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Overview

PlayHT provides high-quality text-to-speech synthesis with two implementations:
  • PlayHTTTSService: WebSocket-based with real-time streaming
  • PlayHTHttpTTSService: HTTP-based for simpler synthesis
PlayHTTTSService is recommended for interactive applications requiring low latency.

API Reference

Complete API documentation and method details

PlayHT Docs

Official PlayHT WebSocket API documentation

Example Code

Working example with voice cloning

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Installation

To use PlayHT services, install the required dependencies: 
pip install "pipecat-ai[playht]"
You’ll also need to set up your PlayHT credentials as environment variables:
  • PLAY_HT_USER_ID
  • PLAY_HT_API_KEY
Get your credentials from the PlayHT Dashboard.

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Frames

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Input

  • TextFrame - Text content to synthesize into speech
  • TTSSpeakFrame - Text that should be spoken immediately
  • TTSUpdateSettingsFrame - Runtime configuration updates
  • LLMFullResponseStartFrame / LLMFullResponseEndFrame - LLM response boundaries

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Output

  • TTSStartedFrame - Signals start of synthesis
  • TTSAudioRawFrame - Generated audio data (WAV format)
  • TTSStoppedFrame - Signals completion of synthesis
  • ErrorFrame - API or processing errors

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Service Comparison

FeaturePlayHTTTSService (WebSocket)PlayHTHttpTTSService (HTTP)
Streaming✅ Real-time chunks❌ Single audio block
Latency🚀 Ultra-low📈 Higher
Interruption✅ Advanced handling⚠️ Basic support
ConnectionWebSocket-basedHTTP-based

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Language Support

Common languages supported include:
  • Language.EN - English
  • Language.ES - Spanish
  • Language.FR - French
  • Language.DE - German
  • Language.IT - Italian
  • Language.JA - Japanese

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Usage Example

Initialize the PlayHTTTSService and use it in a pipeline: 
from pipecat.services.playht.tts import PlayHTTTSService
from pipecat.transcriptions.language import Language
import os

# Configure WebSocket service
tts = PlayHTTTSService(
    user_id=os.getenv("PLAYHT_USER_ID"),
    api_key=os.getenv("PLAYHT_API_KEY"),
    voice_url="s3://voice-cloning-zero-shot/your-voice-id/manifest.json",
    voice_engine="PlayHT3.0-mini",
    params=PlayHTTTSService.InputParams(
        language=Language.EN,
        speed=1.2,
        seed=42  # For consistent voice output
    )
)

# Use in pipeline
pipeline = Pipeline([
    transport.input(),
    stt,
    context_aggregator.user(),
    llm,
    tts,
    transport.output(),
    context_aggregator.assistant()
])

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HTTP Service

Initialize the PlayHTHttpTTSService and use it in a pipeline: 
from pipecat.services.playht.tts import PlayHTHttpTTSService

# For simpler, non-streaming use cases
http_tts = PlayHTHttpTTSService(
    user_id=os.getenv("PLAYHT_USER_ID"),
    api_key=os.getenv("PLAYHT_API_KEY"),
    voice_url="your-voice-url",
    voice_engine="Play3.0-mini",
    protocol="http",
    params=PlayHTHttpTTSService.InputParams(
        language=Language.EN,
        speed=1.0
    )
)

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Dynamic Voice Switching

Make settings updates by pushing a TTSUpdateSettingsFrame: 
from pipecat.frames.frames import TTSUpdateSettingsFrame

await task.queue_frame(TTSUpdateSettingsFrame(
    voice_id="your-voice-id",
))

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Metrics

Both services provide comprehensive metrics:
  • Time to First Byte (TTFB) - Latency from text input to first audio
  • Processing Duration - Total synthesis time
  • Character Usage - Text processed for billing
Learn how to enable Metrics in your Pipeline.

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Additional Notes

  • Voice URLs: Use S3 URLs for both standard and cloned voices from PlayHT
  • Engine Selection: Choose based on latency requirements and quality needs
  • WebSocket Recommended: Use PlayHTTTSService for real-time interactive applications