Voice MCP

Voice MCP Overview

What is Voice Mode?

Voice Mode is a tool that brings natural, human-like voice conversations to AI assistants such as Claude, ChatGPT, and other Large Language Models (LLMs). It achieves this by integrating with the Model Context Protocol (MCP), allowing users to interact with their AI through speech rather than text.

How to use Voice Mode?

Voice Mode can be installed via uvx, pip, or from source. It requires Python 3.10+ and an OpenAI API Key (or compatible service) for speech-to-text and text-to-speech. Users can integrate Voice Mode with various AI coding assistants like Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Gemini CLI, Cursor, VS Code, and more by configuring their respective MCP settings. Once configured, users can initiate voice conversations with their AI assistant, using commands like claude converse.

Key Features of Voice Mode

Voice conversations: Engage in natural voice interactions with AI assistants, asking questions and receiving spoken responses.
Multiple transports: Supports local microphone input and LiveKit room-based communication.
OpenAI-compatible: Works seamlessly with any OpenAI-compatible Speech-to-Text (STT) and Text-to-Speech (TTS) services, both local and cloud-based.
Real-time interaction: Provides low-latency voice interactions with automatic transport selection for a fluid experience.
MCP Integration: Ensures seamless compatibility with Claude Desktop and other MCP clients.
Silence detection: Automatically stops recording when the user stops speaking, enhancing conversational flow.
Local STT/TTS support: Allows for privacy-focused or offline usage with local services like Whisper.cpp for STT and Kokoro for TTS.

Use Cases of Voice Mode

Programming & Development: Debug errors verbally, walk through code explanations, brainstorm architectural designs, and get help writing tests through natural conversation.
General Productivity: Practice presentations, organize thoughts, prepare for interviews with Q&A, and use the AI as a "rubber duck" for problem-solving.
Voice Control Features: Control the AI with voice commands, such as "Read this error message" or "Just give me a quick summary," and use the converse function for natural, back-and-forth interactions.

FAQ from Voice Mode

What are the system requirements? Python 3.10+, Linux, macOS, or Windows (WSL), and an OpenAI API Key.
How do I install Voice Mode? You can install it using uvx voice-mode, pip install voice-mode, or by cloning the GitHub repository and installing from source.
Can I use local STT/TTS services? Yes, Voice Mode supports local services like Whisper.cpp for STT and Kokoro for TTS, offering privacy and offline capabilities.
How do I configure Voice Mode with my AI coding assistant? Detailed integration guides are available for various tools like Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, and more, typically involving adding Voice Mode to their MCP settings.
What if I encounter audio issues? Check system permissions, ensure uv is installed, verify your OpenAI API key, and use the provided diagnostic scripts for troubleshooting audio setup.

Voice MCP's README

Voice Mode

Install via: uvx voice-mode | pip install voice-mode | getvoicemode.com

Natural voice conversations for AI assistants. Voice Mode brings human-like voice interactions to Claude, ChatGPT, and other LLMs through the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

🖥️ Compatibility

Runs on: Linux • macOS • Windows (WSL) | Python: 3.10+

✨ Features

🎙️ Voice conversations with Claude - ask questions and hear responses
🔄 Multiple transports - local microphone or LiveKit room-based communication
🗣️ OpenAI-compatible - works with any STT/TTS service (local or cloud)
⚡ Real-time - low-latency voice interactions with automatic transport selection
🔧 MCP Integration - seamless with Claude Desktop and other MCP clients
🎯 Silence detection - automatically stops recording when you stop speaking (no more waiting!)

🎯 Simple Requirements

All you need to get started:

🔑 OpenAI API Key (or compatible service) - for speech-to-text and text-to-speech
🎤 Computer with microphone and speakers OR ☁️ LiveKit server (LiveKit Cloud or self-hosted)

Quick Start

📖 Using a different tool? See our Integration Guides for Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI, and more!

