Hear chat messages while you stream on the move
Text-to-speech (TTS) reads selected chat messages, or messages from stream events, out loud. For IRL streamers this helps a lot, because you can't keep watching chat on a display while you walk, drive, or film.
The audio path is: Twitch or YouTube chat → TTS service in the browser → Bluetooth speaker or headphones on the streamer. If the stream microphone picks up the speaker, the same voice must not also be audible in OBS. With headphones, on the other hand, you need the browser source in OBS if viewers should hear the TTS too.
In this guide
1. Comparing the TTS options
| Service | Focus | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| SpeechChat | Web-based chat with text-to-speech for Twitch and YouTube | Simple TTS output in a mobile browser, no extra app |
| StreamerHub | Chat TTS, alerts, sounds, commands, and OBS remote control in one hub | Larger IRL setups with several stream features |
| StreamBuddy | Mobile IRL companion app with chat, TTS, events, and stream control | TTS right in your mobile workflow, optionally with several AI voices |
| pocketChat | Combined chat, TTS, moderation, and OBS and BELABOX control | Android and iOS companion device for several platforms |
To get started: If you want to start fast without an app, use SpeechChat in the browser. If you want alerts, sounds, and commands in the same tool, look at StreamerHub. StreamBuddy and pocketChat are companion apps for your phone, with chat, TTS, and a few more things.
Official websites: StreamerHub, SpeechChat, StreamBuddy by Streamomation, and pocketChat.
2. Using SpeechChat right in the browser
SpeechChat is a web-based chat client with text-to-speech for Twitch and YouTube. On your mobile device all you need is a suitable browser; no separate SpeechChat app is required.
- Open SpeechChat in your smartphone's browser.
- Connect your Twitch or YouTube account.
- Set the language, voice, volume, and the chat output you want.
- Select the Bluetooth speaker or headphones as your phone's media output.
- Send a trusted test message to check that the voice is easy to understand on the move.
- Before going out, test whether the browser keeps working with the screen locked or power saving turned on.
3. StreamerHub for chat TTS
StreamerHub goes far beyond reading chat aloud and bundles many stream tools. This guide deliberately focuses on chat TTS and mobile audio output. The full feature overview also covers alerts, sounds, commands, clips, quizzes, giveaways, subathons, weather, OBS Remote, Streamshots, and the IRL Map.
One main focus is the available voices. Depending on the permissions the channel owner hands out, a user can pick or switch a voice. As the streamer, you should decide who may change voices and which voices are allowed at all.
- Open StreamerHub and connect the streaming account you want.
- In the hub, open the chat TTS section and configure the triggers and audio settings you want.
- Define the allowed voices and check which user roles may pick or change a voice.
- Copy the browser source provided and add it in OBS if viewers should hear TTS.
- For direct mobile output, ask the developer for the in-house StreamerHub app and play the audio through a Bluetooth speaker or headphones.
- Test alerts, sounds, and TTS one at a time before you turn on several features at once.
Developer and contact
StreamerHub is developed by Maertuerer | Dustin. If you have questions about setup or want to get in touch with the developer, reach out through the IRL4YOU Discord.
4. TTS with StreamBuddy
StreamBuddy is built specifically for mobile IRL streamers and connects chats from Twitch, YouTube, and Kick with other stream features. Besides the normal chat view, the app can read messages aloud with text-to-speech.
Standard TTS
- In StreamBuddy, connect the platforms you need under Connections.
- Turn on chat and TTS in the settings.
- Set the language, volume, and filters you want.
- Select the Bluetooth speaker or headphones as the media output of your Android device.
- Use test messages to check that only the messages you want are read aloud.
AI voices through ElevenLabs
For certain events, StreamBuddy can use AI voices from ElevenLabs. For that you need your own ElevenLabs account with an API key. Voices can be linked to prefixes, so a donation or cheer message, for example, picks a specific voice. You can also set a default voice.
According to the official documentation, StreamElements donations, Twitch bits, and Twitch subscriptions can serve as triggers. Minimum amounts, announcement text, and a delay after the normal alert can be configured separately.
Official help pages: Setting up AI voices in StreamBuddy, Connections, and Website tabs.
5. TTS and stream control with pocketChat
pocketChat is a mobile companion app for Android and iOS. It connects chat from Twitch, Kick, and YouTube with moderation, TTS, events, and control and monitoring functions for OBS and BELABOX.
