicemode.com)
- **Documentation**: [voice-mode.readthedocs.io](https://voice-mode.readthedocs.io)
- **GitHub**: [github.com/mbailey/voicemode](https://github.com/mbailey/voicemode)
- **PyPI**: [pypi.org/project/voice-mode](https://pypi.org/project/voice-mode/)
- **npm**: [npmjs.com/package/voicemode](https://www.npmjs.com/package/voicemode)
### Community
- **Discord**: [Join our community](https://discord.gg/Hm7dF3uCfG)
- **Twitter/X**: [@getvoicemode](https://twitter.com/getvoicemode)
- **YouTube**: [@getvoicemode](https://youtube.com/@getvoicemode)
## See Also
- 🚀 [Integration Guides](docs/integrations/README.md) - Setup instructions for all supported tools
- 🔧 [Configuration Reference](docs/configuration.md) - Environment variables and options
- 🎤 [Local Services Setup](docs/kokoro.md) - Run TTS/STT locally for privacy
- 🐛 [Troubleshooting](docs/troubleshooting/README.md) - Common issues and solutions
## License
MIT - A [Failmode](https://failmode.com) Project
---
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