Run Vibevoice Locally with Python Guide

Vibevoice is a powerful tool for AI voice synthesis. Running it locally gives you full control. You can process audio without an internet connection. This guide will show you how.

We will use Python. It is the main language for AI projects. You will learn to set up the environment. You will also learn to run basic voice synthesis.

What is Vibevoice?

Vibevoice is an AI model for generating speech. It can clone voices. It can also create new ones from text. Running it on your computer is called a local install.

This is better than cloud services. You keep your data private. You are not limited by API costs. It works even offline.

Prerequisites for Installation

You need a few things before starting. First, ensure Python is installed. Version 3.8 or higher is recommended. You can check by opening a terminal.

python --version

You also need pip, the Python package installer. It usually comes with Python. Next, you need Git. Vibevoice's code is often on GitHub.

Finally, check your system resources. Vibevoice can use a lot of RAM and GPU memory. A computer with a dedicated GPU is best for speed.

Step 1: Clone the Vibevoice Repository

The first step is to get the source code. Open your terminal or command prompt. Navigate to where you want the project. Then, clone the repository.

git clone https://github.com/vibevoice/vibevoice.git
cd vibevoice

This command downloads all the necessary files. The cd command moves you into the project folder. You are now ready to set up the environment.

Step 2: Create a Python Virtual Environment

It is best to use a virtual environment. This keeps Vibevoice's dependencies separate. It prevents conflicts with other Python projects on your system.

Create and activate the environment with these commands.

python -m venv venv
# On Windows:
venv\Scripts\activate
# On macOS/Linux:
source venv/bin/activate

Your terminal prompt should change. It will show (venv) at the beginning. This means the environment is active. All following Python commands will use it.

Step 3: Install Required Dependencies

Vibevoice needs specific Python libraries. These are listed in a file, often requirements.txt. Install them using pip.

pip install -r requirements.txt

This command reads the file and installs every package. It might take a few minutes. Wait for it to finish. You might also need to install PyTorch separately. Check the project's README for exact commands.

If you face errors, they are often about missing system libraries. On Linux, you may need to install portaudio or ffmpeg.

Step 4: Download the AI Model Weights

The Vibevoice software is just the code. The AI model itself is a separate, large file. This file contains the "learned" data for voice synthesis.

You usually need to download it from a provided link. The project documentation will specify. Often, you use a script or a command.

python scripts/download_model.py

Place the downloaded file in the correct folder. Often it is a folder named checkpoints or models. This is a critical step. The tool will not work without the model file.

Step 5: Run Your First Vibevoice Command

Now you are ready to run Vibevoice. The most basic task is text-to-speech. You give it text, and it generates an audio file.

Create a simple Python script to test it. Let's call it test_vibevoice.py.

# test_vibevoice.py
# Import the necessary function from Vibevoice
from vibevoice.synthesize import tts

# Define the text you want to convert to speech
input_text = "Hello, this is Vibevoice running locally on my machine."

# Specify the path to the model checkpoint you downloaded
model_path = "./checkpoints/vibevoice_model.pth"

# Call the text-to-speech function
# This will generate an audio file named 'output.wav'
tts(text=input_text, model_path=model_path, output_file="output.wav")

print("Audio synthesis complete! Check 'output.wav'.")

Run this script from your terminal.

python test_vibevoice.py

If everything is set up correctly, you will see the success message. A file named output.wav will appear. Play it to hear the synthesized voice.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

You might run into problems. Here are common fixes.

Issue: "ModuleNotFoundError". This means a Python package is missing. Go back to Step 3. Ensure you ran pip install -r requirements.txt in the activated virtual environment.

Issue: CUDA Out of Memory. Your GPU does not have enough RAM. Try a smaller model. Or, run the synthesis on the CPU by setting the device in your code. For example, add device='cpu' to the function call.

Issue: "Checkpoint not found". The model file path is wrong. Double-check the location of your .pth file. Ensure the path in your script is correct.

Conclusion

You have successfully installed and run Vibevoice locally with Python. This process involves cloning code, setting up an environment, and downloading the AI model.

The key benefit is offline, private voice synthesis. You can now experiment freely. Try different texts. Explore voice cloning features mentioned in the documentation.

Remember to keep your virtual environment active for future work. With this setup, you have a powerful AI voice tool right on your computer.