- use local speech output on the device, or optional cloud TTS
- follow several chats in one combined feed
- control OBS scenes and sources through pocketDeck
- check the BELABOX / SRT status on a companion device
6. Playing TTS on the move
- Bluetooth speaker: easy to hear, but the stream microphone can pick it up again.
- A single earpiece: private and clear output; you still need to be able to hear your surroundings and traffic safely.
- Second smartphone: takes load off the streaming device, but needs its own battery and a data connection.
| Output | Streamer hears it | Mic picks it up | OBS browser source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth speaker | loud enough, people around you hear it too | yes, possible | muted |
| Single-ear headset | only you hear it, your surroundings stay open | no | active if viewers should hear TTS |
| Second smartphone | separate device, separate battery | depends on the setup | check with a test recording |
Two proven ways to play TTS
The JBL Clip 4 is our clear recommendation if you want TTS and alerts to be audible on purpose through a compact speaker. It is durable, stable, and proven in mobile use. The built-in carabiner makes it easy to attach to a backpack or bag. IP67 protection against water and dust and a battery life of up to ten hours suit longer IRL sessions well.
The Poly Voyager Legend 50-M UC is the matching alternative for private TTS output through just one ear. On Android it works as a regular Bluetooth media output, which fits our Android TTS workflow with mobile TTS apps or the browser. You hear chat messages and alerts, while your free ear keeps picking up your surroundings. Since no speaker radiates sound into the environment, chat doesn't hear the TTS output through the stream microphone.
Start with the TTS volume low. While walking, cycling, or riding a motorcycle, messages must not startle you or drown out important ambient sounds. Only change settings when you're standing still somewhere safe.
7. Also playing TTS for viewers in OBS
- In OBS, create a new Browser source with a clear name such as TTS.
- Paste the browser source URL that the service provides.
- Turn on Control audio via OBS and check the level in the audio mixer.
- Keep the source in one central TTS or alert scene and add it to other scenes as a reference.
- Make a local test recording and check that speech, TTS, and ambient noise are mixed in a way you can understand.
8. Moderation and safety
- Don't read every chat message aloud unfiltered.
- Limit links, overly long texts, repeats, special characters, and known problematic words.
- If possible, allow only certain user roles, commands, or approved events for TTS.
- Give moderators a way to skip, mute, or pause.
- Never show personal browser source URLs in public.
- Don't imitate other people's voices or output content you don't have sufficient rights to.
For more on rules for mods and chat, see Chat and moderation for IRL streaming.
9. Testing and troubleshooting
- Test TTS on its own in the mobile browser first.
- Then pair the Bluetooth speaker or headphones and test again.
- After that, check the browser source in OBS and make a local recording.
- Lock the screen briefly, send the browser to the background, and switch between cellular and Wi-Fi.
- Check whether messages still arrive or whether the browser tab needs to be reloaded.
If there's no sound, first check the media volume and the active output device. Then check whether the browser is allowed to play sound, whether the streaming account is still connected, and whether a filter blocked that message.
IRL audio explains levels, echo, and audio delay. For the sound at the microphone, have a look at Microphones for IRL streaming.
10. Common questions about TTS in a livestream
Which TTS option is the easiest?
SpeechChat. For Twitch and YouTube it runs right in your phone's browser, so you don't need an app. If you need more than chat TTS, for example alerts, sounds, or OBS control, take a look at StreamerHub or pocketChat.
Why do viewers hear the TTS voice twice?
Most likely the audio reaches the stream twice: once through the Bluetooth speaker that your microphone picks up, and once through the TTS browser source in OBS. In that case, mute the browser source in the audio mixer. More on this under IRL audio.
Do I need the TTS browser source in OBS?
Only if viewers should hear the voice through OBS. For example, when you wear headphones and no speaker reaches the microphone. If the microphone picks up the speaker anyway, keep the source muted. Make a test recording: every message should play only once.
What if TTS stops when the screen locks?
Your phone can pause a browser tab that runs in the background. Check the settings for screen timeout and power saving. Test this before the stream, and send a new test message after a network switch.
Which messages should not be read aloud?
Links, very long texts, repeats, and problematic words are better left out. If possible, allow only certain roles, commands, or approved events. And give your mods a way to skip messages. More on this under Chat and moderation.
Set up alerts, sounds, and TTS separately
The other guides cover classic platform events and interactive viewer sounds separately from read-aloud chat. That keeps browser sources, volume, and errors easier to trace.
TTS setup service & consulting
We help with pocketChat, SpeechChat, StreamerHub, StreamBuddy, AI voices, mobile browser output, OBS audio, and the safe return channel through a Bluetooth speaker or headphones.