Zhipu AI Text-to-Speech

Convert Chinese text to natural-sounding speech using Zhipu AI's GLM-TTS model.

Setup

1. Get your API Key:

Get a key from Zhipu AI Console

2. Set it in your environment:

export ZHIPU_API_KEY="your-key-here"

Available Voices

System Voices (Pre-built)

• tongtong (彤彤) - Default voice, balanced tone
• chuichui (锤锤) - Male voice, deeper tone
• xiaochen (小陈) - Young professional voice
• jam - 动动动物圈 Jam voice
• kazi - 动动动物圈 Kazi voice
• douji - 动动动物圈 Douji voice
• luodo - 动动动物圈 Luodo voice

Usage

Basic Text-to-Speech

Convert text to speech with default settings (tongtong voice, normal speed, WAV format):

bash scripts/text_to_speech.sh "你好，今天天气怎么样"

Advanced Options

Specify voice, speed, format, and output filename:

bash scripts/text_to_speech.sh "欢迎使用智能语音服务" xiaochen 1.2 wav greeting.wav

Parameters:

• text (required): Chinese text to convert (max 1024 characters)
• voice (optional): tongtong (default), chuichui, xiaochen, jam, kazi, douji, luodo
• speed (optional): Speech speed from 0.5 to 2.0 (default: 1.0)
• output_format (optional): wav (default), pcm
• output_file (optional): Output filename (default: output.{format})

Voice Selection Guide

Choose tongtong (default) for:

• General purpose narration
• Professional presentations
• Balanced tone requirements

Choose chuichui for:

• Male voice needed
• Deeper, authoritative tone
• Documentary or formal content

Choose xiaochen for:

• Young, energetic tone
• Modern, casual content
• Friendly assistant vibe

Choose jam/kazi/douji/luodo for:

• Entertainment content
• Character voices
• Creative projects

Speed Control

Recommended speeds:

• 0.8-1.0: Clear, professional narration
• 1.0-1.2: Natural conversational pace (default: 1.0)
• 1.2-1.5: Energetic, upbeat delivery
• 1.5-2.0: Fast-paced summaries (may reduce clarity)

Output Formats

WAV (recommended):

• Standard audio format
• Widely compatible
• Better quality preservation

PCM:

• Raw audio format
• Smaller file size
• Requires additional processing for playback

Examples

Create a professional greeting:

bash scripts/text_to_speech.sh "您好，感谢致电智能客服，请按1选择中文服务" tongtong 1.0 wav greeting.wav

Generate an energetic announcement:

bash scripts/text_to_speech.sh "热烈欢迎各位嘉宾参加今天的活动！" xiaochen 1.3 wav announcement.wav

Create a calm narration:

bash scripts/text_to_speech.sh "在这个宁静的夜晚，让我们一起欣赏美丽的星空" chuichui 0.9 wav narration.wav

Character Limits

• Maximum input: 1024 characters per request
• For longer texts, split into multiple segments
• Combine audio files post-generation

Audio Quality Tips

Best practices:

• Use punctuation for natural pauses (commas, periods)
• Break long sentences into shorter segments
• Use appropriate line breaks for paragraph pauses
• Test speed settings for your specific content

Sample rate: Generated audio uses 24000 Hz sampling rate for optimal quality.

Troubleshooting

Text Length Issues:

• Split texts longer than 1024 characters
• Process segments separately
• Combine using audio editing tools

Audio Quality Issues:

• Check text encoding (use UTF-8)
• Verify punctuation placement
• Adjust speed settings
• Try different voices

File Playback Issues:

• Ensure format compatibility with your player
• WAV format works on most systems
• PCM may require conversion

API Notes

• Responses are returned as audio files
• Watermarking enabled by default (can be disabled in account settings)
• No strict rate limiting documented
• Audio generation typically completes in 1-3 seconds