# Source: https://docs.pipecat.ai/server/services/tts/piper.md

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pipecat.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Piper

> Text-to-speech service implementation using the Piper TTS server

## Overview

`PiperTTSService` provides high-quality neural text-to-speech synthesis through a self-hosted HTTP server. The service offers complete privacy and control with no external API dependencies, making it ideal for on-premise deployments and applications requiring data sovereignty.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Piper TTS API Reference" icon="code" href="https://reference-server.pipecat.ai/en/latest/api/pipecat.services.piper.tts.html">
    Pipecat's API methods for Piper TTS integration
  </Card>

  <Card title="Example Implementation" icon="play" href="https://github.com/pipecat-ai/pipecat/tree/main/examples">
    Browse examples using Piper TTS
  </Card>

  <Card title="Piper Documentation" icon="book" href="https://github.com/OHF-Voice/piper1-gpl">
    Official Piper TTS documentation and setup
  </Card>

  <Card title="HTTP Server Setup" icon="server" href="https://github.com/OHF-Voice/piper1-gpl/blob/main/docs/API_HTTP.md">
    Configure Piper HTTP server for Pipecat
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Installation

To use Piper services, no additional Pipecat dependencies are required:

```bash  theme={null}
pip install "pipecat-ai"  # Base installation is sufficient
```

## Prerequisites

### Piper Server Setup

Before using PiperTTSService, you need:

1. **Piper TTS Server**: Set up a running Piper TTS server following the [HTTP server documentation](https://github.com/OHF-Voice/piper1-gpl/blob/main/docs/API_HTTP.md)
2. **Voice Models**: Download and configure voice models for your target languages
3. **Server Configuration**: Configure server endpoint and voice selection

### Required Configuration

* **Server URL**: Configure the Piper server endpoint in your service initialization
* **Voice Models**: Ensure required voice models are available on the server

<Tip>
  Piper runs entirely locally, providing complete privacy and eliminating API
  key requirements.
</Tip>