Dialogue Audio

Create realistic multi-speaker dialogue with Dia TTS via [inference.sh](https://inference.sh) CLI.

Quick Start

curl -fsSL https://cli.inference.sh | sh && infsh login

# Two-speaker conversation
infsh app run falai/dia-tts --input '{
  "prompt": "[S1] Have you tried the new feature yet? [S2] Not yet, but I heard it saves a ton of time. [S1] It really does. I cut my workflow in half. [S2] Okay, I am definitely trying it today."
}'

> Install note: The [install script](https://cli.inference.sh) only detects your OS/architecture, downloads the matching binary from dist.inference.sh, and verifies its SHA-256 checksum. No elevated permissions or background processes. [Manual install & verification](https://dist.inference.sh/cli/checksums.txt) available.

Speaker Tags

Dia TTS uses [S1] and [S2] to distinguish two speakers.

| Tag | Role | Voice | |-----|------|-------| | [S1] | Speaker 1 | Automatically assigned voice A | | [S2] | Speaker 2 | Automatically assigned voice B |

Rules:

1. Always start each speaker turn with the tag
2. Tags must be uppercase: [S1] not [s1]
3. Maximum 2 speakers per generation
4. Each speaker maintains consistent voice within a session

Emotion & Expression Control

Dia TTS interprets punctuation and non-speech cues for emotional delivery.

Punctuation Effects

| Punctuation | Effect | Example | |-------------|--------|---------| | . | Neutral, declarative, medium pause | "This is important." | | ! | Emphasis, excitement, energy | "This is amazing!" | | ? | Rising intonation, questioning | "Are you sure about that?" | | ... | Hesitation, trailing off, long pause | "I thought it would work... but it didn't." | | , | Short breath pause | "First, we analyze. Then, we act." | | — or -- | Interruption or pivot | "I was going to say — never mind." |

Non-Speech Sounds

Dia TTS supports parenthetical sound descriptions:

(laughs)      — laughter
(sighs)       — exasperation or relief
(clears throat) — attention-getting pause
(whispers)    — softer delivery
(gasps)       — surprise

Examples with Emotion

# Excited conversation
infsh app run falai/dia-tts --input '{
  "prompt": "[S1] Guess what happened today! [S2] What? Tell me! [S1] We hit ten thousand users! [S2] (gasps) No way! That is incredible! [S1] I know... I still cannot believe it."
}'

# Serious/thoughtful dialogue
infsh app run falai/dia-tts --input '{
  "prompt": "[S1] We need to talk about the timeline. [S2] (sighs) I know. It is tight. [S1] Can we cut anything from the scope? [S2] Maybe... but it would mean dropping the analytics dashboard. [S1] That is a tough trade-off."
}'

# Teaching/explaining
infsh app run falai/dia-tts --input '{
  "prompt": "[S1] So how does it actually work? [S2] Great question. Think of it like a pipeline. Data comes in on one end, gets processed in the middle, and comes out transformed on the other side. [S1] Like an assembly line? [S2] Exactly! Each step adds something."
}'

Pacing Control

Pause Hierarchy

| Technique | Pause Length | Use For | |-----------|-------------|---------| | Comma , | ~0.3 seconds | Between clauses, list items | | Period . | ~0.5 seconds | Between sentences | | Ellipsis ... | ~1.0 seconds | Dramatic pause, thinking, hesitation | | New speaker tag | ~0.3 seconds | Natural turn-taking gap |

Speed Control

1. Shorter sentences = faster perceived pace
2. Longer sentences with commas = measured, thoughtful pace
3. Questions followed by answers = engaging back-and-forth rhythm

# Fast-paced, energetic
infsh app run falai/dia-tts --input '{
  "prompt": "[S1] Ready? [S2] Ready. [S1] Let us go! Three features. Five minutes. [S2] Hit it! [S1] Feature one: real-time sync."
}'

# Slow, contemplative
infsh app run falai/dia-tts --input '{
  "prompt": "[S1] I have been thinking about this for a while... and I think we need to change direction. [S2] What do you mean? [S1] The market has shifted. What worked last year... is not working now."
}'

Conversation Structure Patterns

Interview Format

infsh app run falai/dia-tts --input '{
  "prompt": "[S1] Welcome to the show. Today we have a special guest. Tell us about yourself. [S2] Thanks for having me! I am a product designer, and I have been building tools for creators for about ten years. [S1] What got you started in design? [S2] Honestly? I was terrible at coding but loved making things look good. (laughs) So design was the natural path."
}'

Tutorial / Explainer

infsh app run falai/dia-tts --input '{
  "prompt": "[S1] Can you walk me through the setup process? [S2] Sure. Step one, install the CLI. It takes about thirty seconds. [S1] And then? [S2] Step two, run the login command. It will open your browser for authentication. [S1] That sounds simple. [S2] It is! Step three, you are ready to run your first app."
}'

Debate / Discussion

infsh app run falai/dia-tts --input '{
  "prompt": "[S1] I think we should go with option A. It is faster to implement. [S2] But option B scales better long-term. [S1] Sure, but we need something shipping this quarter. [S2] Fair point... what if we do A now with a migration path to B? [S1] That could work. Let us prototype it."
}'

Post-Production Tips

Volume Normalization

Both speakers should be at consistent volume. If one is louder:

# Merge with balanced audio
infsh app run infsh/video-audio-merger --input '{
  "video": "talking-head.mp4",
  "audio": "dialogue.mp3",
  "audio_volume": 1.0
}'

Adding Background/Music

# Merge dialogue with background music
infsh app run infsh/media-merger --input '{
  "media": ["dialogue.mp3", "background-music.mp3"]
}'

Segmenting Long Conversations

For conversations longer than ~30 seconds, generate in segments:

# Segment 1: Introduction
infsh app run falai/dia-tts --input '{
  "prompt": "[S1] Welcome back to another episode..."
}'

# Segment 2: Main content
infsh app run falai/dia-tts --input '{
  "prompt": "[S1] So let us dive into today s topic..."
}'

# Segment 3: Wrap-up
infsh app run falai/dia-tts --input '{
  "prompt": "[S1] Great conversation today..."
}'

# Merge all segments
infsh app run infsh/media-merger --input '{
  "media": ["segment1.mp3", "segment2.mp3", "segment3.mp3"]
}'

Script Writing Tips

| Do | Don't | |----|-------| | Write how people talk | Write how people write | | Short sentences (< 15 words) | Long academic sentences | | Contractions ("can't", "won't") | Formal ("cannot", "will not") | | Natural fillers ("So,", "Well,") | Every sentence perfectly formed | | Vary sentence length | All sentences same length | | Include reactions ("Exactly!", "Hmm.") | One-sided monologues | | Read it aloud before generating | Assume it sounds right |

Common Mistakes

| Mistake | Problem | Fix | |---------|---------|-----| | Monologues longer than 3 sentences | Sounds like a lecture, not conversation | Break into exchanges | | No emotional variation | Flat, robotic delivery | Use punctuation and non-speech cues | | Missing speaker tags | Voices don't alternate | Start every turn with [S1] or [S2] | | Formal written language | Sounds unnatural spoken | Use contractions, short sentences | | No pauses between topics | Feels rushed | Use ... or scene breaks | | All same energy level | Monotonous | Vary between high/low energy moments |

Related Skills

npx skills add inference-sh/skills@text-to-speech
npx skills add inference-sh/skills@ai-podcast-creation
npx skills add inference-sh/skills@ai-avatar-video

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