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How to have chat read out loud on stream for free (Twitch, Kick, TikTok)

Short answer: Is text to speech for stream chat free? Yes. Multistream's built-in voices are free Microsoft voices, with nothing to install and no sign-up for a voice service.

Text to speech (TTS) means a computer voice reads your chat messages out loud. You hear chat without looking away from your game, and your viewers hear it too.

The Multistream app does this for free. It comes with natural-sounding Microsoft voices, so there's nothing extra to install or pay for. Setting it up takes about five minutes.

Turn it on in the Multistream app

Do this once. After that, chat is read out loud every time you stream.

  1. In the Multistream app, open Tools in the sidebar, then TTS.
  2. On the Engine page, keep Built-in TTS as the Active engine. These are the free voices.
  3. Open the Voices page and click Add voice. A free Microsoft voice is added.
  4. Click Test next to the voice. You should hear a short test line.
  5. Not happy with how it sounds? Change the voice, its speed (Rate) or its Volume on the same page and click Test again until it suits your stream.
  6. Open the Who gets read page. Under Per-platform, turn on the chats you want read out loud.

Make your viewers hear it in OBS

The steps above let you hear the voice. To put it on your stream, OBS needs to play it too.

  1. In the Multistream app, open OBS Sources in the sidebar and copy the TTS audio link.
  2. In OBS, add a Browser source and paste the link as its URL.
  3. Tick Control audio via OBS and click OK.
  4. Send a chat message. The voice should show up in OBS's Audio Mixer as it speaks.

Choose who gets read

You probably don't want every message read out. On the Who gets read page you can choose:

Which chats: Twitch, Kick and TikTok LIVE each have their own switch.

Which viewers: Everyone, Followers+ or Subs. Followers+ is a good start against drive-by spam.

What's left out: turn on Skip commands so !commands aren't read, and Skip links so web addresses aren't. You can also block words and people, and set a minimum and maximum message length.

If something isn't right

Viewers can't hear it. Check that the browser source has Control audio via OBS ticked and that its audio isn't muted in the Audio Mixer.

Viewers hear an echo. Your mic is picking up the voice from your speakers. Using the TTS audio source in OBS fixes most of it, and Why is there an echo on my stream? covers the rest.

Too much is being read. Raise the minimum length, switch to Followers+ or Subs, or turn on Skip links and Skip commands.

Questions, answered

Is text to speech for stream chat free?

Yes. Multistream's built-in voices are free Microsoft voices, with nothing to install and no sign-up for a voice service.

Does it read Kick and TikTok chat?

Yes. In the app, Twitch, Kick and TikTok LIVE each have a switch under Tools, TTS, Who gets read. Turn on the ones you want.

Can my viewers hear the voice?

Yes, once you add the TTS audio link to OBS as a Browser source with Control audio via OBS ticked. The voice then goes straight into your stream.

Can I hear chat without my viewers hearing an echo?

Yes. Add the TTS audio link to OBS the way described above so the voice goes into the stream directly, and wear headphones instead of using speakers. Then your mic can't pick it up.

Can viewers choose their own voice?

Yes. Viewers can type !voice and a voice name in chat to pick one of the voices you've added. You can change the command in the app.

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