readio

readio is a terminal text to speech tool. It plays local speech with PyKokoro, renders bounded memory WAV, MP3, M4A, or OGG files, and publishes completed audio through the external save-to-spotify CLI.

Install

python -m pip install -e ".[cpu]"

For GPU ONNX Runtime:

python -m pip install -e ".[gpu]"

PyKokoro may download model and voice assets on first use. Spotify publishing requires the separately installed save-to-spotify executable and its authenticated session. Readio never reads Spotify credential files.

Playback

readio speak "Hello from the terminal."
printf '%s\n' "Read this from stdin." | readio speak
readio speak --file notes.md              # parsed as Markdown
readio speak --file notes.md --input-format text  # literal text fallback
readio speak --file notes.md --select last-paragraph
readio speak --file notes.md --select paragraph:3
producer-command | readio speak --live

Readio parses .md, .markdown, .mdown, and .mkd as Markdown before synthesis. Headings, lists, links, images, code blocks, block quotes, tables, task lists, HTML text, and front matter are projected into speech-friendly text. Ordinary Markdown is isolated from SSMD controls; use .ssmd when explicit voices, rate, volume, pitch, breaks, or markers are required.

Markdown can also be supplied explicitly through stdin or literal input:

cat README.md | readio speak --input-format markdown
readio render --input-format markdown '# Title' 'This is **important**.'

Use --input-format text when a Markdown-looking file should be read as literal text.

Configuration

Initialize one user-owned Readio configuration and its storage:

readio config init
readio config show
readio config validate
readio config set reader.voice bf_emma
readio config set voices.kokoro.roles.analyst am_michael
readio config set ssmd.voice_provider kokoro

The default configuration uses platformdirs for the config, template, ingest, and output locations. READIO_CONFIG overrides the config file path. Existing legacy files containing only [reader] continue to load and are upgraded to schema 1 when saved.

The configuration contains reader settings, SSMD defaults, provider-specific voice IDs, and logical role bindings. Templates refer to roles such as host, analyst, guest, and narrator, while ordinary literal text continues to use reader.voice.

Templates

Built-in templates are copied into the user template directory during initialization. They are user-owned and are not overwritten by normal initialization or package upgrades.

readio template path
readio template list
readio template show podcast
readio template add custom --file custom.ssmd
readio template remove custom
readio template reset podcast
readio template reset --all

Create an agent-editable draft with an automatic filename:

draft="$(readio template use podcast)"

The returned path is under the configured ingest directory. A caller can request a filename with readio template use podcast --name weekly-review.ssmd.

Ingest directory

The ingest directory stores text, Markdown, and SSMD files created for later processing.

readio ingest path
readio ingest new
readio ingest new --name notes.txt
readio ingest new --template podcast --name episode-42.ssmd
readio ingest list

Automatic names contain a UTC artifact ID such as 20260824T111423Z-5f8ab31c. Explicit names are relative to the ingest directory and path traversal is rejected.

Multi-format audio output

The output path is optional and WAV remains the default:

readio render "Hello from a file."
readio render --file "$draft" -o episode.wav
readio render "Hello" -o episode.mp3
readio render --file episode.ssmd --format m4a
readio render "Hello" --format ogg

Render progress

render and spotify report low-noise rendering progress on stderr when stderr is an interactive terminal:

readio render --file episode.ssmd -o episode.mp3 --progress
readio render --file episode.ssmd -o episode.mp3 --no-progress
readio spotify --file episode.ssmd --title "Episode" --json

Progress includes the current phase, completed units, elapsed time, approximate ETA for bounded renders, generated audio duration, and finalization. Live renders show cumulative units without a percentage or ETA. The default is automatic TTY behavior; use --progress to force log-friendly updates when stderr is redirected, or --no-progress to suppress them. Progress never changes the render path printed on stdout or the single JSON result printed by spotify --json. When -o is supplied, its .wav, .mp3, .m4a, or .ogg suffix selects the encoder. Use --format when the output path is omitted or to select the automatic filename suffix. An explicit format and suffix must agree. Extensionless output paths receive the selected suffix, and unsupported suffixes fail before synthesis. Automatic names use the configured output directory and never overwrite an existing file. Explicit output remains atomic and requires --force for replacement.

M4A output requires an ffmpeg executable on PATH. WAV uses PCM16, while MP3 and OGG use the installed SoundFile/libsndfile codecs.

SSMD consumption and authoring checks

For .ssmd inputs, Readio parses the document through SSMD 0.8.3 and passes a PyKokoro SSMDRenderConfig containing only missing Readio role defaults. Document voice_bindings remain authoritative. Normal speak, render, and spotify commands do not invoke ssmd create, rewrite the source, or require generic round-trip validation.

Inspect a document before rendering:

readio ssmd check episode.ssmd
readio ssmd check episode.ssmd --json
readio ssmd check episode.ssmd --roundtrip

readio template validate --all checks shipped or configured templates with the same consumer preflight. Add --roundtrip for strict SSMD authoring validation. Unknown logical roles fail before model inference with a Readio diagnostic.

Spotify publishing

readio spotify --file "$draft" --title "Weekly Review" --format mp3
readio spotify --file episode.ssmd --title "Episode" --output episode.m4a

Spotify accepts the same four formats as render. A recognized --output suffix selects the format, or use --format when creating a temporary upload. Without --output, Readio renders a secure temporary file with the selected suffix and deletes it after upload or failure. With --output, it retains and uploads that file. M4A output requires ffmpeg on PATH. Readio invokes save-to-spotify --json and does not inspect credentials or perform authentication.

Doctor

readio doctor

Doctor is offline. It reports Readio configuration, configured directories and their existence, PyKokoro, SSMD module and executable availability, the selected provider, voice IDs, logical roles, sound dependencies, and save-to-spotify. It does not create directories, modify configuration, inspect credentials, or call the network.

Agent Skill

The portable skill is in skill/readio/SKILL.md. It uses Readio templates and commands directly. It does not teach raw SSMD voice discovery, create, lint, temporary file management, or manual cleanup for normal podcast workflows.

SSMD voice resolution

Use document-local bindings when a portable SSMD file should carry its speaker choices:

voice_bindings:
  kokoro:
    moderator: af_sarah
    architect: am_michael

Discover configured IDs and persisted roles with readio voices list --json and readio voices roles. Persist a reusable missing-role mapping with readio voices bind ROLE VOICE_ID. For deterministic one-run automation, use repeatable options:

readio render --file episode.ssmd \
  --voice-bind moderator=af_sarah \
  --voice-bind architect=am_michael

--resolve-voices prompts only when explicitly requested from an interactive TTY. It never persists choices. JSON, agents, scripts, and non-TTY execution must use --voice-bind instead. Document bindings remain authoritative, and unresolved roles are reported before TTS or external publishing work begins. readio ssmd bind FILE --voice-bind ROLE=VOICE_ID -o OUTPUT.ssmd explicitly materializes bindings into a new source file; ordinary consumption never edits SSMD.