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tts-voiceover

✓ Official★ 1,245

by microsoft · part of microsoft/hve-core

Text-to-speech voice-over generation from YAML speaker notes using Azure Speech SDK with SSML pronunciation control

🧩 One of 7 skills in the microsoft/hve-core package — works on its own, and pairs well with its siblings.

This is the playbook your agent receives when the skill activates — you don't need to read it to use the skill, but it's here to audit before installing.

TTS Voice Over Skill

Generates per-slide WAV voice-over files from YAML speaker_notes using Azure Speech SDK with SSML pronunciation control.

Overview

This skill reads content.yaml files from a PowerPoint skill content directory, extracts speaker_notes fields, applies SSML acronym aliases for correct pronunciation of technical terms, and produces one WAV file per slide. Supports dry-run mode for SSML template verification without Azure credentials.

Parameters Reference

generate_voiceover.py

ParameterTypeDefaultDescription
--dry-runflagfalsePrint SSML templates without generating audio
--voicestringen-US-Andrew:DragonHDLatestNeuralAzure TTS voice name
--ratestring+10%Speech prosody rate
--content-dirpathcontentPath to slide content directory
--output-dirpathvoice-overPath to WAV output directory
--lexiconpath(auto-detect)Custom acronyms.yaml path
--verbose / -vflagfalseEnable verbose (DEBUG) logging output

embed_audio.py

Embeds WAV files into corresponding PPTX slides and adds narration timing XML so PowerPoint recognizes the audio for video export via File > Export > Create a Video > Use Recorded Timings and Narrations.

ParameterTypeDefaultDescription
--inputpath(required)Source PPTX file path
--audio-dirpathvoice-overDirectory with slide-NNN.wav
--outputpath*-narrated.pptxOutput PPTX file path
--verbose / -vflagfalseEnable verbose (DEBUG) logging output

Script Reference

Generate with custom voice and rate:

uv run scripts/generate_voiceover.py \
  --content-dir content \
  --output-dir voice-over \
  --voice "en-US-Jenny:DragonHDLatestNeural" \
  --rate "+5%"

Use a custom lexicon:

uv run scripts/generate_voiceover.py \
  --content-dir content \
  --lexicon custom-acronyms.yaml

Embed generated audio:

uv run scripts/embed_audio.py \
  --input slide-deck/presentation.pptx \
  --audio-dir voice-over \
  --output slide-deck/presentation-narrated.pptx

Acronym Lexicon

The lexicon controls SSML <sub alias> replacements for acronyms and technical terms. Create an acronyms.yaml file:

acronyms:
  HVE-Core: "H V E Core"
  OWASP: "Oh wasp"
  SBOM: "S Bomb"
  SLSA: "Salsa"
  CI/CD: "C I C D"

Lexicon resolution order:

  1. Path specified via --lexicon argument.
  2. acronyms.yaml in the content directory.
  3. Built-in defaults covering common technical acronyms.

SSML Template

Each slide produces an SSML document:

<speak version="1.0" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/10/synthesis"
 xmlns:mstts="http://www.w3.org/2001/mstts" xml:lang="en-US">
  <voice name="en-US-Andrew:DragonHDLatestNeural">
    <prosody rate="+10%">
      Text with <sub alias="Oh wasp">OWASP</sub> aliases applied.
    </prosody>
  </voice>
</speak>

Integration with PowerPoint Skill

This skill reads from the PowerPoint skill's content directory structure:

content/
├── slide-001/
│   └── content.yaml    # Must include speaker_notes: field
├── slide-002/
│   └── content.yaml
└── ...

Each content.yaml should contain a speaker_notes: field with the narration text. The generated WAV files are named slide-NNN.wav matching the directory names.