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
claude mcp add --scope user voice-mode uvx voice-mode
export OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-key
claude converse

🎬 Demo

Watch Voice Mode in action with Claude Code:

Voice Mode with Gemini CLI

See Voice Mode working with Google's Gemini CLI (their implementation of Claude Code):

Example Usage

Once configured, try these prompts with Claude:

👨‍💻 Programming & Development

"Let's debug this error together" - Explain the issue verbally, paste code, and discuss solutions
"Walk me through this code" - Have Claude explain complex code while you ask questions
"Let's brainstorm the architecture" - Design systems through natural conversation
"Help me write tests for this function" - Describe requirements and iterate verbally

💡 General Productivity

"Let's do a daily standup" - Practice presentations or organize your thoughts
"Interview me about [topic]" - Prepare for interviews with back-and-forth Q&A
"Be my rubber duck" - Explain problems out loud to find solutions

🎯 Voice Control Features

"Read this error message" (Claude speaks, then waits for your response)
"Just give me a quick summary" (Claude speaks without waiting)
Use converse("message", wait_for_response=False) for one-way announcements

The converse function makes voice interactions natural - it automatically waits for your response by default, creating a real conversation flow.

Supported Tools

Voice Mode works with your favorite AI coding assistants:

🤖 Claude Code - Anthropic's official CLI
🖥️ Claude Desktop - Desktop application
🌟 Gemini CLI - Google's CLI tool
⚡ Cursor - AI-first code editor
💻 VS Code - With MCP preview support
🦘 Roo Code - AI dev team in VS Code
🔧 Cline - Autonomous coding agent
⚡ Zed - High-performance editor
🏄 Windsurf - Agentic IDE by Codeium
🔄 Continue - Open-source AI assistant

Installation

Prerequisites

Python >= 3.10
Astral UV - Package manager (install with curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh)
OpenAI API Key (or compatible service)

System Dependencies

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y python3-dev libasound2-dev libasound2-plugins libportaudio2 portaudio19-dev ffmpeg pulseaudio pulseaudio-utils

Note for WSL2 users: WSL2 requires additional audio packages (pulseaudio, libasound2-plugins) for microphone access. See our WSL2 Microphone Access Guide if you encounter issues.

sudo dnf install python3-devel alsa-lib-devel portaudio-devel ffmpeg

# Install Homebrew if not already installed
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

# Install dependencies
brew install portaudio ffmpeg

Follow the Ubuntu/Debian instructions above within WSL.

Quick Install

# Using Claude Code (recommended)
claude mcp add --scope user voice-mode uvx voice-mode

# Using UV
uvx voice-mode

# Using pip
pip install voice-mode

Configuration for AI Coding Assistants

📖 Looking for detailed setup instructions? Check our comprehensive Integration Guides for step-by-step instructions for each tool!

Below are quick configuration snippets. For full installation and setup instructions, see the integration guides above.

claude mcp add voice-mode -- uvx voice-mode

Or with environment variables:

claude mcp add voice-mode --env OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-key -- uvx voice-mode

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "voice-mode": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["voice-mode"],
      "env": {
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to your Cline MCP settings:

Windows:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "voice-mode": {
      "command": "cmd",
      "args": ["/c", "uvx", "voice-mode"],
      "env": {
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

macOS/Linux:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "voice-mode": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["voice-mode"],
      "env": {
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to your .continue/config.json:

{
  "experimental": {
    "modelContextProtocolServers": [
      {
        "transport": {
          "type": "stdio",
          "command": "uvx",
          "args": ["voice-mode"],
          "env": {
            "OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
          }
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "voice-mode": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["voice-mode"],
      "env": {
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to your VS Code MCP config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "voice-mode": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["voice-mode"],
      "env": {
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "voice-mode": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["voice-mode"],
      "env": {
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to your Zed settings.json:

{
  "context_servers": {
    "voice-mode": {
      "command": {
        "path": "uvx",
        "args": ["voice-mode"],
        "env": {
          "OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Open VS Code Settings (Ctrl/Cmd + ,)
Search for "roo" in the settings search bar
Find "Roo-veterinaryinc.roo-cline → settings → Mcp_settings.json"
Click "Edit in settings.json"
Add Voice Mode configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "voice-mode": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["voice-mode"],
      "env": {
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Alternative Installation Options

docker run -it --rm \
  -e OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-key \
  --device /dev/snd \
  -v /tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix \
  -e DISPLAY=$DISPLAY \
  ghcr.io/mbailey/voicemode:latest

pipx install voice-mode

git clone https://github.com/mbailey/voicemode.git
cd voicemode
pip install -e .

