YouTube Shorts Automation Platform

A complete Node.js application that automatically generates and uploads YouTube Shorts using only free and open-source tools.

🚀 Features

• AI-Powered Script Generation - Uses HuggingFace's free inference API
• Text-to-Speech - Local Piper TTS integration (open-source)
• Stock Video Fetching - Pexels API for vertical video clips
• Automated Video Assembly - FFmpeg for montage, audio, and subtitles
• YouTube Upload - Automatic upload with scheduling capabilities
• Web Dashboard - Clean, responsive interface for easy management

📋 Prerequisites

Required Software

1. Node.js (v16 or higher)

   node --version
   

2. FFmpeg (for video processing)

   • Windows: Run the setup script below or download from ffmpeg.org
   • macOS/Linux:

     # macOS
     brew install ffmpeg
     
     # Ubuntu/Debian
     sudo apt update && sudo apt install ffmpeg
     

3. Windows Setup (Recommended) Run the setup script as Administrator:

   # Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:
   Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force
   .\setup-tts-windows.ps1
   

   This will install:

   • eSpeak (local TTS)
   • FFmpeg (if not already installed)
   • Configure system paths

4. Manual Installation (Alternative)

   • eSpeak - For local TTS fallback
   • FFmpeg - For audio/video processing

API Keys (All Free)

1. HuggingFace API Key (Required for AI and Cloud TTS)

   • Visit: https://huggingface.co/settings/tokens
   • Create a free account and generate an API token
   • Add to .env as HUGGINGFACE_API_KEY

2. Pexels API Key

   • Visit: https://www.pexels.com/api/
   • Create a free account and get your API key

3. YouTube Data API

   • Go to: https://console.cloud.google.com/
   • Create a new project
   • Enable YouTube Data API v3
   • Create OAuth 2.0 credentials (Desktop application type)

🚀 Getting Started

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/youtube-shorts-automation.git
   cd youtube-shorts-automation
   

2. Run the setup script (Windows)

   # Run as Administrator
   .\setup-tts-windows.ps1
   

   This will install all required dependencies and verify the setup.

3. Environment Setup

   cp .env.example .env
   # Edit .env with your API keys
   

4. Create Required Directories

   mkdir -p temp/audio temp/videos temp/output
   

5. Optional: Install Piper TTS

   mkdir piper
   cd piper
   # Download Piper for your platform:
   # https://github.com/rhasspy/piper/releases
   
   # Download a voice model (example):
   mkdir models
   cd models
   wget https://huggingface.co/rhasspy/piper-voices/resolve/v1.0.0/en/en_US/lessac/medium/en_US-lessac-medium.onnx
   wget https://huggingface.co/rhasspy/piper-voices/resolve/v1.0.0/en/en_US/lessac/medium/en_US-lessac-medium.onnx.json
   

🎯 Usage

1. Start the Server

   npm start
   # or for development
   npm run dev
   

2. Open Dashboard

   • Navigate to: http://localhost:3000
   • Complete YouTube authentication when prompted

3. Generate Shorts

   • Enter your topic (e.g., "space exploration", "cooking tips")
   • Select number of videos to generate
   • Optionally set a publish date/time
   • Click "Generate & Upload Shorts"

4. Monitor Progress

   • Watch real-time progress in the dashboard
   • View generated videos once complete
   • Access your videos directly on YouTube

🏗️ Architecture

├── server.js              # Main Express server
├── services/
│   ├── ai.js             # HuggingFace text generation
│   ├── tts.js            # Piper TTS integration
│   ├── video.js          # FFmpeg video assembly
│   ├── youtube.js        # YouTube Data API
│   └── pexels.js         # Stock video fetching
├── public/
│   ├── index.html        # Dashboard UI
│   └── script.js         # Frontend JavaScript
├── routes/
│   └── api.js           # API routes and testing
└── temp/                # Temporary files (auto-created)
    ├── audio/           # Generated TTS files
    ├── videos/          # Downloaded stock videos
    └── output/          # Final assembled videos

🔧 Configuration

Environment Variables

Workflow

1. Script Generation: AI generates engaging script with title and description
2. Voice Narration: Piper TTS converts script to audio
3. Stock Videos: Pexels API fetches relevant vertical video clips
4. Video Assembly: FFmpeg combines clips, adds audio and subtitles
5. Upload: YouTube Data API uploads with metadata and scheduling

🛠 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. TTS Not Working

   • Check if eSpeak is installed: espeak --version
   • Verify FFmpeg is in your PATH: ffmpeg -version
   • Ensure your HuggingFace API key is set in .env

2. FFmpeg not found

   • Run the setup script as Administrator
   • Or install manually:

     # Linux
     sudo apt install ffmpeg
     
     # macOS
     brew install ffmpeg
     
     # Windows
     # Download from https://ffmpeg.org/download.html
     

3. Piper TTS not working

   • Falls back to espeak or silent audio
   • Download Piper binary and models manually
   • Check file permissions

4. YouTube authentication fails

   • Verify OAuth credentials in Google Console
   • Check redirect URI matches exactly
   • Ensure YouTube Data API v3 is enabled

5. Pexels videos not downloading

   • Check API key validity
   • Verify internet connection
   • System falls back to colored backgrounds

Performance Tips

• Start with 1-2 videos to test the workflow
• Ensure stable internet for video downloads
• Monitor temp directory size (auto-cleanup implemented)
• Use specific topics for better video matching

📝 License

MIT License - Feel free to modify and distribute

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Submit a pull request

⚡ Quick Start

# 1. Install dependencies
npm install

# 2. Set up environment
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your API keys

# 3. Start the server
npm start

# 4. Open http://localhost:3000
# 5. Authenticate with YouTube
# 6. Generate your first Short!

📊 System Requirements

• RAM: 2GB minimum (4GB recommended)
• Storage: 1GB free space for temporary files
• Network: Stable internet for API calls and downloads
• OS: Linux, macOS, or Windows with WSL

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🎬 Ready to create viral YouTube Shorts automatically!