=== AkaVoice – AI Article to Podcast === Contributors: akavoice Tags: podcast, text-to-speech, spreaker, audio, ai Requires at least: 5.8 Tested up to: 6.9 Requires PHP: 8.0 Stable tag: 2.0 License: GPLv2 or later License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html Turn WordPress articles into AI-narrated podcast episodes and publish them on Spreaker (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music). == Description == **AkaVoice** turns the articles you already publish on WordPress into audio podcast episodes, and uploads them to your Spreaker show — which in turn distributes them to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and other podcast platforms. Each conversion runs two steps with OpenAI: the article text is first rewritten into a natural spoken-word script (GPT-4o-mini), then synthesized into a studio-quality MP3 voice track (TTS-1-HD). The finished episode is uploaded to Spreaker and a listenable player is embedded back into the post. You use your own OpenAI and Spreaker API keys (this is a "bring your own keys" plugin). AkaVoice never charges for conversions and never acts as a middleman for your keys or your billing — you pay OpenAI and Spreaker directly, at their own rates. = Free and unlimited = This plugin is completely free and has **no usage limit**. There is no monthly quota, no per-conversion fee, no subscription and no account to create with AkaVoice. You can convert as many articles as you like; the only cost is your own OpenAI API usage (typically a few cents per podcast). = How it works = 1. Create a free Spreaker account and a show, and get an OpenAI API key. 2. In **AkaVoice → Settings**, paste your Spreaker access token and show ID, and your OpenAI API key. Run the built-in connection tests. 3. Pick the narration language and a default voice (Alloy, Echo, Fable, Onyx, Nova or Shimmer). 4. From the Dashboard, fill the queue with your published posts and start the conversion — or let the background processor work through the queue automatically. 5. Each converted post gets a podcast player embedded automatically, and the episode appears on Spreaker and the connected platforms. = What you need = * An OpenAI API account (https://platform.openai.com). You pay OpenAI directly for the AI usage — usually only a few cents per podcast. * A free Spreaker account (https://www.spreaker.com) with a show already created. = AkaVoice Pro = AkaVoice Pro is a separate, optional paid plugin for publishers who want more. It is **not** required — this free plugin is fully functional on its own. Pro adds podcasts narrated with your own cloned voice, extra text-to-speech engines (Microsoft Azure and Google Gemini), Google Search Console integration, an SEO-optimised lazy-loaded player, and priority support. Learn more at https://akavoice.ai. = Your API keys stay yours = Your OpenAI key and Spreaker token are encrypted with AES-256-CBC before being stored in the WordPress database, using a key derived from your site's own `AUTH_KEY` and `SECURE_AUTH_KEY` salts. They are decrypted only at the moment a request is made to OpenAI or Spreaker. The plugin does not register your site, does not send usage statistics, and does not phone home. == External Services == This plugin connects to two third-party services in order to produce and publish podcasts. It connects only when you actively use it, and only with the API credentials you enter yourself. No data is sent to the plugin author, and the plugin does not track your site. = OpenAI = When you convert an article, the article's title and text are sent to the OpenAI API. OpenAI is used for two steps: rewriting the article into a spoken-word script (GPT-4o-mini model) and synthesizing that script into an MP3 audio file (TTS-1-HD model). The request is authenticated with the OpenAI API key you enter in the plugin settings, and usage is billed to your own OpenAI account. * Data sent: the article title and body text, the chosen narration voice, and the target language. * When: each time an article is converted, either manually or by the background queue. OpenAI is a service provided by OpenAI, L.L.C. — Terms: https://openai.com/policies/ — Privacy policy: https://openai.com/policies/privacy-policy/ = Spreaker = The generated MP3 file is uploaded to the Spreaker API as a new episode of your Spreaker show. Spreaker hosts the audio file and distributes the podcast to platforms such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music. The request is authenticated with the Spreaker access token and show ID you enter in the plugin settings, and the episode is created under your own Spreaker account. * Data sent: the generated audio file, the episode title and description, and (if you enable it) the auto-share settings. * When: each time an article is converted. The plugin also embeds Spreaker's public episode player — an `iframe` loaded from `widget.spreaker.com` — into converted posts so visitors can listen. This loads only on posts that have an associated episode. Spreaker is a service provided by Spreaker Inc. (an iHeartMedia company) — Terms: https://www.spreaker.com/terms — Privacy policy: https://www.spreaker.com/privacy == Installation == 1. Upload the `akavoice-ai-article-to-podcast` folder to `/wp-content/plugins/`, or install the plugin through the WordPress **Plugins** screen. 2. Activate the plugin through the **Plugins** menu in WordPress. 3. Open the new **AkaVoice** menu in your admin sidebar. 4. Go to **AkaVoice → Settings**, enter your Spreaker access token and show ID, and your OpenAI API key, then run the connection tests. 5. From the Dashboard, click **Fill queue from posts** to load your articles, then **Process next article** to run your first conversion. == Frequently Asked Questions == = Is the plugin really free, with no limits? = Yes. The plugin is free and has no usage limit — no monthly quota, no per-conversion fee, no subscription. The only cost is your own OpenAI API usage, which you pay to OpenAI directly. = Do I need a paid OpenAI account? = You need an OpenAI API account with a small amount of credit. Each conversion uses GPT-4o-mini for the rewrite and TTS-1-HD for the voice, which together usually cost only a few cents. You pay OpenAI directly; AkaVoice never charges you. = Are my API keys safe? = Yes. Your keys are encrypted with AES-256-CBC in the WordPress database, using a key derived from your site's authentication salts — they are never stored in plain text. They are decrypted only at the moment a request is sent to OpenAI or Spreaker. = Does the plugin send my data anywhere else? = No. The plugin contacts only OpenAI and Spreaker, and only when you convert an article. It does not register your site, does not send usage statistics, and does not contact the plugin author's servers. See the **External Services** section above for the full disclosure. = Can I use a different text-to-speech provider, like Azure or Google? = This free plugin uses OpenAI for voice synthesis. Additional engines (Microsoft Azure and Google Gemini) are available in the separate AkaVoice Pro plugin. = Which languages are supported? = The plugin can rewrite and narrate articles in English, Italian, Spanish, French, German and Portuguese. You choose the language in the plugin settings. = Does it work with the Block Editor, Classic Editor and page builders? = Yes. Converted posts receive an `[akavoice_player]` shortcode (with a legacy `the_content` fallback for older posts), so the player works regardless of the editor used to create the post. = How do I remove everything the plugin created? = Deactivate and delete the plugin from the WordPress **Plugins** screen. The uninstall routine removes all plugin options, the custom database tables and the post meta it created. Episodes already published on Spreaker are not affected. == Screenshots == 1. Dashboard — conversion controls, queue status and lifetime totals. 2. The podcast player is embedded automatically in each converted article. 3. Queue management — choose which articles are turned into podcasts, or fill the queue automatically. 4. AI configuration — add your OpenAI API key and pick the narration voice. 5. Connect your Spreaker account to publish and distribute episodes. == Changelog == = 2.0 = * Initial public release on WordPress.org. * Converts WordPress articles into podcast episodes using OpenAI (GPT-4o-mini rewriting and TTS-1-HD voice synthesis). * Uploads episodes to your Spreaker show for distribution to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. * Background conversion queue with manual and automatic processing. * Encrypted bring-your-own-keys storage (AES-256-CBC) for OpenAI and Spreaker credentials. * `[akavoice_player]` shortcode to embed the episode player, with a `the_content` fallback. * No usage limit, no subscription and no site registration. == Upgrade Notice == = 2.0 = Initial public release.