Build real-time voice AI applications using Azure AI Voice Live SDK (azure-ai-voicelive). Use this skill when creating Python applications that need real-time bidirectional audio communication with Azure AI, including voice assistants, voice-enabled chatbots, real-time speech-to-speech translation, voice-driven avatars, or any WebSocket-based audio streaming with AI models. Supports Server VAD (Voice Activity Detection), turn-based conversation, function calling, MCP tools, avatar integration, and transcription.
npx skills add https://github.com/microsoft/skills --skill azure-ai-voicelive-py
Build real-time voice AI applications with bidirectional WebSocket communication.
pip install azure-ai-voicelive aiohttp azure-identity
AZURE_COGNITIVE_SERVICES_ENDPOINT=https://<region>.api.cognitive.microsoft.com # Required for all auth methods
AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod # Required only if DefaultAzureCredential is used in production
AZURE_COGNITIVE_SERVICES_KEY=<api-key> # Only required for the legacy API-key auth path below
> 🔑 Two rules apply to every code sample below:
>
> 1. Prefer DefaultAzureCredential. It works locally (Azure CLI / VS Code / Developer CLI) and in Azure (managed identity, workload identity) with no code change. Avoid connection strings, account/API keys — they bypass Entra audit and rotation.
> - Local dev: DefaultAzureCredential works as-is.
> - Production: set AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod (or AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=<specific_credential>) to constrain the credential chain to production-safe credentials.
> 2. Wrap every client in a context manager so HTTP transports, sockets, and token caches are released deterministically:
> - Sync: with <Client>(...) as client:
> - Async: async with <Client>(...) as client: and async with DefaultAzureCredential() as credential: (from azure.identity.aio)
>
> Snippets may abbreviate this setup, but production code should always follow both rules.
import os
from azure.ai.voicelive.aio import connect
from azure.identity.aio import DefaultAzureCredential, ManagedIdentityCredential
# Local dev: DefaultAzureCredential. Production: set AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod or AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=<specific_credential>
# Or use a specific credential directly in production:
# See https://learn.microsoft.com/python/api/overview/azure/identity-readme?view=azure-python#credential-classes
# credential = ManagedIdentityCredential()
async with DefaultAzureCredential(require_envvar=True) as credential:
async with connect(
endpoint=os.environ["AZURE_COGNITIVE_SERVICES_ENDPOINT"],
credential=credential,
model="gpt-4o-realtime-preview",
credential_scopes=["https://cognitiveservices.azure.com/.default"]
) as conn:
...
New code should use DefaultAzureCredential above. Use AzureKeyCredential only if you have an existing keyed deployment that hasn't been migrated to Entra ID yet — for example, regulated environments still completing their Entra rollout.
import os
from azure.core.credentials import AzureKeyCredential
from azure.ai.voicelive.aio import connect
async with connect(
endpoint=os.environ["AZURE_COGNITIVE_SERVICES_ENDPOINT"],
credential=AzureKeyCredential(os.environ["AZURE_COGNITIVE_SERVICES_KEY"]),
model="gpt-4o-realtime-preview",
) as conn:
...
import asyncio
import os
from azure.ai.voicelive.aio import connect
from azure.identity.aio import DefaultAzureCredential
async def main():
async with connect(
endpoint=os.environ["AZURE_COGNITIVE_SERVICES_ENDPOINT"],
credential=DefaultAzureCredential(),
model="gpt-4o-realtime-preview",
credential_scopes=["https://cognitiveservices.azure.com/.default"]
) as conn:
# Update session with instructions
await conn.session.update(session={
"instructions": "You are a helpful assistant.",
"modalities": ["text", "audio"],
"voice": "alloy"
})
# Listen for events
async for event in conn:
print(f"Event: {event.type}")
if event.type == "response.audio_transcript.done":
print(f"Transcript: {event.transcript}")
elif event.type == "response.done":
break
asyncio.run(main())
The VoiceLiveConnection exposes these resources:
| Resource | Purpose | Key Methods |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| conn.session | Session configuration | update(session=...) |
| conn.response | Model responses | create(), cancel() |
| conn.input_audio_buffer | Audio input | append(), commit(), clear() |
| conn.output_audio_buffer | Audio output | clear() |
| conn.conversation | Conversation state | item.create(), item.delete(), item.truncate() |
| conn.transcription_session | Transcription config | update(session=...) |
from azure.ai.voicelive.models import RequestSession, FunctionTool
await conn.session.update(session=RequestSession(
instructions="You are a helpful voice assistant.",
modalities=["text", "audio"],
voice="alloy", # or "echo", "shimmer", "sage", etc.
