---
description: Install VoiceMode, FFmpeg, and local voice services
allowed-tools: Bash(uvx:*), Bash(voicemode:*), Bash(brew:*), Bash(uname:*), Bash(which:*)
---
# /voicemode:install
Install VoiceMode and all dependencies needed for voice conversations.
## Quick Install (Non-Interactive)
For a fast, fully automated install on Apple Silicon:
```bash
uvx voice-mode-install --yes
voicemode whisper service install
voicemode kokoro install
```
## What Gets Installed
| Component | Size | Purpose |
|-----------|------|---------|
| FFmpeg | ~50MB | Audio processing (via Homebrew) |
| VoiceMode CLI | ~10MB | Command-line tools |
| Whisper (base) | ~150MB | Speech-to-text |
| Kokoro | ~350MB | Text-to-speech |
## Implementation
1. **Check architecture:** `uname -m` (arm64 = Apple Silicon, recommended for local services)
2. **Check what's already installed:**
```bash
which voicemode # VoiceMode CLI
which ffmpeg # Audio processing
```
3. **Install missing components:**
```bash
# Full install (installs ffmpeg, voicemode, and checks dependencies)
uvx voice-mode-install --yes
# Install local services
voicemode whisper service install
voicemode kokoro install
```
4. **Verify services are running:**
```bash
voicemode whisper service status
voicemode kokoro status
```
5. **Reconnect MCP server:**
After installation, the VoiceMode MCP server needs to reconnect:
- Run `/mcp` and select voicemode, then click "Reconnect", OR
- Restart Claude Code
## Whisper Model Selection
For Apple Silicon Macs with 16GB+ RAM, the large-v2 model is recommended:
| Model | Download | RAM Usage | Accuracy |
|-------|----------|-----------|----------|
| base | ~150MB | ~300MB | Good (default) |
| small | ~460MB | ~1GB | Better |
| large-v2 | ~3GB | ~5GB | Best (recommended for 16GB+ RAM) |
| large-v3-turbo | ~1.5GB | ~3GB | Fast & accurate |
To install the recommended model:
```bash
voicemode whisper install --model large-v2
```
## Prerequisites
This install process assumes:
- **UV** - Python package manager (install: `curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh`)
- **Homebrew** - macOS package manager (install: `brew.sh`)
The VoiceMode installer will install Homebrew if missing on macOS.
For complete documentation, load the `voicemode` skill.
