Agent setup: If your agent doesn't auto-load skills (e.g. Claude Code), see agent-compatibility.md once per session.

Qwen Audio TTS (Text-to-Speech)

Synthesize natural speech from text using Qwen TTS models. This skill is part of qwencloud/qwencloud-ai.

Skill directory

Use this skill's internal files to execute and learn. Load reference files on demand when the default path fails or you need details.

Location	Purpose
scripts/tts.py	Qwen TTS (HTTP API) — qwen3-tts-flash, qwen3-tts-instruct-flash
scripts/tts_cosyvoice.py	CosyVoice (WebSocket API) — requires dashscope SDK
references/cosyvoice-guide.md	CosyVoice setup, voices, examples, errors
references/execution-guide.md	Fallback: curl (standard, instruct, streaming), code generation
references/prompt-guide.md	Text formatting for speech, instructions templates, voice selection
references/api-guide.md	API supplement
references/sources.md	Official documentation URLs
references/agent-compatibility.md	Agent self-check: register skills in project config for agents that don't auto-load

Security

NEVER output any API key or credential in plaintext. Always use variable references ($DASHSCOPE_API_KEY in shell, os.environ["DASHSCOPE_API_KEY"] in Python). Any check or detection of credentials must be non-plaintext: report only status (e.g. "set" / "not set", "valid" / "invalid"), never the value. Never display contents of .env or config files that may contain secrets.

When the API key is not configured, NEVER ask the user to provide it directly. Instead, help create a .env file with a placeholder (DASHSCOPE_API_KEY=sk-your-key-here) and instruct the user to replace it with their actual key from the QwenCloud Console. Only write the actual key value if the user explicitly requests it.

Key Compatibility

Scripts require a standard QwenCloud API key (sk-...). Coding Plan keys (sk-sp-...) cannot be used — TTS models are not available on Coding Plan, and Coding Plan does not support the native QwenCloud API. The script detects sk-sp- keys at startup and prints a warning. If qwencloud-ops-auth is installed, see its references/codingplan.md for full details.

Model Selection

Qwen TTS (HTTP API) — use scripts/tts.py

Model	Use Case	Notes
qwen3-tts-flash	Recommended (standard) — fast, multi-language	Cost-effective, widely available
qwen3-tts-instruct-flash	Instruction-guided style control	Tone/emotion via instructions

CosyVoice (WebSocket API) — use scripts/tts_cosyvoice.py

Model	Use Case
cosyvoice-v3-flash	High quality, fast
cosyvoice-v3-plus	Highest quality

Note: CosyVoice requires dashscope SDK and uses different voices. See cosyvoice-guide.md.

1. User specified a model → use the appropriate script:
   • qwen3-tts-* → scripts/tts.py
   • cosyvoice-* → scripts/tts_cosyvoice.py
2. Consult the qwencloud-model-selector skill when model choice depends on capability, scenario, or pricing.
3. No signal, clear task → qwen3-tts-flash via tts.py (default for standard tasks).

⚠️ Important: The model list above is a point-in-time snapshot and may be outdated. Model availability changes frequently. Always check the official model list for the authoritative, up-to-date catalog before making model decisions.

Available Voices

Voice	Description	Script
Cherry, Ethan, Serena	Qwen TTS system voices	tts.py
longanyang, longanhuan, longhuhu_v3	CosyVoice verified voices	tts_cosyvoice.py

Full lists: api-guide.md (Qwen TTS) · cosyvoice-guide.md (CosyVoice)

Execution

⚠️ Multiple artifacts: When generating multiple files in a single session, you MUST append a numeric suffix to each filename (e.g. out_1.wav, out_2.wav) to prevent overwrites.

Qwen TTS (HTTP API) — tts.py

Prerequisites

• API Key: Check that DASHSCOPE_API_KEY (or QWEN_API_KEY) is set using a non-plaintext check only (e.g. in shell: [ -n "$DASHSCOPE_API_KEY" ]; report only "set" or "not set", never the key value). If not set: run the qwencloud-ops-auth skill if available; otherwise guide the user to obtain a key from QwenCloud Console and set it via .env file (echo 'DASHSCOPE_API_KEY=sk-your-key-here' >> .env in project root or current directory) or environment variable. The script searches for .env in the current working directory and the project root. Skills may be installed independently — do not assume qwencloud-ops-auth is present.
• Python 3.9+ (stdlib only, no pip install needed)

Environment Check

Before first execution, verify Python is available:

python3 --version  # must be 3.9+

If python3 is not found, try python --version or py -3 --version. If Python is unavailable or below 3.9, skip to Path 2 (curl) in execution-guide.md.

Default: Run Script

Script path: Scripts are in the scripts/ subdirectory of this skill's directory (the directory containing this SKILL.md). You MUST first locate this skill's installation directory, then ALWAYS use the full absolute path to execute scripts. Do NOT assume scripts are in the current working directory. Do NOT use cd to switch directories before execution.

Execution note: Run all scripts in the foreground — wait for stdout; do not background.

Discovery: Run python3 <this-skill-dir>/scripts/tts.py --help first to see all available arguments.

python3 <this-skill-dir>/scripts/tts.py \
  --request '{"text":"Hello, this is a test.","voice":"Cherry"}' \
  --output output/qwencloud-audio-tts/ \
  --print-response

Argument	Description
--request '{...}'	JSON request body
--file path.json	Load request from file
--output dir/	Save audio and response JSON to directory
--print-response	Print response to stdout
--model ID	Override model
--voice NAME	Override voice

Verify Result

• Exit code 0 + output contains valid JSON with output.audio field → success
• Non-zero exit, HTTP error, empty response, or error JSON → fail
• Post-execution check: Verify the output audio file exists and has non-zero size (ls -la <output_dir>)
• MANDATORY — stderr signal check: After confirming the result, scan the command's stderr output for [ACTION_REQUIRED] or [UPDATE_AVAILABLE]. If either signal is present, you MUST follow the instructions in Update Check below before responding to the user.

