YouTube Chat TTS

Created by Vincent Fischer (C0br4)

A standalone desktop application for YouTube livestream chat Text-to-Speech, designed to work as a standalone app without dependencies. This is a dedicated application that runs independently on your desktop. Perfect for streamers who want to interact with their chat while focusing on their content, without browser dependencies or complex streaming software setups.

📸 Screenshots

Main Application Window

Settings and Features

Why Standalone?

• 🎯 Purpose-Built: Designed specifically for YouTube chat TTS, not a plugin
• 🚀 Easy to Use: Just launch and connect - no additional software needed
• 🔒 Privacy Focused: Runs locally on your machine, no external services
• 💻 Resource Efficient: Lightweight and optimized for desktop use
• 🎮 Stream Ready: Works alongside any streaming software without integration hassles

Features

• Real-time YouTube live chat monitoring
• Text-to-speech for chat messages
• Customizable TTS settings (speed, volume, voice selection)
• User blocking capability
• Timestamp display options
• Dark/light theme support
• Message length limits to prevent spam
• Automatic reconnection on disconnection

Installation

1. Go to the Releases page
2. Download the latest version for your platform:
   • Windows: YouTubeChatTTS-win.exe
   • macOS: YouTubeChatTTS-mac.app
3. Run the application

Usage

Using the Executable

1. Launch the application
2. Enter a YouTube Live video URL or ID
3. Click "Connect" to start monitoring the chat
4. Adjust TTS settings as needed using the settings panel

Running from Python

You can also run the application directly using Python:

# Install required packages
pip install customtkinter pytchat pyttsx3 requests

# Run the application
python youtubechat_tts.py

This is useful for development or if you prefer running from source.

Configuration

• TTS Rate: Adjust speaking speed (default: 180)
• TTS Volume: Adjust volume (default: 0.8)
• Voice Selection: Choose from available system voices
• Show Timestamps: Toggle timestamp display
• Block Users: Add usernames to ignore
• Hide Blocked Messages: Toggle visibility of blocked user messages

Building from Source

If you prefer to build the application yourself:

Requirements

Note: These requirements are only needed if you want to build from source. The provided executables in the Releases page are ready to use and don't require any additional software.

• Python 3.6 or higher
• Required Python packages (installed automatically by build scripts):
  • customtkinter
  • pytchat
  • pyttsx3
  • requests
  • pyinstaller (for creating executables)

Build Instructions

Note: Executables must be built on their target operating system due to PyInstaller's OS-specific compilation process. The application will use whatever TTS voices are installed on the user's system.

Windows (build on Windows)

1. Clone this repository
2. Run make_win_exe.bat
3. Find the executable in the dist folder

macOS (build on macOS)

1. Clone this repository
2. Make the build script executable: chmod +x make_macos_app.sh
3. Run ./make_macos_app.sh
4. Find the application in the dist folder

The application dynamically detects and uses the Text-to-Speech voices available on the user's system.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

This means you can:

• Use this software for any purpose, including commercial use
• Modify the source code
• Share the software and your modifications

But you must:

• Share the source code of any derivative works under the same GPL-3.0 license
• State any significant changes made to the software
• Include the original license and copyright notices

Security

When downloading the executable:

1. Always download from the official Releases page
2. Verify the SHA-256 checksum (provided in release notes)
3. Windows SmartScreen may show a warning - this is normal for new applications

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. No sound from TTS

   • Check if your system's audio is working
   • Try selecting a different voice in the settings
   • Ensure volume is not muted in the app

2. Chat not connecting

   • Verify the YouTube stream is live
   • Check your internet connection
   • Make sure the video ID/URL is correct

3. Application won't start

   • Ensure you have the latest version
   • Try running as administrator
   • Check your antivirus isn't blocking the app

For more issues, please check the Issues page or create a new issue.

Acknowledgments

This project would not be possible without the incredible work of the following open source projects and their maintainers:

• CustomTkinter: For providing the beautiful modern UI framework
• pytchat: For making YouTube chat interaction seamless
• pyttsx3: For the reliable text-to-speech functionality
• PyInstaller: For making it possible to create standalone executables
• requests: For handling web interactions elegantly

A heartfelt thank you to all the developers who maintain these projects. Your work makes projects like this possible! 💖