When to use

Converting text to lifelike speech using AWS Polly
Working with multiple voice engines and output formats
Tracking TTS costs and AWS billing
Implementing TTS in automation pipelines

AWS Polly TTS Tool Skill

Purpose

Professional AWS Polly text-to-speech CLI and library with agent-friendly design, enabling conversion of text to lifelike speech using Amazon Polly's deep learning technology. Supports 60+ voices in 30+ languages across four quality tiers with comprehensive cost tracking.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

You need to convert text to speech using AWS Polly
You want to explore available voices and engines
You need to track TTS costs or query billing data
You're building automation with TTS capabilities
You need SSML support for advanced speech control
You want to work with different audio formats

Do NOT use this skill for:

Non-AWS TTS services (Google, Azure, etc.)
Real-time streaming TTS (use AWS SDK directly)
Voice cloning or training (Polly doesn't support this)

CLI Tool: aws-polly-tts-tool

Professional AWS Polly TTS CLI and Python library designed with CLI-first philosophy for both command-line and programmatic use.

Installation

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/dnvriend/aws-polly-tts-tool.git
cd aws-polly-tts-tool

# Install with uv (Python 3.12)
uv tool install . --python 3.12

# Verify installation
aws-polly-tts-tool --version

Prerequisites

Python 3.12+ (Python 3.13+ has pydub compatibility issues)
AWS credentials configured
ffmpeg for audio playback (not required for file output)
IAM permissions: polly:DescribeVoices, polly:SynthesizeSpeech, ce:GetCostAndUsage

Quick Start

# Play text with default voice
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize "Hello world"

# Save to file
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize "Hello world" --output speech.mp3

# List available voices
aws-polly-tts-tool list-voices

# Show pricing
aws-polly-tts-tool pricing

Progressive Disclosure

<details> <summary>📖 Core Commands (Click to expand)</summary>

synthesize - Convert Text to Speech

Main TTS command with full feature support including multiple engines, voices, and output formats.

Usage:

aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize "TEXT" [OPTIONS]

Arguments:

TEXT: Text to synthesize (required, or use --stdin)
--stdin / -s: Read text from stdin (enables piping)
--voice TEXT: Voice ID (default: Joanna)
--output PATH / -o PATH: Save audio to file instead of playing
--format TEXT / -f TEXT: Output format (mp3, ogg_vorbis, pcm) - default: mp3
--engine TEXT / -e TEXT: Voice engine (standard, neural, generative, long-form) - default: neural
--ssml: Treat input as SSML markup
--show-cost: Display character count and cost estimate
--region TEXT / -r TEXT: AWS region override
-V/-VV/-VVV: Verbosity (INFO/DEBUG/TRACE with AWS SDK details)

Examples:

# Basic synthesis with default voice (Joanna, neural)
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize "Hello world"

# Use different voice and engine
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize "Hello" --voice Matthew --engine generative

# Save to file with specific format
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize "Hello world" --output speech.mp3 --format mp3

# Read from stdin
echo "Hello world" | aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize --stdin

# Read from file
cat article.txt | aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize --stdin --output article.mp3

# Use SSML for advanced control
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize '<speak>Hello <break time="500ms"/> world</speak>' --ssml

# Show cost estimate
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize "Hello world" --show-cost

# Multiple options combined with debugging
cat article.txt | aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize --stdin \
    --voice Joanna \
    --engine neural \
    --output article.mp3 \
    --show-cost \
    -VV

Output:

Audio played through speakers (default) or saved to file
Character count and cost estimate (with --show-cost)
Logs to stderr, keeping stdout clean for piping

list-voices - Discover Available Voices

List and filter AWS Polly voices by engine, language, and gender.

Usage:

aws-polly-tts-tool list-voices [OPTIONS]

Options:

--engine TEXT / -e TEXT: Filter by engine (standard, neural, generative, long-form)
--language TEXT / -l TEXT: Filter by language code (e.g., en-US, es-ES, fr-FR)
--gender TEXT / -g TEXT: Filter by gender (Female, Male)
--region TEXT / -r TEXT: AWS region override
-V/-VV/-VVV: Verbosity levels

Examples:

# List all voices
aws-polly-tts-tool list-voices

# Filter by engine
aws-polly-tts-tool list-voices --engine neural

# Filter by language
aws-polly-tts-tool list-voices --language en-US

# Combine filters
aws-polly-tts-tool list-voices --engine neural --language en --gender Female

# Use with grep for searching
aws-polly-tts-tool list-voices | grep British
aws-polly-tts-tool list-voices --engine generative | grep Spanish

Output: Table with Voice, Gender, Language, Engines (supported), and Description columns. Dynamically fetched from Polly API (always up-to-date).

list-engines - Display Voice Engines

Show all available voice engines with technology, pricing, and best use cases.

