dialogue-audio

What this skill does

> **Install the belt CLI skill:** `npx skills add belt-sh/cli`

# Dialogue Audio

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

## Quick Start

> Requires inference.sh CLI (`belt`). [Install instructions](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/inference-sh/skills/refs/heads/main/cli-install.md)

```bash
belt login

# Two-speaker conversation
belt 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."
}'
```


## 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:**
- Always start each speaker turn with the tag
- Tags must be uppercase: `[S1]` not `[s1]`
- Maximum 2 speakers per generation
- 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

```bash
# Excited conversation
belt 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
belt 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
belt 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

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

```bash
# Fast-paced, energetic
belt 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
belt 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

```bash
belt 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

```bash
belt 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

```bash
belt 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:

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

### Adding Background/Music

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

### Segmenting Long Conversations

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

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

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

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

# Merge all segments
belt 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

```bash
# ElevenLabs dialogue (22+ voices, voice direction)
npx skills add inference-sh/skills@elevenlabs-dialogue

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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