blog-backup/PODCAST_SUMMARY.md

Podcast Implementation Summary

What Was Built

A complete podcast solution for the Daily Digest blog that automatically converts blog posts to audio using Text-to-Speech (TTS) and distributes them via RSS feed.

Features Delivered

1. TTS Service (src/lib/tts.ts)

• Multi-provider support: OpenAI (paid), Piper (free), macOS say (free)
• Text preprocessing: Automatically strips markdown, URLs, and code blocks
• Async generation: Non-blocking to not delay post creation
• Error handling: Graceful fallback if TTS fails

2. Audio Storage (src/lib/storage.ts)

• Supabase Storage integration: Uses existing Supabase project
• Automatic bucket creation: Creates podcast-audio bucket if needed
• Public access: Audio files accessible for podcast apps

3. RSS Feed (src/app/api/podcast/rss/route.ts)

• RSS 2.0 with iTunes extensions: Compatible with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts
• Auto-updating: Pulls latest episodes from database
• Proper metadata: Titles, descriptions, duration, publication dates

4. Podcast Page (src/app/podcast/page.tsx)

• Web audio player: Play episodes directly on the site
• Episode listing: Browse all available podcast episodes
• Subscribe links: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify
• Responsive design: Works on mobile and desktop

5. Integration with Digest Workflow

• Updated /api/digest: Now triggers TTS generation after saving post
• Optional audio: Can disable with generateAudio: false
• Background processing: Doesn't block the main response

6. Manual TTS Script (src/scripts/generate-tts.ts)

• Single post: npm run generate-tts -- <post_id>
• Batch processing: npm run generate-tts:all
• Force regeneration: --force flag to overwrite existing

7. UI Updates

• Blog post audio player: Shows audio player for posts with audio
• Podcast link in header: Easy navigation to podcast page
• Visual indicators: Shows which posts have audio

Files Created/Modified

New Files

src/
├── app/
│   ├── api/podcast/rss/route.ts     # RSS feed endpoint
│   └── podcast/page.tsx             # Podcast web player
├── lib/
│   ├── tts.ts                       # TTS service abstraction
│   ├── storage.ts                   # Supabase storage helpers
│   └── podcast.ts                   # RSS generation utilities
├── scripts/
│   └── generate-tts.ts              # Manual TTS generation script
└── ../PODCAST_SETUP.md              # Setup documentation

Modified Files

src/
├── app/
│   ├── api/digest/route.ts          # Added TTS trigger
│   └── page.tsx                     # Added audio player, podcast link
├── ../package.json                  # Added generate-tts scripts
├── ../tsconfig.json                 # Added scripts to includes
└── ../.env.local                    # Added TTS environment variables

Configuration

Environment Variables

# Enable TTS generation
ENABLE_TTS=true

# TTS Provider: openai, piper, or macsay
TTS_PROVIDER=openai

# OpenAI settings (if using OpenAI)
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-your-key-here
TTS_VOICE=alloy  # alloy, echo, fable, onyx, nova, shimmer

# Piper settings (if using Piper)
PIPER_MODEL_PATH=./models/en_US-lessac-medium.onnx

Database Schema

ALTER TABLE blog_messages 
ADD COLUMN audio_url TEXT,
ADD COLUMN audio_duration INTEGER;

URLs

• RSS Feed: https://blog-backup-two.vercel.app/api/podcast/rss
• Podcast Page: https://blog-backup-two.vercel.app/podcast
• Blog: https://blog-backup-two.vercel.app

Cost Analysis

Component	Provider	Monthly Cost
TTS	OpenAI	~$2-4
TTS	Piper/macOS	$0
Storage	Supabase	$0 (free tier)
RSS Hosting	Vercel	$0
Total		$0-4/month

Next Steps to Deploy

1. Database: Run the SQL to add audio_url and audio_duration columns
2. Supabase Storage: Create podcast-audio bucket (or let app auto-create)
3. Environment: Add ENABLE_TTS=true and OPENAI_API_KEY to production
4. Deploy: npm run build && vercel --prod
5. Test: Generate a test episode and verify RSS feed
6. Submit: Add RSS URL to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.

Documentation

See PODCAST_SETUP.md for complete setup instructions, troubleshooting, and usage guide.