Tools

Tool	Description	Key Parameters
`converse`	Have a voice conversation - speak and optionally listen	`message`, `wait_for_response` (default: true), `listen_duration` (default: 30s), `transport` (auto/local/livekit)
`listen_for_speech`	Listen for speech and convert to text	`duration` (default: 5s)
`check_room_status`	Check LiveKit room status and participants	None
`check_audio_devices`	List available audio input/output devices	None
`start_kokoro`	Start the Kokoro TTS service	`models_dir` (optional, defaults to ~/Models/kokoro)
`stop_kokoro`	Stop the Kokoro TTS service	None
`kokoro_status`	Check the status of Kokoro TTS service	None

Note: The converse tool is the primary interface for voice interactions, combining speaking and listening in a natural flow.

Configuration

📖 Integration Guides - Step-by-step setup for each tool
🔧 Configuration Reference - All environment variables
📁 Config Examples - Ready-to-use configuration files

Quick Setup

The only required configuration is your OpenAI API key:

export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-key"

Optional Settings

# Custom STT/TTS services (OpenAI-compatible)
export STT_BASE_URL="http://127.0.0.1:2022/v1"  # Local Whisper
export TTS_BASE_URL="http://127.0.0.1:8880/v1"  # Local TTS
export TTS_VOICE="alloy"                        # Voice selection

# Or use voice preference files (see Configuration docs)
# Project: /your-project/voices.txt or /your-project/.voicemode/voices.txt
# User: ~/voices.txt or ~/.voicemode/voices.txt

# LiveKit (for room-based communication)
# See docs/livekit/ for setup guide
export LIVEKIT_URL="wss://your-app.livekit.cloud"
export LIVEKIT_API_KEY="your-api-key"
export LIVEKIT_API_SECRET="your-api-secret"

# Debug mode
export VOICEMODE_DEBUG="true"

# Save all audio (TTS output and STT input)
export VOICEMODE_SAVE_AUDIO="true"

# Audio format configuration (default: pcm)
export VOICEMODE_AUDIO_FORMAT="pcm"         # Options: pcm, mp3, wav, flac, aac, opus
export VOICEMODE_TTS_AUDIO_FORMAT="pcm"     # Override for TTS only (default: pcm)
export VOICEMODE_STT_AUDIO_FORMAT="mp3"     # Override for STT upload

# Format-specific quality settings
export VOICEMODE_OPUS_BITRATE="32000"       # Opus bitrate (default: 32kbps)
export VOICEMODE_MP3_BITRATE="64k"          # MP3 bitrate (default: 64k)

Audio Format Configuration

Voice Mode uses PCM audio format by default for TTS streaming for optimal real-time performance:

PCM (default for TTS): Zero latency, best streaming performance, uncompressed
MP3: Wide compatibility, good compression for uploads
WAV: Uncompressed, good for local processing
FLAC: Lossless compression, good for archival
AAC: Good compression, Apple ecosystem
Opus: Small files but NOT recommended for streaming (quality issues)

The audio format is automatically validated against provider capabilities and will fallback to a supported format if needed.

Local STT/TTS Services

For privacy-focused or offline usage, Voice Mode supports local speech services:

Whisper.cpp - Local speech-to-text with OpenAI-compatible API
Kokoro - Local text-to-speech with multiple voice options

These services provide the same API interface as OpenAI, allowing seamless switching between cloud and local processing.

OpenAI API Compatibility Benefits

By strictly adhering to OpenAI's API standard, Voice Mode enables powerful deployment flexibility:

🔀 Transparent Routing: Users can implement their own API proxies or gateways outside of Voice Mode to route requests to different providers based on custom logic (cost, latency, availability, etc.)
🎯 Model Selection: Deploy routing layers that select optimal models per request without modifying Voice Mode configuration
💰 Cost Optimization: Build intelligent routers that balance between expensive cloud APIs and free local models
🔧 No Lock-in: Switch providers by simply changing the BASE_URL - no code changes required

Example: Simply set OPENAI_BASE_URL to point to your custom router:

export OPENAI_BASE_URL="https://router.example.com/v1"
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-key"
# Voice Mode now uses your router for all OpenAI API calls

The OpenAI SDK handles this automatically - no Voice Mode configuration needed!