Usage:

aws-polly-tts-tool list-engines

Examples:

# Show all engines with details
aws-polly-tts-tool list-engines

Output: Table showing:

Standard ($4/1M chars) - Traditional concatenative TTS, 3000 char limit
Neural ($16/1M chars) - Natural human-like voices, 3000 char limit
Generative ($30/1M chars) - Most advanced emotionally engaged, 3000 char limit
Long-form ($100/1M chars) - Optimized for audiobooks, 100,000 char limit

billing - Query AWS Costs

Query AWS Cost Explorer for actual Polly usage costs with engine breakdown.

Usage:

aws-polly-tts-tool billing [OPTIONS]

Options:

--days INT / -d INT: Number of days to query (default: 30)
--start-date TEXT: Custom start date (YYYY-MM-DD)
--end-date TEXT: Custom end date (YYYY-MM-DD)
--region TEXT / -r TEXT: AWS region for Cost Explorer
-V/-VV/-VVV: Verbosity levels

Examples:

# Last 30 days of Polly costs
aws-polly-tts-tool billing

# Last 7 days
aws-polly-tts-tool billing --days 7

# Custom date range
aws-polly-tts-tool billing --start-date 2025-01-01 --end-date 2025-01-31

# With verbose output
aws-polly-tts-tool billing --days 7 -V

Output: Total cost and breakdown by engine (Standard, Neural, Generative, Long-form) in USD.

Note: Requires IAM permission ce:GetCostAndUsage

pricing - Show Pricing Information

Display static pricing information for all Polly engines with cost examples.

Usage:

aws-polly-tts-tool pricing

Examples:

# Show pricing table and examples
aws-polly-tts-tool pricing

Output: Comprehensive pricing with:

Cost per 1M characters for each engine
Technology type and quality level
Character limits per request
Concurrent request limits
Free tier information
Best use cases
Cost examples (1,000 words, audiobooks)

info - Tool Configuration

Display AWS credentials status and tool configuration.

Usage:

aws-polly-tts-tool info

Examples:

# Verify AWS authentication and show config
aws-polly-tts-tool info

Output:

AWS credential status (Valid/Invalid)
Account ID, User ID, ARN
Available engines
Output formats
Useful command examples

completion - Shell Completion

Generate shell completion scripts for bash, zsh, or fish.

Usage:

aws-polly-tts-tool completion [bash|zsh|fish]

Arguments:

SHELL: Shell type (bash, zsh, or fish) - required

Examples:

# Generate bash completion
aws-polly-tts-tool completion bash

# Install for bash (add to ~/.bashrc)
eval "$(aws-polly-tts-tool completion bash)"

# Install for zsh (add to ~/.zshrc)
eval "$(aws-polly-tts-tool completion zsh)"

# Install for fish
aws-polly-tts-tool completion fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/aws-polly-tts-tool.fish

# File-based installation (recommended)
aws-polly-tts-tool completion bash > ~/.aws-polly-tts-tool-complete.bash
echo 'source ~/.aws-polly-tts-tool-complete.bash' >> ~/.bashrc

Output: Shell-specific completion script. After installation, restart shell or source config file.

</details>

<details> <summary>⚙️ Advanced Features (Click to expand)</summary>

SSML Support

Full SSML (Speech Synthesis Markup Language) support for advanced speech control.

Features:

Prosody: Control rate, pitch, volume
Breaks: Add pauses of specific duration
Emphasis: Add emphasis to words
Speaking styles: Newscaster, conversational (select voices)
Phonemes: Control pronunciation

Examples:

# Basic pause
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize '<speak>Hello <break time="500ms"/> world</speak>' --ssml

# Prosody control (speed, pitch, volume)
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize '<speak><prosody rate="slow" pitch="low">Deep voice</prosody></speak>' --ssml

# Emphasis
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize '<speak>I <emphasis level="strong">really</emphasis> like this</speak>' --ssml

# Newscaster style (Matthew, Joanna only)
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize '<speak><amazon:domain name="news">Breaking news today</amazon:domain></speak>' --ssml --voice Matthew

# Multiple prosody attributes
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize '<speak><prosody rate="fast" pitch="high" volume="loud">Excited announcement!</prosody></speak>' --ssml

SSML Resources:

AWS Polly SSML Reference

Multi-Level Verbosity

Progressive logging detail for debugging without code changes.

