Azure Speech Service

Consider becoming a VoiceWizardPro member

The VoiceWizardPro API allows you to access Microsoft Azure, Amazon Polly, and the new Google Cloud voices without the need to create and manage multiple accounts. By choosing a tier and becoming a member on https://ko-fi.com/ttsvoicewizard/tiers, you will receive an allotted amount of TTS characters and Translation characters that refresh monthly.

For more information on VoiceWizardPro visit: https://github.com/VRCWizard/TTS-Voice-Wizard/wiki/VoiceWizardPro

VoiceWizardPro is not required to use Azure Services with TTS Voice Wizard.

Setup Tutorial Video

This video just runs through the instructions on this page.

How to get your Microsoft Azure Key and Region

1. For Speech Recognition and TTS to work you must have an Azure Subscription Key.
   

• Option 1: Free Azure Account
  
  • Completely free for the first month. After first month you will be asked to upgrade your account to "pay as you go" but still have access to free monthly limits

• Option 2: Free Azure Account for students (no credit card required)
  • Completely free, have to renew every year

2. After making your account you will need to create a speech service to get your Key and Region. You will enter this information in the "Microsoft Azure Cognitive Service" tab located in "Settings"
   

3. Follow this video to get your key and region information:
   

   • The pricing tier for your speech service in azure should be set to F0 Free if you wish to take advantage of azures free monthly limits and not be charged

   • I am not responsible for any charges you receive if you upgrade from a Free Azure Account and use S0 Standard pricing! It is up to you to monitor your own usage if you are using a pay-as-you-go azure account
     

     • Spending Limits
       
     • Avoid Charges
       
     • Azure Speech Service Pricing and Free Monthly Limits (This program uses Speech to Text Standard, Text to Speech Neural, and Speech Translation Standard)
     • Monitor Usage (the location to see your speech service usage can be hard to find, this post should help!)
     • Budgets and Alerts

4. Your key and region go in the "Microsoft Azure Cognitive Service" tab located in the "Speech Provider" tab

   • Make sure to click the change button for both key and region

Features

Text to Speech Tab

• Many azure voices have options for selecting Speaking Styles
  • These can drastically change the sounds of voices (try them out)
• Spoken Language is the language that you speak natively
• Translation Language is the language that you wish to translate to.
  • It should be set to No Translation (Default) when not in use
  • Speak to text hours and translation hours are separate you get 5 hours each
    • Pro Tip: You can technically use all your 5 for your free monthly speak to text hours and then use Translation Language set to your Spoken Language for an extra 5 extra hours

Azure Settings

• Profanity filter is on by default turn it off in azure settings.
• Dictionary takes advantage of Azure's Phrase List feature to allow users to add new words to be recognized.
  • For instance, it can be used for words like "Pogchamp" or user names that Azure wouldn't know otherwise
  • Separate different words or phrases with commas.
  • Phrase List Example:

VRChat, Sippbox, Poiyomi, Pogchamp, Suss E Baka

• Continuous Recognition (Azure) allows a user to continuously speak and have their words transcribed without constantly pressing the speech to text button
  • WARNING: You will quickly use up your free azure limit with this feature enabled.

Additional Notes

• Some voices are preview voices only requiring you to select East US, West Europe, or Southeast Asia when creating the speech service.
  • View all Azure voices here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cognitive-services/speech-service/language-support?tabs=tts
  • Let me know if there is a voice on here that isn't in the program that you would like added