Podcast Generator Skill

This skill converts blog posts into podcast audio using the Kokoro TTS engine with multi-language support and automatic RSS feed generation.

Key Features

• Automatic model download and language-aware synthesis (English and Traditional Chinese).
• Automatic chunking for long posts.
• RSS feed generation for multi-language podcast feeds.
• Optional LLM-provided transcripts to drive TTS output for better listening quality.
• Support for both generic and language-specific transcripts.

Installation & Setup

1. Ensure Python dependencies are installed:

   uv sync
   

2. Verify FFmpeg and dependencies are available (required for audio processing).

Usage

Generate Podcast for Specific Post(s)

uv run podcast-generate --posts "my-post-slug"

Generate Podcast for All Posts

uv run podcast-generate --all

Force Regeneration

If a post has already been generated, use --force to overwrite:

uv run podcast-generate --posts "my-post-slug" --force

Refresh RSS Feeds Only

Rebuild feeds from existing audio without re-synthesizing:

uv run podcast-generate --refresh-feeds

Specify Output Directory

uv run podcast-generate --posts "my-post-slug" --output-dir /custom/path

(Defaults to public/podcasts if not specified.)

LLM Transcripts for Better Audio Quality

To provide a human-optimized transcript produced by an LLM (recommended for long/technical posts), save one of the following files in src/content/blog/transcripts/:

• Generic transcript: <slug>.txt — used for posts in any language
• Language-specific transcript: <slug>.<lang>.txt — e.g., my-post.zh-hant.txt for Chinese

Transcript Priority

1. Language-specific transcripts are prioritized (e.g., post.zh-hant.txt for Chinese).
2. Falls back to generic transcript (post.txt).
3. If no transcript exists, TTS engine automatically derives spoken-friendly text from Markdown.

Agent & LLM Workflow

Use an LLM (via your agents UI or chat service) to:

1. Generate a TTS-optimized transcript from the blog post.
2. Remove code blocks, tables, and other anti-audio constructs.
3. Add spoken clarifications and natural phrasing.
4. Save the transcript file to src/content/blog/transcripts/.
5. Run uv run podcast-generate --posts "<slug>" to synthesize audio from the transcript.

Best Practices

• Keep transcripts concise and spoken-style — LLMs can convert code into plain-language explanations.
• Verify transcripts by reading aloud before generating audio to ensure quality.
• Use language suffixes for transcripts when generating audio in other languages.
• Leverage auto-chunking for posts over 10 minutes of audio to improve podcast compatibility.
• Test with different voices (if manually configuring) to match your audience preferences.

Output Structure

Generated audio files are organized in public/podcasts/:

public/podcasts/
├── feed.xml              # Main RSS feed
├── <slug>.mp3            # English podcasts
├── <slug>.zh-hant.mp3    # Chinese podcasts
├── en/
│   └── feed.xml          # English-specific feed
└── zh-hant/
    └── feed.xml          # Chinese-specific feed

Troubleshooting

• "Found 0 posts" error: Verify frontmatter passes Astro schema validation. Check that the post appears in the dev server at /posts/.
• Audio file exists but not updating: Use --force to regenerate, or delete the existing file and re-run.
• Model download fails: Check internet connection and disk space in ~/.cache/kokoro-onnx/.
• FFmpeg errors: Ensure FFmpeg is installed and accessible in your PATH.