Levels:

Default: Errors and warnings only (clean output)
-V (INFO): High-level operations (voice selection, file operations)
-VV (DEBUG): Detailed steps (validation, API calls, character counts)
-VVV (TRACE): Full AWS SDK internals (credentials, HTTP requests, boto3 events)

Examples:

# Default: No verbose output
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize "Hello world" --output test.mp3

# INFO level (-V)
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize "Hello world" -V --output test.mp3
# [INFO] Using voice: Joanna (neural engine)
# [INFO] Synthesizing audio to file: test.mp3

# DEBUG level (-VV)
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize "Hello world" -VV --output test.mp3
# [DEBUG] Validating engine: neural
# [DEBUG] Validating output format: mp3
# [DEBUG] Initializing AWS Polly client
# [INFO] Using voice: Joanna (neural engine)
# [DEBUG] Synthesized 11 characters

# TRACE level (-VVV) - Full AWS SDK details
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize "Hello world" -VVV --output test.mp3
# [DEBUG] Looking for credentials via: env
# [INFO] Found credentials in shared credentials file: ~/.aws/credentials
# [DEBUG] Starting new HTTPS connection (1): polly.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com:443
# [DEBUG] https://polly.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com:443 "POST /v1/speech HTTP/1.1" 200

Note: All logs go to stderr, keeping stdout clean for data/piping.

Library Usage

Import and use as a Python library for programmatic access.

Basic Usage:

from aws_polly_tts_tool import (
    get_polly_client,
    synthesize_audio,
    save_speech,
    VoiceManager,
    calculate_cost,
)

# Initialize client
client = get_polly_client(region="us-east-1")

# Synthesize audio
audio_bytes, char_count = synthesize_audio(
    client=client,
    text="Hello world",
    voice_id="Joanna",
    output_format="mp3",
    engine="neural"
)

# Save to file
save_speech(
    client=client,
    text="Hello world",
    voice_id="Joanna",
    output_path=Path("output.mp3"),
    engine="neural"
)

# List voices
voice_manager = VoiceManager(client)
voices = voice_manager.list_voices(engine="neural", language="en")

# Calculate cost
cost = calculate_cost(character_count=5000, engine="neural")
print(f"Estimated cost: ${cost:.4f}")

Public API:

getpollyclient(region=None) - Initialize boto3 Polly client
synthesizeaudio(client, text, voiceid, outputformat, engine, texttype) - Synthesize audio
savespeech(client, text, voiceid, output_path, ...) - Save to file
playspeech(client, text, voiceid, ...) - Play through speakers
VoiceManager(client) - Voice discovery and management
calculatecost(charcount, engine) - Cost estimation

Voice Engine Selection Guide

Standard Engine ($4/1M chars)

Technology: Traditional concatenative TTS
Quality: Basic synthetic sound
Limit: 3,000 chars/request
Best for: Cost-sensitive applications, basic announcements
Free tier: 5M chars/month (12 months)

Neural Engine ($16/1M chars)

Technology: Deep learning neural networks
Quality: Natural, human-like voices
Limit: 3,000 chars/request
Best for: General-purpose TTS, recommended for most use cases
Free tier: 1M chars/month (12 months)

Generative Engine ($30/1M chars)

Technology: Advanced generative AI
Quality: Most lifelike, emotionally engaged
Limit: 3,000 chars/request
Best for: High-quality content, brand voices, engaging experiences
Free tier: None

Long-form Engine ($100/1M chars)

Technology: Neural with long-context optimization
Quality: Consistent over long passages
Limit: 100,000 chars/request
Best for: Audiobooks, long articles, consistent narration
Free tier: None

Decision Matrix:

Budget-conscious → Standard
General use → Neural (recommended)
Premium quality → Generative
Audiobooks/articles → Long-form

Cost Tracking Strategies

Immediate Estimates:

# Use --show-cost for instant character count and cost
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize "Text" --show-cost

Actual Billing:

# Query real AWS costs with Cost Explorer
aws-polly-tts-tool billing --days 30

Cost Optimization Tips:

