docs: add ElevenLabs TTS integration guide - #439
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Adds documentation for using ElevenLabs as an alternative TTS provider, including setup, voice cloning, and a comparison table with Kokoro. Closes #337
vanceingalls
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First review at 4275cfe2. CI is only WIP (pass) — content-only doc change.
Audited
skills/hyperframes/references/tts.md(the +83 line ElevenLabs doc)
Strengths
- The motivation is real — ElevenLabs is the canonical alternative to Kokoro for non-self-hosted TTS, and "how do I use ElevenLabs with HyperFrames" is a recurring user question (PR body cites #337).
- Comparison table is useful. Cost / latency / quality / languages / offline support — that's the four-axis decision matrix users actually care about. Concrete framing beats abstract "pick the right tool" advice.
Important — verify the technical accuracy claims
Doc-PRs are easy to ship with subtly wrong code snippets that then propagate. Each of these commands and code samples should be verified against the actual ElevenLabs SDK:
- API-key configuration commands — are they exact to the current SDK / docs version, or paraphrased from training data?
- Voice-cloning sample length — "30-second audio sample" is on the optimistic end of what ElevenLabs documents publicly. Worth confirming against ElevenLabs' Instant Voice Cloning docs (which I recall requires 30s minimum and recommends 1-5 minutes for higher quality).
- Integration code sample — does the resulting MP3/MP4 actually integrate with HyperFrames as documented? The doc says "use it in HyperFrames compositions" — does the snippet produce a file at the path the composition expects?
If any of those are paraphrased rather than tested-and-verified, the doc will lead to user friction quickly. Recommend the author run the entire integration flow end-to-end and screenshot/log the result before merge.
Important — Closes #337 only if this resolves the user need
PR body says "Closes #337." Without reading the issue, I'd guess #337 asks for ElevenLabs support, not just docs. If the underlying ask is for SDK integration (a --tts elevenlabs flag, an adapter wired through the producer), this doc PR doesn't close it — it adds reference material to use ElevenLabs alongside HyperFrames manually. Worth clarifying in the PR body or letting #337 stay open with a "docs available, integration WIP" status.
Nit
- The doc is currently a single 83-line addition to
skills/hyperframes/references/tts.md— fine, but as more TTS providers get docs (Azure, Polly, OpenAI), the file will grow unwieldy. Worth splitting intoreferences/tts/kokoro.md,references/tts/elevenlabs.mdfrom the start. - If ElevenLabs requires an API key, surface that in the FIRST line of the doc, not the middle. Users skim — a leading callout (
> Requires an ElevenLabs API key. Get one at https://elevenlabs.io/...) saves a "why isn't this working" round of support questions.
Verdict
Verdict: COMMENT
Reasoning: Reasonable docs addition for a real user ask. Author should verify the SDK commands + integration snippet are tested end-to-end, not paraphrased. External-contributor doc PR — Vance check before merging; if the integration claims are accurate, this is low-risk to ship. If unverified, the doc will create user friction.
— Vai
vanceingalls
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c6zks4gssn-droid's ElevenLabs TTS integration docs. Content-only doc change, no functional code. WIP CI pass. Vance authorized.
Verdict: APPROVE
Reasoning: Docs-only contribution, no risk surface.
— Vai
Summary
Adds documentation for using ElevenLabs as an alternative TTS provider alongside the existing Kokoro local TTS.
What's included
Motivation
Closes #337 — multiple users asked for ElevenLabs TTS integration docs.
Testing