voice-mcp - Voice Mode for Claude Code

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables voice interactions with Claude and other LLMs. Requires only an OpenAI API key and microphone/speakers.

🖥️ Compatibility

Runs on: Linux • macOS • Windows (WSL) | Python: 3.10+ | Tested: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Fedora 42

✨ Features

🎙️ Voice conversations with Claude - ask questions and hear responses
🔄 Multiple transports - local microphone or LiveKit room-based communication
🗣️ OpenAI-compatible - works with any STT/TTS service (local or cloud)
⚡ Real-time - low-latency voice interactions with automatic transport selection
🔧 MCP Integration - seamless with Claude Desktop and other MCP clients

🎯 Simple Requirements

All you need to get started:

🔑 OpenAI API Key (or compatible service) - for speech-to-text and text-to-speech
🎤 Computer with microphone and speakers OR ☁️ LiveKit server (LiveKit Cloud or self-hosted)

Quick Start

Setup for Claude Code:

export OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-key
claude mcp add voice-mcp uvx voice-mcp
claude

Try: "Let's have a voice conversation"

Example Usage

Once configured, try these prompts with Claude:

"Let's have a voice conversation"
"Ask me about my day using voice"
"Tell me a joke" (Claude will speak and wait for your response)
"Say goodbye" (Claude will speak without waiting)

The new converse function makes voice interactions more natural - it automatically waits for your response by default.

Claude Desktop Setup

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Using uvx (recommended)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "voice-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["voice-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Using Docker/Podman

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "voice-mcp": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run", "--rm", "-i",
        "--device", "/dev/snd",
        "-e", "PULSE_RUNTIME_PATH=/run/user/1000/pulse",
        "-v", "/run/user/1000/pulse:/run/user/1000/pulse",
        "ghcr.io/mbailey/voice-mcp:latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Using pip install

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "voice-mcp": {
      "command": "voice-mcp",
      "env": {
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-openai-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tools

| Tool | Description | Key Parameters | |------|-------------|----------------| | converse | Have a voice conversation - speak and optionally listen | message, wait_for_response (default: true), listen_duration (default: 10s), transport (auto/local/livekit) | | listen_for_speech | Listen for speech and convert to text | duration (default: 5s) | | check_room_status | Check LiveKit room status and participants | None | | check_audio_devices | List available audio input/output devices | None |

Note: The converse tool is the primary interface for voice interactions, combining speaking and listening in a natural flow.

Configuration

📖 See docs/configuration.md for complete setup instructions for all MCP hosts

📁 Ready-to-use config files in config-examples/

Quick Setup

The only required configuration is your OpenAI API key:

export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-key"

Optional Settings

# Custom STT/TTS services (OpenAI-compatible)
export STT_BASE_URL="http://localhost:2022/v1"  # Local Whisper
export TTS_BASE_URL="http://localhost:8880/v1"  # Local TTS
export TTS_VOICE="nova"                         # Voice selection

# LiveKit (for room-based communication)
# See docs/livekit/ for setup guide
export LIVEKIT_URL="wss://your-app.livekit.cloud"
export LIVEKIT_API_KEY="your-api-key"
export LIVEKIT_API_SECRET="your-api-secret"

# Debug mode
export VOICE_MCP_DEBUG="true"

Architecture

┌─────────────────────┐     ┌──────────────────┐     ┌─────────────────────┐
│   Claude/LLM        │     │  LiveKit Server  │     │  Voice Frontend     │
│   (MCP Client)      │◄────►│  (Optional)      │◄────►│  (Optional)         │
└─────────────────────┘     └──────────────────┘     └─────────────────────┘
         │                            │
         │                            │
         ▼                            ▼
┌─────────────────────┐     ┌──────────────────┐
│  Voice MCP Server   │     │   Audio Services │
│  • converse         │     │  • OpenAI APIs   │
│  • listen_for_speech│◄────►│  • Local Whisper │
│  • check_room_status│     │  • Local TTS     │
│  • check_audio_devices    └──────────────────┘
└─────────────────────┘

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

No microphone access: Check system permissions for terminal/application
UV not found: Install with curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
OpenAI API error: Verify your OPENAI_API_KEY is set correctly
No audio output: Check system audio settings and available devices
Container audio: May need to adjust device paths for your system

Debug Mode

Enable detailed logging and audio file saving:

export VOICE_MCP_DEBUG=true

Debug audio files are saved to: ~/voice-mcp_recordings/

License

MIT

MCP Servers