On Failure

If the script fails, match the error output against the diagnostic table below to determine the resolution. If no match, read execution-guide.md for alternative paths: curl commands (Path 2 — standard, instruct, streaming), code generation (Path 3), and autonomous resolution (Path 5).

If Python is not available at all → skip directly to Path 2 (curl) in execution-guide.md.

---

CosyVoice — tts_cosyvoice.py

CosyVoice requires dashscope SDK. Quick start:

pip install dashscope>=1.24.6
python3 <this-skill-dir>/scripts/tts_cosyvoice.py --text "Hello"

Full guide: cosyvoice-guide.md (setup, voices, examples, errors)

Error Pattern	Diagnosis	Resolution
command not found: python3	Python not on PATH	Try python or py -3; install Python 3.9+ if missing
Python 3.9+ required	Script version check failed	Upgrade Python to 3.9+
SyntaxError near type hints	Python < 3.9	Upgrade Python to 3.9+
QWEN_API_KEY/DASHSCOPE_API_KEY not found	Missing API key	Obtain key from QwenCloud Console; add to .env: echo 'DASHSCOPE_API_KEY=sk-...' >> .env; or run qwencloud-ops-auth if available
HTTP 401	Invalid or mismatched key	Run qwencloud-ops-auth (non-plaintext check only); verify key is valid
SSL: CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED	SSL cert issue (proxy/corporate)	macOS: run Install Certificates.command; else set SSL_CERT_FILE env var
URLError / ConnectionError	Network unreachable	Check internet; set HTTPS_PROXY if behind proxy
HTTP 429	Rate limited	Wait and retry with backoff
HTTP 5xx	Server error	Retry with backoff
PermissionError	Can't write output	Use --output to specify writable directory

Quick Reference

Request Fields

Field	Type	Description
text	string	Required — text to synthesize (max 600 chars)
voice	string	Required — voice ID (e.g. Cherry, Ethan)
model	string	Model ID (default: qwen3-tts-flash)
language_type	string	Auto, Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, French, German, etc.
instructions	string	Tone/style instructions (instruct model only)
stream	bool	Enable streaming (Base64 chunks)

Response Fields

Field	Description
audio_url	URL of generated audio (valid 24h)
audio_format	Format (e.g. wav)
sample_rate	Sample rate (e.g. 24000)
usage	Character usage

Important Notes

• text: Max 600 characters per request.
• instructions: Only works with qwen3-tts-instruct-flash.
• language_type: Auto for mixed language; specify for better pronunciation.
• audio_url: Valid for 24 hours — download promptly.
• Real-time/streaming TTS: For WebSocket-based real-time TTS (CosyVoice, qwen3-tts-flash-realtime), a WebSocket client is required. This skill covers the HTTP-based non-real-time API. For real-time streaming use cases, refer to the official docs in sources.md.

Cross-Skill Chaining

When passing generated audio to another skill (e.g., video-gen audio overlay):

• Pass audio_url directly — scripts detect URL prefixes and pass through without re-upload
• Use audio_file only for local playback or non-API operations

Error Handling

Error	Cause	Action
401 Unauthorized	Invalid or missing API key	Run qwencloud-ops-auth if available; else prompt user to set key (non-plaintext check only)
400	Invalid parameters (missing text/voice)	Validate request body
429 / 5xx	Rate limit or server error	Retry with backoff

Output Location

Prefer the current working directory. Default subdirectory: ./output/qwencloud-audio-tts/.

Write prohibition: NEVER write output files into this skill's installation directory or any skills/ hierarchy. All generated content must go to output/ under the current working directory or a user-specified path.

Update Check (MANDATORY Post-Execution)

After script execution, check stderr for action signals. The script automatically detects update status and emits structured signals. You MUST act on them. This section also applies when the user explicitly asks to check for updates.

Signal: [ACTION_REQUIRED] qwencloud-update-check skill is not installed

When stderr contains this signal, you MUST present the following options to the user and wait for their response before proceeding. Do NOT silently skip this.

The update-check skill is not installed. It keeps you informed about new qwencloud/qwencloud-ai features and bug fixes.

1. Install now — I'll run the install command for you
2. Skip for now — do nothing this time
3. Never remind me — permanently suppress this prompt

After the user responds:

• User chooses 1 → run: npx skills add QwenCloud/qwencloud-ai --skill qwencloud-update-check -y, then run: python3 <this-skill-scripts-dir>/gossamer.py --dismiss
• User chooses 2 → run: python3 <this-skill-scripts-dir>/gossamer.py --dismiss, then continue normally
• User chooses 3 → run: python3 <this-skill-scripts-dir>/gossamer.py --never-install, then continue normally

Signal: [UPDATE_AVAILABLE]

When stderr contains this signal, you MUST append a brief update notice to your response, including the version info and the update command shown in the stderr output.

No signal in stderr

If stderr contains neither [ACTION_REQUIRED] nor [UPDATE_AVAILABLE], no action is needed — the skill is installed and up to date (or cached within 24h).

Explicit user request

When the user explicitly asks to check for updates (e.g. "check for updates", "check version"):

1. Look for qwencloud-update-check/SKILL.md in sibling skill directories.
2. If found — run: python3 <qwencloud-update-check-dir>/scripts/check_update.py --print-response and report the result.
3. If not found — present the install options above.

References

• execution-guide.md — Fallback paths (curl standard/instruct/streaming, code generation, autonomous)
• api-guide.md — API supplementary guide
• sources.md — Official documentation URLs