Text-to-Speech API: Generate Speech from Text

The text-to-speech API turns text into natural-sounding audio from a single request. This page takes you from an API key to saved audio in a few minutes, then points to the streaming, voice, and SSML guides once you have the basics working.

Get your API key

Sign up at platform.speechify.ai
Go to API Keys
Copy your default API key (or create a new one)

$ export SPEECHIFY_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"

API keys are sensitive. Never expose them in client-side code or public repositories. See the Authentication guide for security best practices.

Install the SDK

Python

TypeScript

$ pip install speechify-api

Prefer raw HTTP? No install needed. Use the cURL tab in the examples below.

Generate speech

Send text to POST /v1/audio/speech. These examples come straight from the SDKs and the live spec:

POST

/v1/audio/speech

1 curl -X POST https://api.speechify.ai/v1/audio/speech \
2      -H "Authorization: Bearer <token>" \
3      -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
4      -d '{
5   "input": "Hello! This is the Speechify text-to-speech API.",
6   "voice_id": "geffen_32",
7   "audio_format": "mp3",
8   "model": "simba-3.2"
9 }'

Try it

A successful call returns the audio payload:

Response

1 {
2   "audio_data": "example",
3   "audio_format": "wav",
4   "billable_characters_count": 10,
5   "speech_marks": {
6     "chunks": [
7       {}
8     ],
9     "end": 1,
10     "end_time": 1,
11     "start": 1,
12     "start_time": 1,
13     "type": "example",
14     "value": "example"
15   }
16 }

The SDKs return decoded audio bytes. The raw HTTP response base64-encodes the audio in the audio_data field, so decode it before saving.

Request essentials

The speech endpoint takes a small, predictable set of fields.

Field	Required	Notes
`input`	Yes	The text (or SSML) to speak. Up to 2,000 characters on the speech endpoint.
`voice_id`	Yes	A built-in, curated, or cloned voice ID.
`model`	No	Defaults to `simba-english`. Use `simba-3.2` for new English integrations.
`audio_format`	No	Output format such as `mp3` or `wav`.

For new integrations, set model: "simba-3.2" and pass one of its curated voices (beatrice_32, dominic_32, edmund_32, geffen_32, harper_32, hugh_32, imogen_32, wyatt_32) as the voice_id. See Models.

Choose a voice

List the built-in voices and pass an id as the voice_id:

GET

/v1/voices

1 curl https://api.speechify.ai/v1/voices \
2      -H "Authorization: Bearer <token>"

Try it

Popular built-in voices: george, henry, carly, sabrina. You can also clone a voice from a short sample.

Next steps

Stream long text

Start playback before the full audio is ready, up to 20,000 characters.

Clone a voice

Create a custom voice from a 10-30 second sample, with consent.

Control delivery

Use SSML for pitch, rate, pauses, and emphasis.

API Reference

Full request and response schemas for every endpoint.