Narrator
Clean explainer voice for product videos, docs, and YouTube scripts.
ZONOS2 playground, install guide, and comparison hub
ZONOS2 TTS: Try Zyphra's Open-Weight Voice Cloning Model
Generate expressive multilingual speech, test English, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese prompts, compare samples, and learn how to run ZONOS2 locally with CUDA, API examples, and real-world tradeoffs.
8Btotal parameters
900Mactive parameters
6M+training audio hours
Tier 1English, Mandarin, Japanese
Voice cloning workflow
ZONOS2 Voice Cloning Demo
Start with the embedded demo, then test a short script with a clean, consented reference voice. For production, route generation through Zyphra Cloud or your own local inference server.
Choose a preset to plan your ZONOS2 test.
Listen before you decide
Audio Sample Gallery
Real TTS decisions are made by listening. Use these lanes to compare ZONOS2 against managed and open-source alternatives.
Japanese Dub
A test lane for anime-style dialogue, visual novels, and localization.
Podcast Host
Conversational pacing for intros, ad reads, and long-form narration.
Game NPC
Short expressive lines for quests, combat barks, and prototypes.
Quick facts
What Is ZONOS2?
ZONOS2 is Zyphra's real-time text-to-speech model focused on expressive multilingual speech and high-fidelity voice cloning. Public sources describe a sparse MoE model with 8B total parameters, 900M active parameters, and training on more than 6M hours of speech.
System requirements
Can My GPU Run ZONOS2?
Local inference is aimed at Linux x86_64 with NVIDIA CUDA. Use this quick checker to choose local, WSL2, or cloud GPU.
Copyable setup
How to Install ZONOS2 Locally
The shortest official path is Linux plus NVIDIA CUDA. Windows users should consider WSL2 only if they are comfortable debugging GPU passthrough.
Linux CUDA
git clone https://github.com/Zyphra/ZONOS2.git
cd ZONOS2
uv sync
uv run python -m minisgl --model-path Zyphra/ZONOS2 --tts-default-voices-dir ./default_voices/Generate Speech
curl -X POST http://localhost:1919/tts/generate \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"text":"Hello from ZONOS2","stream":true}' \
--output output.pcm
ffmpeg -f f32le -ar 44100 -ac 1 -i output.pcm output.wavWSL2 Route
wsl --install
# Install an NVIDIA driver with WSL CUDA support on Windows.
# Inside Ubuntu on WSL2:
nvidia-smi
uv --version
# Then follow the Linux CUDA commands.Comparison
ZONOS2 vs ElevenLabs
| Dimension | ZONOS2 | ElevenLabs |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Open-weight TTS experiments, self-hosting, voice-clone research, API wrappers | Managed creator and business voice production |
| Control | High if you run the model or local server yourself | Lower, but easier for non-technical teams |
| Setup | Linux x86_64, NVIDIA CUDA, uv, local server on port 1919 | Browser-first SaaS workflow |
| Cost model | GPU time, hosting, maintenance, and engineering effort | Subscription or usage-based billing |
| Voice cloning | Strong focus on high-fidelity and naturalistic voice cloning | Polished voice library, cloning flows, and creator UX |
| Commercial risk | Verify model weights, code license, third-party components, and usage rights | Review platform terms, voice rights, and usage policy |
Tier 1 languages
ZONOS2 for Japanese, Chinese, and English
Japanese voice cloning
Use clean reference audio and short scripts first. Japanese is a strong long-tail page because users search for anime dubbing, game dialogue, and localization workflows.
Mandarin Chinese TTS
Mandarin Chinese is listed as Tier 1 in official language support, so it deserves first-class examples instead of being hidden in a generic language list.
English narration
English remains the main comparison lane against ElevenLabs, Cartesia, Fish Audio, Qwen, Kokoro, and Chatterbox.
Developer lane
ZONOS2 API Examples
After the local server starts, the default endpoint accepts generation requests on localhost port 1919. Keep early tests short, then add chunking for long scripts.
curl -X POST http://localhost:1919/tts/generate \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"text":"Hello world","stream":true}' \
--output output.pcmTroubleshooting
ZONOS2 Troubleshooting
CUDA mismatch
Check nvidia-smi, driver version, CUDA toolkit, and whether the toolkit matches the runtime expected by your environment.
Server not opening
Confirm the server started on http://localhost:1919 and that another process is not using the same port.
Long text fails
Split long scripts by sentence, generate chunks, apply fade-out only when needed, and stitch audio after checking pacing.
Site map
What This ZONOS2 Guide Covers
Demo
The embedded Hugging Face Space plus prompt planning for text, target language, reference audio, and consent checks.
Install
The Linux CUDA route, WSL2 and cloud GPU notes, the local server, REST API calls, and common setup fixes.
Compare
ZONOS2 against ElevenLabs on best fit, control, setup, cost model, voice cloning, and commercial risk.
Chinese
Mandarin Chinese text to speech and voice cloning with reference audio rules and bilingual workflows.
Japanese
Japanese text to speech and voice cloning with reference audio rules and safe handling of character voices.
About
Who publishes this guide, what it covers, and what it is not affiliated with.
Contact
How to send corrections, source updates, and voice cloning safety reports.
Privacy
What the static site, its page analytics, and the embedded third-party demo collect.
Terms
The independent-guide disclaimer, safe voice cloning rules, and licence responsibility.
Commercial use
ZONOS2 License and Commercial Use
Zyphra's launch post and Hugging Face model page present Apache-2.0 licensing for the model, while the GitHub repository page currently presents code-side MIT license signals. Treat model weights, inference code, third-party notices, and generated voice rights as separate checks before commercial deployment.
Multilingual ZONOS2 workflow
ZONOS2 Multilingual TTS for English, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese
This Home page targets users searching for ZONOS2 multilingual TTS, ZONOS2 voice cloning, ZONOS2 Japanese voice cloning, ZONOS2 Mandarin Chinese speech, and ZONOS2 English narration. Keep tests short, compare language output side by side, and verify consent before using any cloned voice.
English ZONOS2 narration
Use ZONOS2 TTS for product explainers, YouTube voiceovers, podcasts, API demos, and developer documentation where clear English pacing matters.
Japanese ZONOS2 voice cloning
Use ZONOS2 Japanese TTS for anime-style dialogue tests, game character lines, VTuber scripts, localization drafts, and language-learning examples.
Mandarin Chinese ZONOS2 TTS
Use ZONOS2 Mandarin Chinese speech for bilingual demos, creator narration, app onboarding, education content, and Chinese voice cloning experiments.
Multilingual API planning
Store language, reference voice, prompt text, consent status, and output settings together so every ZONOS2 multilingual generation is traceable.
FAQ
ZONOS2 FAQ
Is ZONOS2 free to try?
The model can be explored through Zyphra Cloud during its launch period and through community Spaces. Free access can change, so check the official provider before relying on it for production.
Can I run ZONOS2 locally?
Yes, but the official local path targets Linux x86_64 with an NVIDIA GPU and a CUDA toolkit matching your driver.
Does ZONOS2 support Japanese and Chinese?
Yes. Official model cards list English, Mandarin Chinese, and Japanese as Tier 1 languages.
Is ZONOS2 an ElevenLabs alternative?
It can be an alternative for developers who want open-weight control and self-hosting. ElevenLabs remains stronger for polished SaaS workflows and managed production UX.
Can I clone any voice?
No. Clone only voices you own or have permission to use. Do not impersonate private people, public figures, or copyrighted characters without the right to do so.