VoiceMode

Natural voice conversations with Claude Code (and other MCP capable agents)

![PyPI Downloads](https://pepy.tech/project/voice-mode) ![PyPI Downloads](https://pepy.tech/project/voice-mode) ![PyPI Downloads](https://pepy.tech/project/voice-mode)

VoiceMode enables natural voice conversations with Claude Code. Voice isn't about replacing typing - it's about being available when typing isn't.

Perfect for:

Walking to your next meeting
Cooking while debugging
Giving your eyes a break after hours of screen time
Holding a coffee (or a dog)
Any moment when your hands or eyes are busy

See It In Action

![VoiceMode Demo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYdwOD_-dQc)

Quick Start

Requirements: Computer with microphone and speakers

Option 1: Claude Code Plugin (Recommended)

The fastest way for Claude Code users to get started:

# Add the VoiceMode marketplace
claude plugin marketplace add mbailey/voicemode

# Install VoiceMode plugin
claude plugin install voicemode@voicemode

## Install dependencies (CLI, Local Voice Services)

/voicemode:install

# Start talking!
/voicemode:converse

Option 2: Python installer package

Installs dependencies and the VoiceMode Python package.

# Install UV package manager (if needed)
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

# Run the installer (sets up dependencies and local voice services)
uvx voice-mode-install

# Add to Claude Code
claude mcp add --scope user voicemode -- uvx --refresh --from voice-mode voicemode-mcp-launcher

# Optional: Add OpenAI API key as fallback for local services
export OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-key

# Start a conversation
claude converse

For manual setup, see the Getting Started Guide.

Features

Natural conversations - speak naturally, hear responses immediately
Works offline - optional local voice services (Whisper STT, Kokoro TTS)
Low latency - fast enough to feel like a real conversation
Smart silence detection - stops recording when you stop speaking
Privacy options - run entirely locally or use cloud services

Compatibility

Platforms: Linux, macOS, Windows (native or WSL), NixOS Python: 3.10-3.14

Configuration

VoiceMode works out of the box. For customization:

# Set OpenAI API key (if using cloud services)
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-key"

# Or configure via file
voicemode config edit

See the Configuration Guide for all options.

Permissions Setup (Optional)

To use VoiceMode without permission prompts, add to ~/.claude/settings.json:

{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": [
      "mcp__voicemode__converse",
      "mcp__voicemode__service"
    ]
  }
}

See the Permissions Guide for more options.

Local Voice Services

For privacy or offline use, install local speech services:

Whisper.cpp - Local speech-to-text
Kokoro - Local text-to-speech with multiple voices

These provide the same API as OpenAI, so VoiceMode switches seamlessly between them.

Installation Details

<details> <summary><strong>System Dependencies by Platform</strong></summary>

Ubuntu/Debian

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

WSL2 users: The pulseaudio packages above are required for microphone access.

Fedora/RHEL

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

macOS

brew install ffmpeg node portaudio

NixOS

# Use development shell
nix develop github:mbailey/voicemode

# Or install system-wide
nix profile install github:mbailey/voicemode

</details>

<details> <summary><strong>Alternative Installation Methods</strong></summary>

From source

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

NixOS system-wide

# In /etc/nixos/configuration.nix
environment.systemPackages = [
  (builtins.getFlake "github:mbailey/voicemode").packages.${pkgs.system}.default
];

</details>

Troubleshooting

| Problem | Solution | |---------|----------| | No microphone access | Check terminal/app permissions. WSL2 needs pulseaudio packages. | | UV not found | Run curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh \| sh | | OpenAI API error | Verify OPENAI_API_KEY is set correctly | | No audio output | Check system audio settings and available devices |

Save Audio for Debugging

export VOICEMODE_SAVE_AUDIO=true
# Files saved to ~/.voicemode/audio/YYYY/MM/

Documentation

Getting Started - Full setup guide
Configuration - All environment variables
Whisper Setup - Local speech-to-text
Kokoro Setup - Local text-to-speech
Development Setup - Contributing guide

Full documentation: voicemode.dev

License

MIT - A Failmode Project

--- mcp-name: dev.voicemode/voicemode

voice-mcp