input_audio_format="pcm16",
output_audio_format="pcm16",
turn_detection={
"type": "server_vad",
"threshold": 0.5,
"prefix_padding_ms": 300,
"silence_duration_ms": 500
},
tools=[
FunctionTool(
type="function",
name="get_weather",
description="Get current weather",
parameters={
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"location": {"type": "string"}
},
"required": ["location"]
}
)
]
))
import base64
# Read audio chunk (16-bit PCM, 24kHz mono)
audio_chunk = await read_audio_from_microphone()
b64_audio = base64.b64encode(audio_chunk).decode()
await conn.input_audio_buffer.append(audio=b64_audio)
async for event in conn:
if event.type == "response.audio.delta":
audio_bytes = base64.b64decode(event.delta)
await play_audio(audio_bytes)
elif event.type == "response.audio.done":
print("Audio complete")
async for event in conn:
match event.type:
# Session events
case "session.created":
print(f"Session: {event.session}")
case "session.updated":
print("Session updated")
# Audio input events
case "input_audio_buffer.speech_started":
print(f"Speech started at {event.audio_start_ms}ms")
case "input_audio_buffer.speech_stopped":
print(f"Speech stopped at {event.audio_end_ms}ms")
# Transcription events
case "conversation.item.input_audio_transcription.completed":
print(f"User said: {event.transcript}")
case "conversation.item.input_audio_transcription.delta":
print(f"Partial: {event.delta}")
# Response events
case "response.created":
print(f"Response started: {event.response.id}")
case "response.audio_transcript.delta":
print(event.delta, end="", flush=True)
case "response.audio.delta":
audio = base64.b64decode(event.delta)
case "response.done":
print(f"Response complete: {event.response.status}")
# Function calls
case "response.function_call_arguments.done":
result = handle_function(event.name, event.arguments)
await conn.conversation.item.create(item={
"type": "function_call_output",
"call_id": event.call_id,
"output": json.dumps(result)
})
await conn.response.create()
# Errors
case "error":
print(f"Error: {event.error.message}")
await conn.session.update(session={"turn_detection": None})
# Manually control turns
await conn.input_audio_buffer.append(audio=b64_audio)
await conn.input_audio_buffer.commit() # End of user turn
await conn.response.create() # Trigger response
async for event in conn:
if event.type == "input_audio_buffer.speech_started":
# User interrupted - cancel current response
await conn.response.cancel()
await conn.output_audio_buffer.clear()
# Add system message
await conn.conversation.item.create(item={
"type": "message",
"role": "system",
"content": [{"type": "input_text", "text": "Be concise."}]
})
# Add user message
await conn.conversation.item.create(item={
"type": "message",
"role": "user",
"content": [{"type": "input_text", "text": "Hello!"}]
})
await conn.response.create()
| Voice | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| alloy | Neutral, balanced |
| echo | Warm, conversational |
| shimmer | Clear, professional |
| sage | Calm, authoritative |
| coral | Friendly, upbeat |
| ash | Deep, measured |
| ballad | Expressive |
| verse | Storytelling |
Azure voices: Use AzureStandardVoice, AzureCustomVoice, or AzurePersonalVoice models.
| Format | Sample Rate | Use Case |
|--------|-------------|----------|
| pcm16 | 24kHz | Default, high quality |
| pcm16-8000hz | 8kHz | Telephony |
| pcm16-16000hz | 16kHz | Voice assistants |
| g711_ulaw | 8kHz | Telephony (US) |
| g711_alaw | 8kHz | Telephony (EU) |
# Server VAD (default)
{"type": "server_vad", "threshold": 0.5, "silence_duration_ms": 500}
# Azure Semantic VAD (smarter detection)
{"type": "azure_semantic_vad"}
{"type": "azure_semantic_vad_en"} # English optimized
{"type": "azure_semantic_vad_multilingual"}
from azure.ai.voicelive.aio import ConnectionError, ConnectionClosed
try:
async with connect(...) as conn:
async for event in conn:
if event.type == "error":
print(f"API Error: {event.error.code} - {event.error.message}")
except ConnectionClosed as e:
print(f"Connection closed: {e.code} - {e.reason}")
except ConnectionError as e:
print(f"Connection error: {e}")
.aio namespace throughout. Do not try to pair it with sync clients from other Azure SDKs in the same call path — keep the whole request path async.async with connect(...) as conn:. For async DefaultAzureCredential from azure.identity.aio, also use async with credential: so tokens and transports are cleaned up.Python library for working with DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) files. Use this skill when reading, writing, or modifying medical imaging data in DICOM format, extracting pixel data from medical images (CT, MRI, X-ray, ultrasound), anonymizing DICOM files, working with DICOM metadata and tags, converting DICOM images to other formats, handling compressed DICOM data, or processing medical imaging datasets. Applies to tasks involving medical image analysis, PACS systems, radiology workflows, and healthcare imaging applications.
Python library for working with DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) files. Use this skill when reading, writing, or modifying medical imaging data in DICOM format, extracting pixel data from medical images (CT, MRI, X-ray, ultrasound), anonymizing DICOM files, working with DICOM metadata and tags, converting DICOM images to other formats, handling compressed DICOM data, or processing medical imaging datasets. Applies to tasks involving medical image analysis, PACS systems, radiology workflows, and healthcare imaging applications.
Best practices for Remotion - Video creation in React
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Turn error logs, screenshots, voice notes, and rough bug reports into crisp, developer-ready GitHub issues with repro steps, impact, and evidence.
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Take microsoft/azure-ai-voicelive-py from the repository into ~/.claude/skills for personal
use, or into .claude/skills inside a project.
The agent identifies a skill by the name field in its header. Two skills with the
same name cannot sit side by side — one of them will be ignored.
The instructions reference pip.
Without those the skill loads but fails at the first command.