Converting EPUB to DAISY

Converting EPUB to DAISY

There may be a requirement for converting EPUB files to DAISY format for compatibility with reading devices or apps available with the end users. Or you may want to convert EPUB files to talking books by adding audio using text-to-speech voices available from different providers such as Microsoft and Google.

The free DAISY Pipeline App from DAISY Consortium can be used for these conversions. Visit the DAISY Pipeline page to download its installer for Windows or macOS.

Steps to Convert EPUB to DAISY Using DAISY Pipeline

1. Prepare Your EPUB File

Ensure that your EPUB file is properly formatted and valid:

  • Use ACE by DAISY (to verify the accessibility and validity of the EPUB. If the EPUB is not accessible, the resulting DAISY books will also have limited accessibility for users.
  • Remove any DRM (Digital Rights Management) protection, as DAISY Pipeline cannot process encrypted files.

2. Run DAISY Pipeline

Click on the DAISY Pipeline icon on Desktop to run it.

3. Select script for conversion

DAISY Pipeline includes scripts for converting EPUB to DAISY 2.02, DAISY 3 and also for adding TTS audio to any of these DAISY versions.

Depending upon your requirement, select any of the following three scripts

  • EPUB 3 to DAISY 2.02: Transforms an EPUB 3 publication into DAISY 2.02.
  • EPUB 3 to DAISY 3: Transforms an EPUB 3 publication into DAISY 3.
  • EPUB to DAISY (TTS Enhanced): Transforms an EPUB 2 or EPUB 3 publication into DAISY 2.02 and DAISY 3. Text can be recorded in TTS voices.

4. Configure the script

In the EPUB 3 to DAISY 2.02 and EPUB 3 to DAISY 3 scripts you need to:

The DAISY Pipeline app window with the EPUB to DAISY (TTS Enhanced) script selected

  • Browse and select the EPUB file to be converted and
  • choose if the EPUB should be validated or not

In theEPUB to DAISY (TTS Enhanced) script the options are:

  • Browse and select the EPUB file to be converted

  • Perform text-to-speech: You can select “Yes”, “No” or “If publication has no media overlays as yet”. If you want to add audio then it is best to select “Yes” here.

    You should select your desired TTS voice for recording the contents of the EPUB. You will need to go into DAISY Pipeline app settings and choose the TTS engine and voices of the languages and dialects contained in the EPUB being converted. These steps are listed in the article Using Azure and Google TTS in DAISY Pipeline.

  • In the “Style sheets” option, a list of Oral CSS style sheets can be selected.

    An Oral Style Sheet is like a guide that helps people speak clearly and consistently, especially when they are using a screen reader or voice technology. Imagine it as a set of rules for speaking, just like a written style sheet helps in writing. It ensures that words, punctuation, abbreviations, and special symbols are spoken in a way that makes sense and is easy to understand.

    For example: Instead of saying “Dr.” as “D-R”, the oral style sheet ensures it is read as “Doctor.”

  • The Lexicons option can be used to change the pronunciation of names, unique words, abbreviations and acronyms. Often the TTS voice does not pronounce words the way native language speakers do. This issue can be fixed to a great extent using this Lexicon feature.

    The Lexicon file can be browsed and selected here or Lexicons can also be attached to the source document, using a ‘link’ element.

    Note that an Oral Style Sheet is a set of rules that guide how text should be spoken aloud, ensuring proper pronunciation, formatting, and natural speech. It is used in screen readers and voice assistants to make speech output clear and consistent.

    Whereas a Lexicon is a collection of words and their meanings, helping systems recognize and understand specific terms, including technical or uncommon words.

    The key Difference between them is that Oral Style Sheets control how words are spoken and Lexicons help recognize and define words.

  • In “Validation” option, choose between “No validation”, “Report validation issues” or “abort on validation issues”.
  • Click “Run” to start the conversion.
  • The status of conversion is shown on the screen and “Completed” is displayed when the process is completed successfully.
  • The resulting DAISY book files can be viewed by clicking on the Output folder link.