Architecture

┌─────────────────────┐     ┌──────────────────┐     ┌─────────────────────┐
│   Claude/LLM        │     │  LiveKit Server  │     │  Voice Frontend     │
│   (MCP Client)      │◄────►│  (Optional)     │◄───►│  (Optional)         │
└─────────────────────┘     └──────────────────┘     └─────────────────────┘
         │                            │
         │                            │
         ▼                            ▼
┌─────────────────────┐     ┌──────────────────┐
│  Voice MCP Server   │     │   Audio Services │
│  • converse         │     │  • OpenAI APIs   │
│  • listen_for_speech│◄───►│  • Local Whisper │
│  • check_room_status│     │  • Local TTS     │
│  • check_audio_devices    └──────────────────┘
└─────────────────────┘

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

No microphone access: Check system permissions for terminal/application
- WSL2 Users: See WSL2 Microphone Access Guide
UV not found: Install with curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
OpenAI API error: Verify your OPENAI_API_KEY is set correctly
No audio output: Check system audio settings and available devices

Debug Mode

Enable detailed logging and audio file saving:

export VOICEMODE_DEBUG=true

Debug audio files are saved to: ~/voicemode_recordings/

Audio Diagnostics

Run the diagnostic script to check your audio setup:

python scripts/diagnose-wsl-audio.py

This will check for required packages, audio services, and provide specific recommendations.

Audio Saving

To save all audio files (both TTS output and STT input):

export VOICEMODE_SAVE_AUDIO=true

Audio files are saved to: ~/voicemode_audio/ with timestamps in the filename.

Documentation

📚 Read the full documentation at voice-mode.readthedocs.io

Getting Started

Integration Guides - Step-by-step setup for all supported tools
Configuration Guide - Complete environment variable reference

Development

Using uv/uvx - Package management with uv and uvx
Local Development - Development setup guide
Audio Formats - Audio format configuration and migration
Statistics Dashboard - Performance monitoring and metrics

Service Guides

Whisper.cpp Setup - Local speech-to-text configuration
Kokoro Setup - Local text-to-speech configuration
LiveKit Integration - Real-time voice communication

Troubleshooting

WSL2 Microphone Access - WSL2 audio setup
Migration Guide - Upgrading from older versions

Links

Website: getvoicemode.com
Documentation: voice-mode.readthedocs.io
GitHub: github.com/mbailey/voicemode
PyPI: pypi.org/project/voice-mode
npm: npmjs.com/package/voicemode

Community

Discord: Join our community
Twitter/X: @getvoicemode
YouTube: @getvoicemode

License

MIT - A Failmode Project

Project Statistics

Voice MCP Reviews

Reviews feature coming soon

Stay tuned for community discussions and feedback

Voice MCP Overview

What is Voice Mode?

How to use Voice Mode?

Key Features of Voice Mode

Use Cases of Voice Mode

FAQ from Voice Mode

Voice MCP's README

Voice Mode

🖥️ Compatibility

✨ Features

🎯 Simple Requirements

Quick Start

🎬 Demo

Voice Mode with Gemini CLI

Example Usage

👨‍💻 Programming & Development

💡 General Productivity

🎯 Voice Control Features

Supported Tools

Installation

Prerequisites

System Dependencies

Quick Install

Configuration for AI Coding Assistants

Alternative Installation Options

Tools

Configuration

Quick Setup

Optional Settings

Audio Format Configuration

Local STT/TTS Services

OpenAI API Compatibility Benefits

Architecture

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Debug Mode

Audio Diagnostics

Audio Saving

Documentation

Getting Started

Development

Service Guides

Troubleshooting

Links

Community

See Also

License

Voice MCP Reviews

Actions

Voice MCP's Information