Geek-skills-podcast-generator

Podcast Generator

Overview

Generate professional AI-powered podcasts using Volcano Engine's Podcast AI Model. This skill transforms text input into engaging dual-speaker podcast audio with natural conversation flow, supporting multiple audio formats and voice customization.

Quick Start

To generate a podcast:

Ensure Volcano Engine credentials are available (APP_ID and ACCESS_KEY)
Prepare the podcast topic/content text (up to 25,000 characters)
Run the generation script with required parameters
Receive the output audio file in your preferred format

Core Workflow

Step 1: Prepare Input

Required information:

Podcast topic or content text (Chinese, up to 25k characters)
Volcano Engine APP ID
Volcano Engine Access Key

Optional customization:

Audio format (mp3, ogg_opus, pcm, aac)
Sample rate (default: 24000 Hz)
Speech rate (-50 to 100, where 100 = 2.0x speed)
Speaker voices (default: male + female duo)
Opening music (default: disabled)

Step 2: Generate Podcast

Run the generation script:

python scripts/generate_podcast.py \
  --text "Your podcast topic or content" \
  --output "/path/to/output.mp3" \
  --app-id "YOUR_APP_ID" \
  --access-key "YOUR_ACCESS_KEY" \
  --format mp3 \
  --sample-rate 24000 \
  --speech-rate 0

Alternative: Use as Python module

import asyncio
from scripts.generate_podcast import PodcastGenerator

async def create_podcast():
    generator = PodcastGenerator(
        app_id="YOUR_APP_ID",
        access_key="YOUR_ACCESS_KEY"
    )
    
    result = await generator.generate_podcast(
        input_text="分析下当前的大模型发展",
        output_path="podcast.mp3",
        audio_format="mp3",
        sample_rate=24000,
        speech_rate=0,
        use_head_music=False
    )
    
    if result['success']:
        print(f"✅ Podcast generated: {result['output_path']}")
    else:
        print(f"❌ Failed: {result['error']}")

asyncio.run(create_podcast())

Step 3: Handle Output

The script will:

Stream audio data in real-time
Display progress for each speaking round
Save the complete audio file to the specified path
Return generation statistics (file size, round count, etc.)

Advanced Features

Resume from Interruption

If generation is interrupted, use the resume capability:

result = await generator.generate_podcast(
    input_text="Your topic",
    output_path="podcast.mp3",
    retry_info={
        "retry_task_id": "previous_task_id",
        "last_finished_round_id": 5
    }
)

The system will continue from the last completed round instead of starting over.

Custom Speaker Configuration

Specify different speaker voices:

result = await generator.generate_podcast(
    input_text="Your topic",
    output_path="podcast.mp3",
    speakers=[
        "zh_male_dayixiansheng_v2_saturn_bigtts",
        "zh_female_mizaitongxue_v2_saturn_bigtts"
    ]
)

Audio Format Options

Supported formats and use cases:

mp3: Best for general distribution (compressed, widely supported)
ogg_opus: High quality with good compression
pcm: Uncompressed raw audio (largest file size, highest quality)
aac: Modern compressed format with good quality

Speech Rate Adjustment

Control speaking speed:

speech_rate=0: Normal speed (1.0x)
speech_rate=100: 2x speed (fast)
speech_rate=-50: 0.5x speed (slow)

Common Usage Patterns

Pattern 1: Quick Blog Post to Podcast

blog_text = """
[Your blog post content here - can be long form]
"""

result = await generator.generate_podcast(
    input_text=blog_text,
    output_path="blog_podcast.mp3"
)

Pattern 2: Research Paper Summary

paper_summary = "Summarize the key findings of the latest AI research..."

result = await generator.generate_podcast(
    input_text=paper_summary,
    output_path="research_podcast.mp3",
    use_head_music=True  # Add opening music for professional touch
)

Pattern 3: Educational Content

lesson_topic = "Explain quantum computing concepts for beginners"

result = await generator.generate_podcast(
    input_text=lesson_topic,
    output_path="lesson.mp3",
    speech_rate=-20  # Slightly slower for educational content
)

Error Handling

Common issues and solutions:

Connection Errors:

Verify APP_ID and ACCESS_KEY are correct
Check network connectivity
Ensure firewall allows WebSocket connections

Text Too Long:

The model truncates at 25,000 characters
Split long content into multiple podcasts

Audio Not Generated:

Check output path is writable
Verify sufficient disk space
Review error messages for specific issues

Incomplete Generation:

Use retry_info to resume from last completed round
Check logs for the task_id and last_finished_round_id

Resource Usage

scripts/generate_podcast.py

Complete WebSocket client implementation for Volcano Engine's Podcast API:

Handles binary protocol communication
Manages streaming audio reception
Implements automatic retry logic
Provides both CLI and programmatic interfaces

Key features:

Async/await pattern for efficient I/O
Progress tracking with emoji indicators
Comprehensive error handling
Flexible parameter configuration

references/api_reference.md

Detailed API documentation including:

Complete parameter specifications
WebSocket protocol details
Event type reference
Error code explanations

Consult this file for:

Advanced API usage
Protocol-level debugging
Custom implementation needs

Requirements

Python dependencies:

pip install websockets

Credentials:

Volcano Engine APP ID (obtain from console: https://console.volcengine.com/speech/service/10028)
Volcano Engine Access Key

Best Practices

Input Text Quality: Use clear, well-structured Chinese text for best results
Length Optimization: Aim for 500-3000 characters for optimal podcast length
Format Selection: Use MP3 for distribution, PCM for further processing
Error Handling: Always check the success field in results
Resource Management: Close connections properly to avoid quota issues

Limitations

Maximum text length: 25,000 characters (model truncates longer input)
Language support: Primarily optimized for Chinese
Concurrent requests: Subject to your account's quota limits
Audio quality: Determined by model capabilities, not controllable via parameters