Practical overview
When it fits
Use Epub2Tts when you have a DRM-free EPUB or text document and want a command-line workflow for producing an audiobook, especially if you need chapter detection, voice selection, or editable text preparation.
Who it is for
- Readers who want to turn DRM-free EPUB books into audiobooks.
- People preparing text documents for spoken playback.
- Users who want to select a TTS engine, speaker, or voice-cloning input from a command line.
Documented uses
- Convert an EPUB or text file into an M4B audiobook.
- Export an EPUB to text to edit chapter headings or remove sections before audio generation.
- Choose a TTS engine and speaker, or provide audio samples for XTTS voice cloning.
- Add cover art and select a chapter range for conversion.
Requirements & limits
The project is described as free and open source under the Apache-2.0 license. The README identifies Microsoft Edge TTS as a cloud-based option and the default VITS example as requiring no GPU.
- EPUB input must be DRM-free.
- The application is a CLI, so its documented workflow uses terminal commands.
- Engine choice affects setup: OpenAI requires an API key, while XTTS voice cloning takes one or more audio samples.
- The README says thread counts for Coqui TTS or XTTS may need adjustment to suit the user's system.
- The Kokoro example includes a speed option but notes that speed configuration is ignored.
Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.
Export and prepare an EPUB as editable text
Extract an EPUB's contents to a text file and prepare chapter structure before audio generation.
Before you start
- A DRM-free EPUB
- Epub2Tts available as a command-line application
Steps
Run
epub2tts mybook.epub --export txt.Edit the resulting
mybook.txt, renaming chapter headings and removing front matter or other material that should not be read.If including audiobook metadata, put
Title:andAuthor:on the first two lines; begin the book text after them with a chapter or section heading starting with#.
Expected outcome
A text version of the EPUB with editable chapter headings and optional title and author metadata, ready for a subsequent audiobook command.
Guide limitations
- The EPUB must be DRM-free.
- The instructions document text export; they do not specify the export of other formats.
Create an audiobook from an EPUB with the default VITS setup
Generate an audiobook from a DRM-free EPUB using the documented default VITS settings.
Before you start
- A DRM-free EPUB
- Epub2Tts available as a command-line application
Steps
Run
epub2tts mybook.epubto use the documented default VITS model.To choose a different Coqui speaker, add a documented speaker option, such as
--speaker p307.
Expected outcome
An M4B audiobook generated with the default VITS setup; chapter breaks are detected automatically.
Guide limitations
- The README's default VITS example says no GPU is required.
- This recipe uses default settings and does not describe advanced editing or engine-specific configuration.
Sources & review
Source record details
- Source availability
- Active
- Sources checked
- 17 October 2026
- Original website title
- aedocw/epub2tts · Official homepage title · retained in its source language
Related options
epub2tts-edge — A lighter-weight, engine-specific variant that uses Microsoft Edge TTS.
epub2tts-kokoro — A lighter-weight, engine-specific variant for the Kokoro TTS engine.
epub2tts-chatterbox — A separate project recommended in the README for Coqui voice-cloning use; the README says it requires a GPU.
epub2tts-vibevoice — A separate project using Microsoft VibeVoice, which the README highlights for handling long text.