Use Standard engine for non-critical audio
Cache synthesized audio files to avoid re-synthesis
Batch process text for efficiency
Use Long-form engine only for actual long content
Monitor with billing command regularly

Cost Examples:

1,000 words (~5,000 chars):

- Standard: $0.02 - Neural: $0.08 - Generative: $0.15 - Long-form: $0.50

50,000 word audiobook:

- Standard: $1.00 - Neural: $4.00 - Generative: $7.50 - Long-form: $25.00

</details>

<details> <summary>🔧 Troubleshooting (Click to expand)</summary>

Common Issues

Issue: No AWS credentials found

# Symptom
Error: Unable to locate credentials

Solution:

# Configure AWS credentials
aws configure

# Or set environment variables
export AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID="your-access-key"
export AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY="your-secret-key"
export AWS_DEFAULT_REGION="us-east-1"

# Verify with
aws-polly-tts-tool info

Issue: Audio playback fails on Python 3.13+

# Symptom
Error: No module named 'audioop'

Solution: Option 1: Use Python 3.12 (recommended)

mise use [email protected]
uv tool install . --python 3.12

Option 2: Save to file instead (works on all Python versions)

aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize "Hello" --output speech.mp3

Issue: Voice not found

# Symptom
Error: Voice 'invalid' not found

Solution:

# List available voices
aws-polly-tts-tool list-voices

# Filter by engine
aws-polly-tts-tool list-voices --engine neural

# Case-sensitive voice names
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize "Hello" --voice Joanna  # Correct

Issue: Engine not supported by voice

# Symptom
Error: Voice doesn't support this engine

Solution:

# Check which engines a voice supports
aws-polly-tts-tool list-voices | grep "VoiceName"

# Not all voices support all engines
# Example: Standard voices don't support neural engine

Issue: Cost Explorer access denied

# Symptom
Error: AccessDeniedException when calling GetCostAndUsage

Solution: Add IAM permission ce:GetCostAndUsage:

{
  "Effect": "Allow",
  "Action": ["ce:GetCostAndUsage"],
  "Resource": "*"
}

Issue: Text too long for engine

# Symptom
Error: Text exceeds character limit

Solution:

Standard/Neural/Generative: Max 3,000 chars per request
Long-form: Max 100,000 chars per request
Split long text into chunks or use Long-form engine

Getting Help

# General help
aws-polly-tts-tool --help

# Command-specific help
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize --help
aws-polly-tts-tool list-voices --help

# Show version
aws-polly-tts-tool --version

# Verify configuration
aws-polly-tts-tool info

Debug Mode

Use progressive verbosity to diagnose issues:

# Basic debug info
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize "Hello" -V

# Detailed debug info
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize "Hello" -VV

# Full AWS SDK trace
aws-polly-tts-tool synthesize "Hello" -VVV

</details>

Best Practices

Default to Neural Engine: Best balance of quality and cost for most use cases
Use SSML for Control: Add pauses, emphasis, and prosody for natural speech
Cache Audio Files: Save synthesized audio to avoid repeated API calls and costs
Monitor Costs: Use billing command to track actual spending
Validate Voice Support: Use list-voices to check engine compatibility before synthesis
Save Critical Audio: Use --output to save important audio for offline use
Use Verbosity: Add -V/-VV/-VVV when debugging issues
Leverage stdin: Pipe text from files or commands for automation

Resources

GitHub: https://github.com/dnvriend/aws-polly-tts-tool
Amazon Polly Docs: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/polly/
Polly Pricing: https://aws.amazon.com/polly/pricing/
SSML Reference: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/polly/latest/dg/supportedtags.html
Boto3 Polly API: https://boto3.amazonaws.com/v1/documentation/api/latest/reference/services/polly.html

skill-aws-polly-tts-tool

Installation

Also in this package

Agent compatibility

Package contents

History

SKILL.md

When to use

AWS Polly TTS Tool Skill

Purpose

When to Use This Skill

CLI Tool: aws-polly-tts-tool

Installation

Prerequisites

Quick Start

Progressive Disclosure

synthesize - Convert Text to Speech

list-voices - Discover Available Voices

list-engines - Display Voice Engines

billing - Query AWS Costs

pricing - Show Pricing Information

info - Tool Configuration

completion - Shell Completion

SSML Support

Multi-Level Verbosity

Library Usage

Voice Engine Selection Guide

Cost Tracking Strategies

Common Issues

Getting Help

Debug Mode

Best Practices

Resources